Paul Ryan Not Running For President
Although his name has frequently been mentioned as a candidate for President in 2016, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan is making clear he has no intention of running:
Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who was his party’s 2012 vice presidential nominee, announced Monday that he will not run for president in 2016.
Ryan, the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, ruled out a presidential bid in a statement after first announcing his decision to NBC News.
“After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided not to run for president,” he said in the statement. “Our work at the House Ways and Means Committee over the next few years will be crucial to moving America forward, and my job as chairman deserves undivided attention. It’s clear our country needs a change in direction. And our party has a responsibility to offer a real alternative. So I’m going to do what I can to lay out conservative solutions and to help our nominee lead us to victory.”
His 2012 running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, indicated on Friday that he is weighing another run.
While a Ryan candidacy always seemed unlikely to me given the fact that the Congressman has always seemed more interested in being the policy wonk rather than the politician, Ryan’s long standing popularity on the right meant that his name would frequently come up in discussions about 2016. Taking his name out of circulation this early will at the very least spare Ryan the inevitable questions in the coming months. What is perhaps more interesting is that Ryan’s announcement comes at the same time speculation is heating up both about his fellow Wisconsinite Scott Walker and his former running mate Mitt Romney getting into the race. It has long been suspected that Ryan would not get into the race if either or both of these men got into it, and this announcement would seem to confirm that.
Apparently Paul Ryan was the last guy to figure out Paul Ryan had no chance at the nomination.
The juxtaposition of this with talk of Walker running suggests the possibility of a Romney/Walker ticket. They can whistle stop on the Oligopoly Express.
Because if he won his time suckling on the Government teet would have an end date.
But he’s heir to a fortune made on Government largess…it’s not about the Benjamin’s.
As a Congress-Critter he can make life miserable for “the takers” for a long long time.
His supporter will be crushed.
@michael reynolds:
Jacque Strappe ?
Ted Cruz?
What was I thinking… Ted Cruz only supports Ted Cruz
Obviously he needs to devote more time to limiting Medicare benefits to retirees.
I’m curious what makes someone a “policy wonk”?
I see this term applied to Paul Ryan frequently but I don’t believe the man has ever come out with a budget that even remotely adds up with out lots of smoke and mirrors.
@MikeSJ: On the GOP side, that doesn’t count against you. Nor with the supposedly liberal MSM.
@rMoney 2016:
True about Cruz. He just excoriated Ryan and Romney for being squishy moderates.
Ryan is anathema to the fringe right.
@rMoney 2016: His jock strap.
@rMoney 2016:
WHOOOOOSH!!!
Right over my hehehehehead.
@rMoney 2016:
What did the Marshal of the Royal Air Force do to you to deserve such an insult?
Well, good. Yet another reason I won’t be voting for him.
@OzarkHillbilly:
Hey… Not a problem!
Now that all of us LOYAL GOP(TM) are HUGE FANS of France (…since Obammybummer didn’t go there) it takes a while to be a Francophile!
Forget what we said about freedom fries… IMPEACH!
I await #DraftRyan with baited breath.
I don’t really care. I just came to see if anybody else did. 14 comments indicates … not really.