The somber tones emanating from The Swamp over the untimely – and self-inflicted – demise of Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) have softened even the hardest liberal hearts into speaking only positive of the soon to be departed. It’s a sudden, albeit expected, tactic employed by the mourners upon losing another swamp critter as the Republican Party embraces change and throws the prickly mantle of aping liberalism into the brackish depths.
Oh, Ryan didn’t die; he retired. But now the rush is on to canonize this man as the face of integrity within the conservative movement because he was more liberal than the direction the GOP is currently traveling.
The Outpouring
Eulogies from stalwart left leaning publications and cable and network news now decry Ryan’s imminent withdrawal from public life as a blow to “decent” conservatism. A recent editorial from our reality challenged friends at The Washington Post emotionally delivered this tribute:
“At the best moments of his almost two decades in Congress, Mr. Ryan did stand for a decent conservatism, as he saw it. Like his mentor, Jack Kemp, Mr. Ryan spoke of making capitalism not only grow the economy but also work for the poor, and he mastered the details of policy. He favored robust immigration and free trade.”
Ryan was in the middle lane about to swerve into oncoming traffic when Trump won the presidency. He was just one of 15 cookie-cutter liberally neutered Republicans running for the most prestigious job in the world while preaching conservative values but bending over for the Democrats and politically correct nonsense. A man, who like his peers, tested which way the wind blew before formulating an opinion.
And the NYT gushed about Ryan becoming the new image of the Republican Party, now cut short, and acknowledged the disappointment he must have felt as Trump trounced his career’s work. Shades of Clinton’s famous, “I feel your pain,” reworked and regurgitated:
“An ardent free trade advocate, Mr. Ryan could only watch as Mr. Trump pulled the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive trade deal that the speaker had supported, and as he moved to impose tariffs on steel, aluminum and goods from China. An advocate for federal law enforcement, he was bulldozed by those in his conference eager to attack the F.B.I. and Justice Department at the president’s behest.”
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
They now love Ryan. They will love and respect anyone that dresses out as conservative but plays for the liberal agenda. That’s what they call “decent” conservatism; it mirrors liberalism.
Crowds cheered as the Tax Reform Act was signed last December, as small businesses, no collar, blue collar and middle class saw relief finally coming their way. That is a win in the Ryan column. But even his fiscally conservative moves are now being pitied by liberals as strains of his funeral dirge begin to emanate in the hallowed halls of the Capitol, and whispers abound:
“Questionable as policy, the tax bill victory may prove Pyrrhic politically. Democrats are energized and seemingly on track to retake the House in November. Even if Republicans do hold the chamber, it will not be as the party of growth and opportunity but the party of tariffs and the Wall.”
Instead of pandering to a constituency of socialistically minded liberals, conservatives – led by the Grand Old Party – need to tune out the detractors of this administration and its policy agenda. Liberals do not and will never embrace the values that Republicans are attempting to restore. And no amount of falsely intended kind words should sway that agenda; conservatives don’t have to be adored by everyone to get the job done.
The GOP will retain the chamber. It may well be recognized as the party of tariffs and the wall, but also of job growth, national security, and restoring America to her once respected status. The Democrats can put away the tissues now, as Ryan will not be missed, and the Republicans have finally grown a pair.
