Paul Ryan: I'm voting for Donald Trump, and here's why

I'm bracing myself for the barrage from the comment section, because for whatever reason most of you have decided that Paul Ryan is a traitorliberalRINOsquish. But if you're a conservative in Washington and you're concerned Donald Trump doesn't have the policy chops to be president, you can do one of two things: 1. Run from him so as not to be tarred by association. 2. Help him. Ryan is going to help. More than, in fact, I think Ryan recognizes a Trump presidency presents a unique opportunity for the House to take the lead on policy matters. That would explain the conversations that had to precede the following. Ryan's incentive to support Trump would clearly be the hope that Trump, unlike Hillary, would sign key pieces of Republican-backed legislation. I've said all along that ObamaCare repeal, energy policy, the Supreme Court and taxes alone provide all the rationale you need for any conservative to choose Trump over Hillary - no matter how many other things may bother you about him.

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Yesterday, Ryan wrote that he has come to the same conclusion:

Donald Trump and I have talked at great length about things such as the proper role of the executive and fundamental principles such as the protection of life. The list of potential Supreme Court nominees he released after our first meeting was very encouraging. But the House policy agenda has been the main focus of our dialogue. We’ve talked about the common ground this agenda can represent. We’ve discussed how the House can be a driver of policy ideas. We’ve talked about how important these reforms are to saving our country. And we’ve talked about how, by focusing on issues that unite Republicans, we can work together to heal the fissures developed through the primary. Through these conversations, I feel confident he would help us turn the ideas in this agenda into laws to help improve people’s lives. That’s why I’ll be voting for him this fall. It’s no secret that he and I have our differences. I won’t pretend otherwise. And when I feel the need to, I’ll continue to speak my mind. But the reality is, on the issues that make up our agenda, we have more common ground than disagreement.

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For me, it’s a question of how to move ahead on the ideas that I—and my House colleagues—have invested so much in through the years. It’s not just a choice of two people, but of two visions for America. And House Republicans are helping shape that Republican vision by offering a bold policy agenda, by offering a better way ahead. Donald Trump can help us make it a reality. A lot of Trump's conservative detractors predict that while he may say conservative things now, he's an untrustworthy secret Democrat who will turn coat and do liberal things once in office. Even if it were true that Trump might want to do that, he still has to deal with the legislative agenda set by Congress. A Trump presidency gives Ryan the chance to play a major driving role in the development of policy. And those of you who think that's a bad thing because of Ryan's tactical moves vis-a-vis a Democrat president are forgetting this guy's policy instincts from his early days in the House. I don't see how this could ever have gone another way. If you're the Republican House Speaker and you've had enough of a Democrat president who won't even consider your policy initiatives, what are you going to do? Sit on your hands and do nothing to stop Hillary from succeeding him and doing the same thing for a least four years? Of course not. You're going to try to develop a working relationship with the guy who's at least open to giving you some support. Trump signing conservative bills Ryan shepherds through the House is the best-case scenario for the next four years. It's the only way we get rid of ObamaCare without a doubt. A president who signs that bill is the one I want. The abuse he gives the mainstream media will just be a bonus.

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