House Speaker John Boehner is an emotional guy. His eyes were brimming with tears when he first assumed the speakership after the 2010 elections and he wept almost throughout Pope Francis’ visit to Congress Thursday.

Few conservatives will shed tears over the news that Boehner is stepping down as speaker of the House next month. Conservatives had higher hopes for the House majority he led than were ever likely to be fulfilled with a Democratic president and, until this year, a Democratic Senate. Despite first rising into leadership after the historic 1994 elections, Boehner never seemed to have much zeal for government-cutting or visceral connection with conservative activists.