I wanted to share a couple thoughts on Paul Ryan’s statement that he’s happy to step down as convention chair if that’s what Donald Trump wants. First, it’s important to recognize that the nominee owns the convention. It’s his show. If Trump wanted someone else to chair the convention, Ryan would really have little choice but to step aside. But that’s really not the point.
This all seems of a piece with what Republican officeholders across the country have been grasping their way towards over the last week. Trump has won the nomination. There’s no way any longer to deny that reality or the legitimacy of his win. But as I noted yesterday, most members of Congress and governors are essentially signaling they plan to spend the presidential on the sidelines. At a minimum, they want to bide their time.
Ryan’s riposte is similar. You won the nomination. By all means, you run with it. If you want to do it all by yourself, by all means, please proceed.
Do Republicans really have any interest in keeping as much of the Republican imprimatur on the Cleveland convention as possible? Stated that way, the answer seems pretty obviously, no. If Trump wants to hold just a three day Trump informercial, does Paul Ryan beg to be part of that? Why?
