Now What?

For real Conservatives, the hits just keep on coming.  House Speaker Paul Ryan's announcement that he will not seek re-election this fall is another blow to the hope that perhaps the founding principals of the Republican Party will be upheld during the Trump presidency.  But now there will be one less voice to say "This is not who we are" after the next Twitter storm, malaprop, unsubstantiated accusation, flippant threat and out-of-left field proposal that comes from the Oval Office.

At this point, I'm hoping for a complete and utter obliteration of the Republican majorities across all levels of government in both 2018 and 2020.  The party is in need of an extreme blood-letting in order to starve the leeches of the extreme right that have attached themselves to the "Party of Trump".  Maybe in 2022 the party can avoid running Holocaust deniers, guys arrested for blocking access to abortion clinics and white supremacy bloggers for major elected positions.

Paul Ryan "retires" at the age of 48--meaning a run for a much higher office in 2022 would come at the prime age of 54.  And by that time, Democrats will have angered pretty much everyone again in the majority of states that the Electoral College map will once again favor a Republican.  And that time, an actual Republican would be running.

But as Ryan goes on his self-imposed period wandering in the wilderness, who takes up the mantle for true Conservatism and the soul of the Republican party?  I'd direct your attention to Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse.  He was my write in selection for Vice President in 2016--teaming him up with Speaker Ryan in the "ticket that should have been"--and the administration that would have still accomplished the legislative victories of the past year--without the embarrassing rhetoric, independent counsel investigations, 60 Minutes porn star interviews and Twitter threats that bring the world to the edge of nuclear war.

Much like Ryan, Senator Sasse is a young, personable Conservative that knows the Constitution, values the rights of the individual, and believes strongly in a limited Government.  He has expressed embarrassment for the man that now heads up the party and has stated opposition to a number of President Trump's extreme positions--including a trade war with China.  With Speaker Ryan's departure from Washington, Sasse becomes the Conservative Luke Skywalker if you will--the last hope against the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Let's hope that he is able to hang on, until Paul Ryan decides it's time to bring real Republicanism back to Washington.