Ryan on 2016: ‘I’ve decided not to decide’

Former vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was decidedly evasive when asked about a 2016 presidential run on Wednesday, but declined to rule anything out.

“I’ve decided not to decide,” Ryan said when asked about his future plans, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

{mosads}The cryptic phrase seems to be his default answer when he’s been asked about his 2016 ambitions; he told Time magazine the same thing when asked earlier in December.

The congressman remains on the list of probable 2016 presidential contenders, regardless of whether he’s decided on a run. But his refusal to shut down any speculation will only stoke speculation that he’ll jump in the race four years from now in the driver’s seat, rather than as running mate.

With 2016 handicapping already well under way, many of Ryan’s recent decisions have taken on an added significance. He voted for the deal brokered to avoid the series of tax increases and budget cuts known as the “fiscal cliff” while many of his conservative colleagues were against it, a move some have seen as an effort to position himself as a pragmatist in advance of a future run.

And he’ll be delivering the keynote at the annual Campaign for Life Gala, hosted by the anti-abortion-rights advocacy group Susan B. Anthony List, a stop for a number of previous presidential contenders.