House Republicans are expected to vote Wednesday to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner, with a full floor vote on Thursday if everything proceeds according to plan. Opposition to the anointed one—Rep. Paul Ryan—from extremists in the so-called Freedom Caucus doesn't yet threaten that vote, but things can change fast in the House. Ryan secured the support of roughly 70 percent of the Freedom Caucus,
but the 30 percent who are opposed aren't going quietly and are being egged on from the outside.
The anger over Ryan’s ascent has been fueled by voices across the conservative media landscape. On the Internet, sites such as Breitbart.com and the Drudge Report have pumped out a steady stream of anti-Ryan stories casting doubt on his record, while such prominent commentators as Erick Erickson, Ann Coulter and Mickey Kaus have sharpened their teeth and urged conservatives to contact lawmakers and tell them to spurn Ryan.
Particularly brutal have been the syndicated talk-radio hosts who have helped foment the anti-establishment outrage that has kept Donald Trump atop the GOP presidential race and forced Jeb Bush, a well-financed mainstream conservative, to undertake a campaign shake-up.
Radio hate-spewers Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, and Rush Limbaugh have all jumped on the anti-Ryan bandwagon. That's led the most rabid of the Tea Party constituency to go on the attack, leaving angry messages on the Facebook pages of the likes of Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID), who one commenter calls "a RINO establishment lap dog" and "another go-along to get along phony who will GLADLY step on the throats of the Conservative electorate." All this is creating some fissures within Freedom Caucus as well, which shouldn't be a surprise. These people live for creating chaos and division. It was only a matter of time before they turned on each other.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are fostering a tiny flicker of hope that Ryan can be the bridge between the two bodies. "Maybe this will give us an opportunity to unify," says Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX). "I think that’s the single most important thing: When we're divided, we basically default to the opposition." That depends on whether Ryan has any better luck conveying the reality of governing than Boehner has had. Good luck with that. The very reason that Ryan is looked at as the GOP's savior is summed up by this tepid endorsement from Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who worked with Ryan negotiating a budget deal. "He wants our country to function, and I respect him for that," Murray said. That's an awfully low bar for the Speaker of the House and second in line to the presidency to meet. But it's way too high for Republican extremists.