Posted on 10/24/2015 11:44:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Elevating Paul Ryan to the House speakership, where he will be one of the main public faces of the Republican party, suggests that the party’s poobahs and panjandrums still haven’t learned their lesson. Ryan as chairman of Ways and Means worked. Ryan as the de facto leader of the GOP does not, for three reasons:
GOP to its own voters: Drop dead. Eric Cantor lost his primary last year because he was out of step with Republican voters on immigration. Speaker-designate Kevin McCarthy was forced to pass on the big chair because he was out of step with Republican voters on immigration. Even Speaker Boehner’s fall was partly due to his being out of step with Republican voters on immigration.
So whom do elected Republicans pass the mantle of leadership to? Someone who is more out of step with Republican voters on immigration than any of these men. Neither Cantor nor McCarthy nor Boehner are ideologically committed to unlimited immigration; for them, immigration is a political and financial issue, to be managed and gamed. Ryan, on the other hand, is a true believer, a Kempite supporter of the free movement of people into the United States.
Don’t Republican voters deserve a leader who actually, you know, agrees with their views on one of their most salient issues? Pew reports that only 7 percent of Republicans agree with Ryan that the United States should increase immigration beyond the 1 million green cards we give out each year (plus another 700,000 “temporary” workers).
And Ryan doesn’t just hold these views in the abstract; he’s the most active and committed supporter of amnesty and increased immigration who is anywhere near leadership. As a recent Frontline documentary showed, Ryan was instrumental in almost getting an amnesty/immigration-surge bill passed last year. In fact, I didn’t appreciate how close Ryan came to passing a version of the Schumer-Rubio Gang of Eight bill through the House in 2014. The filmmakers, who followed Representative Luis Gutiérrez (D., Ill.) and others for all of last year, reported that Dave Brat’s defeat of Cantor, coming at the same time as the illegal-alien surge across the border in South Texas, killed a deal that was already done, with the needed Republican votes already pledged. As the narrator said, “That pretty much finished off chances for an immigration bill. And only a couple of dozen people knew how close it had come.”
At the time, only a couple of dozen people knew how close Ryan had come to passing immediate amnesty for all illegals and huge increases in future immigration. What’s our excuse now?
GOP to working people: Drop dead. But it’s not just Republican voters that GOP officialdom has alienated. The party and its candidates have failed to offer much that might appeal to working people rather than entrepreneurs, to wage earners rather than just wage payers. Too much populism is toxic, of course, but so is too little.
Senator Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.) has become a national figure for taking the lead in calling for “a humble and honest populism — not the cheap demagoguery of political operatives, but a sincere devotion to the legitimate needs and desires of the American people.” Reihan Salam and Ross Douthat have famously written of the need for the GOP to become the party of Sam’s Club, not just the country club. Fred Bauer has made the case for an enlightened Republican populism. John Fonte has written about rebranding the GOP from the party of big business to the party of the little guy.
Unfortunately, a Speaker Ryan represents a detour from this essential rebranding. What are the issues he cares about and talks about the most? Tax cuts, trade-promotion authority, entitlement reform. This makes sense in a chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and they’re important issues. But what are ordinary people without estates to be taxed, without corporate profits parked overseas, without factories in Malaysia, supposed to get from this? As Matt Continetti has written regarding Ryan’s distance from reform conservatism, “Jack Kemp and Edward Conard have more influence over Paul Ryan and his budget, which has served as the de facto governing document of the GOP since 2010, than do Mike Lee and Ross Douthat.”
Yes, Ryan shoots deer and makes sausage out of them, but identity politics is no substitute for good policy.
GOP to a conservative future: Drop dead. Ryan is clearly a man of principle, a committed libertarian conservative. But his preferred immigration policies doom conservatism, of the “reform” or any other variety. And the Republican base increasingly understands this.
The federal immigration program currently admits about 1 million people from abroad each year who are big-government liberals by a ratio of roughly two to one. Immigrants are disproportionately supportive of activist government, higher taxes, Obamacare, gun control, affirmative action, and environmental regulation, and not notably conservative on social issues. Increased immigration leads to a steady shift in votes to the Democrats, even in Texas. And a Republican candidate’s views on immigration have no effect on this trend.
Over the next 20 years, current immigration policy will add about 15 million potential new voters. The Gang of Eight bill, a version of which Ryan came within days of passing in the House last year, would have more than doubled that to 32 million potential new voters.
The libertarian-corporate perspective on immigration, of which Ryan is the leading standard-bearer in the House, is a menace to the prospects for small-government, traditionalist conservatism.
Ryan has pledged not to revive his push for amnesty and immigration-surge legislation while Obama is president. This is cold comfort, for two reasons. First, there’s no chance such a bill could pass in the next year even if Luis Gutiérrez were speaker; it’s an empty promise.
Second, what about after Obama leaves? As Fred Bauer pointed out at National Review, the real action will come in 2017. If Ryan returns as speaker in the 115th Congress, it is a certainty that he will craft yet another iteration of the McCain-Kennedy/Schumer-Rubio approach to immigration. And he’ll have an ally in the Senate majority leader, whether Schumer or McConnell, and in the White House, if either Hillary or Rubio are elected.
Ryan’s election as speaker would be a victory for the Republican donor class in its relentless struggle against Republican voters. As Limbaugh said yesterday, “Paul Ryan is the new Cantor, in my theory, in terms of moving the donor agenda.” But they’ve won a battle, not the war.
— Mark Krikorian is executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies.
