Republicans must unify or risk the nation’s future

The highest-ranking Republican leader in the country sparked all kinds of reactions when he answered a question about whether he will endorse Donald Trump.

House Speaker Paul Ryan had previously said he would support the party’s nominee.

As recently as a few days ago, he appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe talk show and said he was comfortable with the task of unifying both the party and the country.

He spoke of having earlier talked with Trump and said he supported the work underway to have differences worked out before the Republican national convention.

So, what’s up with Ryan’s latest announcement? Here’s what he said:

“I’m just not ready to do that (endorse Trump) at this point. I’m not there right now. And I hope to, though, and I want to. But I think what is required is that we unify the party. And I think the bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee.”

Then, Trump’s reaction:

“I am not ready to support Speaker Ryan’s agenda. Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people. They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first.”

Within minutes, news coverage exploded across the country. There were gleeful reports of predictions coming true about chaos if Trump became the nominee.

But if you look closely at what both men said, it’s really a predictable work in progress between the two men who will need each other in the next administration.

Interestingly, among those reacting to Ryan’s statement was one of his predecessors, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — next to Ronald Reagan, perhaps the most successful conservative leader of our time.

Gingrich said he was disappointed in what Ryan said and encouraged him to recognize that in spite of his shortcomings, Trump is who Republican voters have chosen as the man they want as the next president.

None of this should be any great surprise. There are a couple of outcomes — each with many parts — that could derive from it.

First is that it all gets worked out and Ryan fully embraces Trump.

That would signal to all Republicans that the man who beat a field of 16 opponents is ready to advance conservative principles and make government more accountable.

Such is the very result that Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, after talking with Ryan, predicted will happen. A meeting between Ryan and Trump is planned for the coming week.

Trump needs to understand that his name at the top of the ticket is a challenge for some members of Congress in some parts of the country. Ryan needs to keep them in office if the conservative agenda he is pushing has a chance to succeed.

Ryan has no choice but to acknowledge the clear message from record numbers of Republican voters, not party elites in Washington. They are angry and have declared they are done with candidates who don’t deliver what they promise.

The second possible outcome is what the Democrats are hoping for as they imagine emerging as the country’s only remaining political party after the November elections.

Surely members of the entrenched GOP establishment aren’t so preoccupied with their own self-importance that they would risk the total undoing of their party and the country’s future.

After all, the mission is ultimately that of ensuring that Hillary Clinton does not become president of the United States — something that is bound to result from the failure of Republicans everywhere coalescing around their nominee.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Republicans must unify or risk the nation’s future."