It's pretty sad not just that Boehner won, but that his margin of victory was so wide. Given how much support Pence had among grassroots conservatives, this is a pretty strong signal by House Republicans that the base doesn't matter. The party has made a statement that it is content to stick with the status quo rather than shake things up, despite it's recent thumpin'. I wouldn't expect the Republican Party to return to the Reaganite principles of limited government anytime soon.