Paul Ryan has been the Speaker of the House for less than two years, and it’s been a rough time for the Wisconsin congressman. Between Republican infighting and failing to navigate a full repeal and replace of Obamacare, Speaker Ryan’s tenure as the leader of the House has been anything but smooth.
It appears as though all of his shortcomings have come at a tremendous cost, as a new Pew poll finds that Paul Ryan’s approval as Speaker is now lower than former Speakers John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, and Newt Gingrich.
PAUL RYAN Has Lower Approval Ratings Than Any Recent Speaker, Including Pelosi (VIDEO) https://t.co/MflO8Auomd pic.twitter.com/n1DlBolLaD
— The News24 (@NewsEp24) April 18, 2017
As Hot Air notes, Ryan’s approval ratings aren’t that different from Boehner or Pelosi’s, it’s his disapproval rating that is hurting him, as the following graphic illustrates:
Hot Air identifies several factors that have contributed to Ryan’s disapproval numbers. First, he was the leader of the GOP’s recent failed Obamacare repeal efforts, managing to anger both conservative and moderate members of the Republican-controlled House. Second, Ryan, unlike Speakers Pelosi and Boehner, was the GOP’s 2012 Vice Presidential nominee and thus had a much larger national profile than his predecessors.
Third, unlike Speakers Gingrich and Boehner, Hot Air explains that “Ryan is dealing with a divided party, one whose populist-nationalist wing regards him as little better than a Democrat. That’s the secret ingredient to his low approval rating.” Finally, the website argues that the increasingly polarized politics have contributed to Ryan’s declining popularity: ” A Republican as prominent as Ryan would have been a hate object for the left no matter what, but toss in his Romney pedigree and his Medicare-cutting ambitions and he’s doomed to pitiful numbers among Democrats.”
Given that Speaker Ryan is so deeply unpopular, even within his own Republican caucus, it makes him an ineffective Speaker, with little, if any, political capital to push his agenda. His only saving grace at this point is that President Trump still backs him as Speaker, which may save his job in leadership, temporarily.
Do you support Speaker Ryan or is it time for him to step aside and be replaced with a more effective leader? Share your thoughts below!