Chuck Todd: Paul Ryan Is Playing an ‘Inside Game’ and an ‘Outside Game’

‘I think it is important to see the kind of reserve, if you will, positive reserve, that Paul Ryan has with conservatives’

“I think it is important to see the kind of reserve, if you will, positive reserve, that Paul Ryan has with conservatives. And this poll was basically done mostly before he became the face of the deal. But, you know, it's both, you know, he's one of these few people that have successfully, so far, playing an inside game, and an outside game, right? Ryan for the longest period of time was seen by a lot of conservatives as sort of a very much-trusted guy among conservatives that helped Mitt Romney with conservatives a little bit. You know, Ryan, remember, he was helping himself on the right, and trying to get -- trying to get credibility on fiscal issues, and Paul Ryan helped with that, and he certainly didn't hurt himself with how he ran, at least with Republicans, with how he ran on the national ticket. And then the reason, you know, everybody is talking about Boehner as far as look at what John Boehner was able to do, stare down the groups, and all this with the budget deal. The real reason why so many Republicans were in favor of this deal is because Paul Ryan -- I mean what is it, there was one member of Congress that said Paul Ryan is their Jesus, you know, meaning that if he's for something, you know, they sort of almost blindly will trust him on these issues."

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