Many media outlets are saying "Paul Ryan Retires" (For example, Vox's original headline.) This doesn't mean he won't still be there until the new Congress is seated in January 2019.
Vox reports:
More and more Republicans are looking at how the 2018 elections are shaping up and deciding they want no part of them--with Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) just the latest to announce they won't run for reelection this year.
This makes 25 House Republicans and three GOP senators who are calling it quits, not counting several more who are stepping down to run for another political office (or who have already resigned). That's the highest such number[1] for just one party in decades.
Revealingly, only nine House Democrats and zero Democratic senators have so far made the same choice. (Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota resigned due to scandal, but his seat has already been filled by Tina Smith, who will run this fall.) That's a dramatic discrepancy.
Though the explanations offered for these decisions differ, and though many of these GOP-held seats are in no real danger of flipping to Democrats, these retirements are revealing how members of Congress currently view the national political environment. That is: they think there's a real possibility of a Democratic wave.
But the trend is more meaningful even than that. These very retirements could help make such a wave even bigger, because it's generally easier for the opposition party to flip open seats than it is to knock off incumbents.
[...] According to FiveThirtyEight's numbers,[2] the only time in the past 40 years there's been a bigger partisan discrepancy in [the who's not running for reelection stats] was 2008, which turned out to be a Democratic wave year.
(Score: 2, Troll) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday April 12 2018, @09:10AM (9 children)
Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and very good looking. While he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that NOBODY can question. We are with you Paul!
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Thursday April 12 2018, @09:12AM (2 children)
Make sure you help him find another job, though, because otherwise he can't collect welfare.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 12 2018, @09:43AM
>implying he didn't line his pockets already
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday April 12 2018, @10:59AM
Trust me, Paul's not going on welfare. He's not rich but he's very comfortable. Janna inherited a few million and Paul has a few million from his investments & hard work. And he'll find a GREAT job. Plenty of jobs opening up now. BRINGING BACK so many Factories! Lots of openings in our Border Patrol. Or he could model like Ivanka & Melania (so sexy). Good money in that!!!! #MAGA [twitter.com]
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 12 2018, @10:34AM (4 children)
In his intro on this, Pacifica Radio presenter Ian Masters [kpfk.org] said [backgroundbriefing.org]
...and my Original Submission said
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2, Funny) by khallow on Thursday April 12 2018, @12:39PM (3 children)
I wish libertarians like Ian Masters would stop attacking libertarians like Paul Ryan. It's so confusing to libertarians!
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 12 2018, @02:31PM
Libertarians are confused! Film at 11!
In other breaking news, water is wet, ice is cold, and people eating Tide pods are morons! For more on that, here's our chief correspondent, Captain Obvious. Off to you, Captain...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 12 2018, @05:08PM (1 child)
Now I'm starting to wonder if you're just a really really clever troll pretending to be libertarian. Seems unlikely, but paired with the other variety of crap you spew I'm now wondering.
I can't imagine anyone could find Paul Ryan anything but despicable.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday April 13 2018, @12:57AM
Including libertarians, amirite?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by TheGratefulNet on Thursday April 12 2018, @01:32PM
eddie munster can die in a fire, for all I care.
he's an aweful person and I hope he suffers in life. yeah, when you are that evil, evil should seek people like that out and make things right in the universe, again.
then again, he's just one of the many who have 'very punchable faces', as the kids today, seem to like saying. and I agree.
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."