Being another Northern RINO is what does it to me.
When is the last time the GOP had a solid conservative speaker from the Northern States? Hell, include the Dems too.
GOP to its own voters: Drop dead. Eric Cantor lost his primary last year because he was out of step with Republican voters on immigration.
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One of the happiest days of my life was throwing the weasel Eric Cantor out of office.
If you are represented by a weasel multi-national politician, you have term limits in your hands.
Do what my district did and Cantorize your weasels, America!
The GOP is determined to keep ObamaCARE, ObamaTRADE,
and to lose the next election, as they have before,
over and over.
The complicit, hated, GOP is lower than scum.
Gingrich and jim demint made phone calls supporting scumbag paul ryan. Call Heritage/demint @ 800-546-2843 and give them a piece of your mind. Ryan had an F rating so give demint your F !!
Major b.s.
Such drivel is responsible for those mess we are in
The uniparty is alive and well and the beat goes on.
If Texas can be so loaded with immigrants as well as economic refugees from Democrat states who still vote Democrat, Democrats will claim the huge electoral votes of CA, NY, FL and TX....a juggernaut that will not be overcome perhaps forever.
The problem is there isn’t anybody else who wants the job that can get 218 votes. I doubt Webster could get elected or the Freedom Caucus would stick behind him. Chaffetz has dropped out and I don’t see anybody else with their hand in the air. That’s likely why Newt and Jim DeMint have urged members to go ahead and elect Ryan. Its only until Jan 2017 and if he’s not doing the job they can get rid of him then.
I’m not happy about Ryan but if there was another path I think the House would be on it or at least the Conservatives.
Maybe my 7.796-decades-old memory is playing tricks on me, but I seem to recall that, four years ago, there was a sizable constituency here on FR touting “conservative” Paul Ryan for President...
I think Ryan is fine for Speaker and yes, I agree with the consensus here and elsewhere that he’s not conservative enough.
I agree that his paymasters believe that he’s their man to maintain course and speed.
But. Let’s take stock, shall we?
1. There’s a mutiny actively happening.
2. The Captain (Boehner) is walking the gangplank.
3. His hand picked successor (Cantor) was knifed.
4. The next pick (McCarthy) begged off.
5. There are no conservative candidates stepping up.
6. Ryan is very likely trading a future Presidential run for this mess. This helps us avoid a future ‘Ryan starring as Jeb Bush’ campaign.
7. Speaking of Jeb, blah blah blah. The paymasters foisted both McCain and Romney on us; the mutiny now extends to the Monarchy and the paymasters couldn’t get their man through. This is a huge victory.
8. If Ryan and the paymasters think they can maintain current course and speed, then they are damn fools. Ryan will be eyes wide open.
I think Ryan might be unavoidable but it’s not a loss. If nobody moves forward, Boehner stays. It’s vitality important to the mutiny to make sure the Captain actually walks off the plank. Ryan sends Boehner packing.
The first time Ryan uses democrats to pass something, all hell will break lose.
Cheer up. The paymasters are used to getting their way. Boehner exiting stage left with Yebbie! right on his heels represents a change in the status quo. That change started with Cantor being knifed in the primary.
Ryan as Speaker or not, they’re all looking around wondering who’s next?!?
The revolution is in full swing. Ryan as Speaker doesn’t change that.
Yes, this is very fishy. In some cases it may be politicians paying back what they owe their donors, how could any conservative be voting ryan after his crap record? Will conservatives get some leadership positions? Did they get some hard agreement from scumbag ryan? Ryan is a total loser and his best friend is scumbag luis guittierez.
The article title is a gross understatement.
I imagine a lot of the politicians that are endorsing the GOPee poster boy got the words “Denny Hastert” whispered into their ears.
When Ryan required the right wing to Kiss his Ring before he would consider the post, HE LOST ME.
Typical Republican Demand.
Evidently, Prince Eric did an interview recently. Mark Levin was playing it on his show (last night or the night before) & interrupting with his comments. I came in partially through & at first didn’t realize who it was that Levin was making such harsh comments about ... then I recognized Cantor’s voice.
WOW is Cantor bitter. He says it was a “sabotage” ... the Dems didn’t have a primary that day and all came & voted against him. Levin’s comment was to wonder if Cantor had gotten any therapy yet regarding his loss. Cantor is in full denial that HIS contituents, Repubs, kicked him out of office. If you can find that part of Levin’s show (full disclosure - I have company & haven’t been able to search for it), it would be a hoot to listen to. You will be smiling all over again when you hear him whining & moaning about being ‘sabotaged’.
Politicians get more power and money when the government controls more of our lives. That is behind the crony capitalism of Obamacare (marriage of health insurers and government), renewable energy (subsidies to favored industries), cap and trade (great opportunities for favoritism) and increased regulations (graft galore).
Anyone here who has not read “Atlas Shrugged”, needs to do so in order to understand where this nation is headed. Forget arguments abut Ayn Rand and libertarianism. That’s irrelevant to the point. Read the book!
Good, I hope it eats at him every day.
We have paid a terrible price for his perfidy.
Excellent article. Thanks for posting. Lyin’ Ryan is not materially different from Cantor. Even worse, Ryan can never be trusted because he is a flood-the-country with massive numbers of foreign Dims and then give them citizenship advocate, This guy should never be in a leadership position. Kick him to the curb and go with Daniel Webster or, better yet, Dave Brat.
Care to expand on your thesis that this article is drivel?
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