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Will House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio resign his leadership post in 2014?

That's what The this week. After speaking to four top former Boehner aides, two current aides, five former leadership aides close to Boehner's inner circle, and a GOP operative, The Huffington Post said Boehner will step down after the midterm election, frustrated by his hard-to-steer caucus.

Mr. Boehner himself has suggested the opposite, saying earlier this summer that he鈥檒l be sticking around. But one former senior aide to Boehner told The Huffington Post: "I'd be surprised if he did" stay.

Assuming the report rings true, what would Boehner's political epitaph be? Is he a casualty of his party鈥檚 divide between tea party conservatives and more moderate members? Or has he, in his inability to build agreement around a slew of issues from Syria to immigration reform, furthered the ongoing intra-GOP feuding?

鈥淛ohn Boehner may or may not retire at the end of this term,鈥� writes Ezra Klein of The Washington Post. 鈥淏ut Boehner does not want to go down as the guy who managed , and whose greatest accomplishments were convincing his members not to shut down the government or breach the debt ceiling.聽According to the Huffington Post, before he retires, he wants at least one legacy-building accomplishment. He鈥檒l even stay in Congress to get it.鈥�

Some suggest Boehner has more to gain personally, in terms of his legacy, if he has decided to vacate the post 鈥� even if he doesn鈥檛 say as much publicly. That frees him from being beholden to the more strident wing of the GOP.

New York Magazine鈥檚 Jonathan Chait writes that 鈥渁 small minority of the most extreme Republicans have managed to keep Boehner on a leash by threatening to depose him as Speaker if he displeases them.鈥�

A decision to say farewell to his position would allow him to lift the debt ceiling and keep government afloat, Mr. Chait says. Or he could work toward a budget deal. The moves require aligning centrist Republicans with the bulk of Democrats, however.

鈥淏oehner could use that majority and then ride off into the sunset to become a lobbyist, enjoy a huge raise, and play a lot more golf,鈥� .

Boehner survived an effort to oust him in January. Twelve Republican lawmakers defected from the speaker鈥檚 camp, and with the GOP鈥檚 narrow majority, that provided for 鈥渁 very tense final few minutes of the vote,鈥� . He surpassed the 214 votes required for victory by six members.

With Boehner鈥檚 announcement this week that he鈥檒l vote to give President Obama authority to take military action in Syria, he鈥檚 angering conservative factions anew. And others have said the immigration reform debate placed his speakership in peril, with many Republicans worried that he would force them to vote on a reform bill they don't want as part of an effort to woo Hispanics to the GOP.

聽Most agree that he鈥檚 vulnerable to another challenge if the GOP keeps its majority in 2014.

So who might want his gig ruling over such an unwieldy crew?

House majority leader Eric Cantor (R) of Virginia is certainly a 鈥� maybe the 鈥� leading contender. During that January vote, three conservatives backed him over Boehner. But most believe he would not challenge Boehner, should the speaker decide to stay on. Another possible contender is Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R) of Texas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, according to The Huffington Post.

In the meantime, the 鈥榃ill he or won鈥檛 he?鈥� speculation will likely continue. And the conservative base is growing ever more dissatisfied with the current gavel holder. The 2012 cries in the blogosphere to fire him could be heard again this fall.

And even if he wants to hold on to the job, The Huffington Post suggests: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not at all clear he could win.鈥