Wisconsin Congressman Paul D. Ryan will be the vice presidential running mate of GOP candidate Mitt Romney. Interesting. Instead of selecting a candidate who could have delivered one of the key swing states, Romney chose someone who appeals to the Tea Party base and its corporate support machinery. Ryan is a student of federal budget issues, and led the assault against House Democrats and the Obama administration. Romney has a steep uphill fight as voters begin to consider electing a superrich candidate who refuses to release his tax returns. Ryan will be tasked with keeping the anti-Obama campaign message in focus. One may hope he does it in a more rational, expert way than the last VP nominee from the GOP, Sarah Palin.
11 comments:
May this be the last gasp of the Republican party - two white guys and their blonde wives. With a battleship as the backdrop to the announcement, this looks like the Republican party of Nancy Reagan and her rich friends...As Amy Winehouse sang, They tried to make me vote for them, I said, "No, no, no"
Interesting choice for the bigger picture. It doesn't help Romney with the Presidential race because it only really shores up his votes from the Conservatives, which he already had since he is not named Obama. If he really wanted a jump in the race with Independents and Moderates (who will be the ones deciding the presidency), he would have chosen a more moderate running mate. This is the same mistake that McCain made in '08. However, when you look a little deeper, here is what it does accomplish:
1) It is an attempt to turn Wisconsin to his column in November and certainly does bring it back into play if it wasn't already and;
2) It is a push to energize the Tea Party Conservatives to turn out on election day. As I said, he already had their votes, but if he gets them out, it really helps in the congressional (House and Senate) and state level races.
Ryan is a very good choice to emphasize the distinction of competence in governing. Senate Democrats have refused to pass a budget in 3 years! Irresponsible. Obama has refused to discuss any reform of entitlement spending. (And allows his supporters to demagog the issue, while full knowing the impending fiscal crisis in long term federal spending). Irresponsible! Obama and the Senate Democrats have also ignored the tax reform plan from the Simpson-Bowles Commission, while offering nothing in its place.
You can disagree with Ryan's plan to revise Medicaid and Social Security, but at least HE HAS A PLAN to save both from structural unsustainability.
"You can disagree with Ryan's plan to revise Medicaid and Social Security, but at least HE HAS A PLAN to save both from structural unsustainability."
It's Medicare he planned to eliminate, not Medicaid.
At least the Pubs will be presenting the issues for the public to evaluate. Would be nice if the Dems also presented the issues, rather just bashing "the rich guy."
The republicans don't believe they can win the Presidency anymore but want to win the Senate and picked Ryan to excite the tea party conservatives. Otherwise they would have picked Rubio to pick up Florida.
I am a man but is it true both Romney AND Ryan oppose a woman's right to choose? Are Romney and Ryan BOTH opposed to abortion?
I don't know who Ryan is but I'm glad he didn't pick up Rubio.
Um, Ryan is NOT going to "eliminate" Medicare. Ryan’s plan leaves Medicare AS IS for people 55 and older. In 2022, new beneficiaries would be insured by private insurance companies rather than the federal government. They would receive financial assistance from the government for buying insurance. People who need more health care would get a little more money. The proposal requires private insurers to accept all applicants and to charge the same rate for people the same age. The plans would comply with standards set by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The plan gradually raises the Medicare eligibility age to 67 and provides smaller premium support to high earners. OK. Seems reasonable; and granny isn't getting thrown off a cliff.
And so what is Obama's plan to rein in costs?
Hmmm. Ryan opposed the Cuban embargo.
Ryan supported the Wall Street bailout and the GM/Chrysler bailout. He is another one who believes in capitalism for profits and socialism for losses. He is no different than those other big spending losers Obama, Biden, and Romney.
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