Rumors have been swirling for some time about failed vice presidential candidate and current Speaker of the House,. Paul Ryan. Many are wondering if it would be possible for Ryan to somehow gain the Republican presidential nomination in a contested convention.

Recent news which seemed to indicate that the scheming Koch brothers have backroom plans to put their full support behind Ryan bolstered those rumors, and are making many consider whether they would support the speaker for president.

Some of these high hopes may be dashed because in hypothetical polls, Ryan fails to win in a matchup against either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Against Clinton, Ryan loses 34 percent to 40. Against Sanders, Ryan loses 34 percent to 41.

Many have suggested that there is virtually no way that a Republican nominee will gain the white house in this race, and that the party is merely trying to minimize the damage caused in the cycle. If this is true, Ryan would serve as the sacrificial lamb from both the Koch brothers and the party as a whole.

With Ryan, Republicans cannot hope to win the presidency, but they may still maintain their senate majority and save the political careers of many downballot Republican candidates. It may be the only chance that the party has to save themselves from total and complete annihilation.