The Republican Party is not, as some commentators wail, in “chaos” today. It is in rebellion, in revolt, as it was in the early 1960s when Barry Goldwater’s true believers rejected Eisenhower Republicanism and Nelson Rockefeller to nominate the Arizona Senator for president.

After the GOP capture of the House in 2010, Ryan, with new Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, wrote a book about what they were going to do titled Young Guns. “Young Guns” Cantor and McCarthy are now lying toes up in the OK Corral, and if Paul Ryan becomes speaker, he will end up the same way. […] Pat Buchanan

Yes, the Republican party is in rebellion but they're up to their eyeballs in chaos, as well, and Buchanan knows it.

As for Paul Ryan:

DJ and Pat are correct. Ryan would be but a sacrificial lamb if he decides to drink from that "poison chalice" offered him vai the House Speakership. And Ryan knows it.

And Repubs who say Ryan should do it "to unite the party" either do NOT know their party anymore (meaning their "base")…Or they're simply trying to run *game* on Ryan because the party is just that desperate.

The "base" views Ryan as part of the GOP establishment and an extension of Boehner. He would have to sign over his soul to the hard-right and abandon any principles he may have in order to get their votes (forcing him to give up any further political dreams he may have) and even then his sacrifice won't be enough to satisfy their veracious appetite for even more hard-right extremism.

In short- We'll soon find out if Ryan is as "smart" as people say he is(?)