NYT: Republican Elites Weigh ‘Who Can Save the GOP’

Alex Burns of the New York Times lists five Republican figures that the party might nominate at a contested convention and the rationale behind each one.

From the New York Times:

Speaker Paul D. Ryan’s categorical disavowal of interest in the presidential race on Tuesday appeared to extinguish a longstanding fantasy of Republican leaders: That Mr. Ryan might ride into the convention in Cleveland as a white knight to unite the fractured party and claim its nomination.

But if the House speaker seems determined not to play the role of savior in 2016, the path envisioned for him might still be open to another surprise candidate, if neither Donald J. Trump nor Ted Cruz can secure the nomination after several rounds of balloting at the convention starting on July 18.

Should Mr. Trump or Mr. Cruz remain short of a 1,237-delegate majority, some Republicans believe there is at least a theoretical opening for someone else to save the day, and offer the party a way out of an endless melee on the convention floor.

There are only a few figures in national politics who might be equipped — even hypothetically — to fit the bill:

Read the full list here.