COTTonLINE isn't entirely sympatico with Speaker Paul Ryan, we disagree with him on a number of fundamentals. Nevertheless, today he showed class and we wish to recognize and honor him for it.
Folks unhappy with the remaining GOP presidential nomination aspirants have kept pushing his name forward as someone to whom the party could turn on a second ballot. The party establishment is comfortable with Ryan, no great endorsement in this anti-establishment year.
Politico.com reports Ryan today announced two very important things. First, he will not seek, nor will he accept, the party's nomination. Second, he asks the rules committee to adopt a rule limiting the party to selecting among those who have run active campaigns during the primary season.
This is entirely as it should be. Realistically, the party should select either Cruz or Trump as no one else has won any substantial number of state contests.
If Trump arrives in Cleveland with enough pledged delegates to win on the first ballot, he must get the nomination. In the event Trump has not achieved the 1237 necessary when the primaries end, then both he and Cruz will go recruiting among the delegates pledged to Rubio, Kasich, etc. Whether these will be released before the first ballot remains unclear. It should be an interesting summer.
The party establishment needs to accept the idea they've been repudiated. Four choices remain for them: decide to follow the lead of the base, sit out the 2016 election, become Democrats, or form a third party to ensure the GOP base doesn't elect their candidate. The party's nominee only has a chance of winning if the establishment takes choice number one.
