How the ‘Young Guns’ Failed

A tale of how a party that loses touch with its voters can wander aimlessly for years

Former House speaker Kevin McCarthy’s announcement that he will resign from the chamber at the end of the year concludes the “Young Guns” era. Once touted as the party’s future, McCarthy and his onetime comrades in arms — former speaker Paul Ryan and former house majority leader Eric Cantor — will be all out of office and on the outs with their party’s voters.

Their failure to create the GOP of their dreams would be cautionary enough. Combined with the continuing failure of the Republicans who unseated them to construct a durable, governing alternative, it’s a tale of how a party that loses touch with its voters can wander aimlessly for years.

None of this was expected in the heady days of 2010. Cantor, Ryan, and McCarthy were all House members under 50 — hence “young guns” — and all were on the rise. As the Amazon description of their jointly authored book states, Cantor was supposed to be the future speaker, Ryan the intellectual who provided policy guidance, and McCarthy the savvy political strategist to power their drive for a majority. Their aim was simple: Embody the spirit of the Tea Party and use political power to renew America’s economic growth and entrepreneurial spirit.