RedState’s Erick Erickson is a smart guy who lost points for recommending a Rick Perry presidential campaign and gained some back for backing Ted Cruz in Texas. He cashes in today.
Paul Ryan managed to get through a brutal Presidential campaign with higher favorables than the incumbent Vice President, saw senior citizens actually gravitate to him instead of runaway from him and his proposals, and Paul Ryan is actually speaking up defending conservative values, ideals, and principles while John Boehner is trying to muddy them and compromise them away.
House Republicans should think very carefully if the faux-tanned face of John Boehner is the face they want for their party in the next two years. They should consider Paul Ryan as their Speaker.
Honestly, I’m just surprised it took Erickson to say something that the conservative media has been saying since 2008. It was that year, after the GOP’s second consecutive election loss, that the Wall Street Journal floated Ryan for GOP leader. And on one data point, the argument is stronger now than it was then. In 2008, 16 percent of the electorate was aged 65 or older. It broke for the McCain-Palin ticket by 8 points, 53-45. In 2012, the seniors made up the same share of the electorate and broke 56-44 for Romney.
I like the audacity of this. By any reasonable measure, a rising star who lost his home state and home town as he became part of a disastrous national presidential ticket might take a hit. But no! He did well with seniors. Time to double down.
