Mitt Romney has made his biggest decision of the 2012 elections thus far: Paul Ryan, gentleman from Wisconsin, is his vice-presidential candidate. The official announcement was made a bit after 9 am EDT, Saturday in Norfolk, VA (CNN), but his Romney vice-president app spilled the news a couple of hours earlier (CNN).
There was much speculation leading up to the announcement. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey seemed to be in the running and it all amped up when everyone realized that he had not been given a speaking spot at the convention. Christie is very popular and charismatic, perhaps too much so. There seemed danger that he might overpower and overshadow Romney much in the same way Sarah Palin seemed to do with John McCain in 2008. Also, he is a bit of an unknown and perhaps too volatile. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio might have delivered a big state, but maybe he was a little too unknown. Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota is moderate and inoffensive but also not terribly exciting. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is a TEA Party favorite and might pull in the Hispanic vote, but he is also untested and might offer the same might not be ready to lead the country problems that Palin had. In the end, it appears that Ryan won out not only because they apparently get along really well, but because he is an exciting and invigorating choice. Considering the surprising polls recently (Real Clear Politics), most of which seem to point to a big lead by President Barack Obama, it is a shot in the arm that the campaign definitely needs.
Whatever else Ryan might be, he is not boring. Ryan is a TEA Party poster boy, in fact, questioning Ryan might have been one of the nails in the coffin of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's own failed run for the nomination. By picking Ryan, Romney might finally do what he thus far been unable to do for himself: Excite the base. What makes this an especially interesting pick is that it might excite both bases as Ryan is not exactly beloved by the more liberal base of the Democratic Party.
Ryan is, of course, the architect of the "Ryan Plan." The budget calls for corporate tax cuts and an overhaul of Medicare that Democrats claim will costing participating seniors more and more with each passing year as it would eventually send Medicare into the marketplace and give participating seniors a fixed amount towards that (FOX News).
At any rate, this is it: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for your GOP ticket in the 2012 elections. What do you think? Was Ryan your vice-presidential dream pick? Are you happy?
Oh, and if you were listening to the announcement, Romney did announce Ryan as the next president of the United States of America, and yes, he did correct himself.
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Comments: 32
The choice of Ryan might also affect the news coverage Romney gets. Ryan has already established a certain brand for himself: He is the guy in the House who is most identified with cutting the budget and reforming entitlement programs. Consequently, when he appears on news shows for interviews, the focus when he is interviewed will almost certainly be on the economy, which is something Obama cannot desire.
Branding is not just important in marketing products but also in marketing politicians. At this point in time, whether you like it or not, Obama's campaign staff has been quite successful in branding Romney as a ruthless businessman who did nothing but outsource jobs. They also have been moderately successful in giving some people the impression that he has cheated on his taxes. That situation had to change and the selection of Ryan will make that happen, I suspect. The more visible Ryan is in the campaign, the more attention the budget deficit, the national debt, and the need to tackle entitlement program reform will become.
Ryan isn't as great a speaker as Christie or Rubio, but he shows a little bit more passion than Portman and Pawlenty. He won't wow people, but he will do a good job of getting their attention and making them consider some real important issues. He also, unlike Christie or Rubio, will not cause people to wish the ticket were upside down.
Any white person they pick will be better than the half white guy that's in office office.
Anyone who replaces Obama will seem like Ronald Reagan.
History books will do Obama in.
??????!!!!!!
I did actually "like" Christie, until I saw this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gz0XCpyoh8
He should take a lesson from an actual intelligent Republican, Colin Powell.
"Putting down a reporter makes you look like a bully." (pg 130 from "It Worked For Me, In Life and Leadership")
Adding Ryan to the ticket ensures Obama will get the female vote, even though Obama was likely to get that anyway.
I don't think it helps with the older voters and they are much more likely to visit the polls than the younger voters.
* end medicare
* cut food stamps to 1.7 million children
* ban abortion coverage by insurers who received federal or taxpayer funding (prohibiting abortion for any reason even if the mother's life is in danger)
* Protect Life Act (again, far-reaching plan to prohibit any abortion at any time for any reason)
* defund Planned Parent Hood
Romney and Ryan will be a great choice for wealthy, white males. Not so much for everyone else.
Newsflash Big Mama - NONE of Planned Parenthood's tax dollars go to fund abortions. Misinformation spewed by conservatives.
What is the problem with people supporting their own kids? I supported mine. Never took a penny of welfare.
The problem is he will be starving children if those parents cannot FIRST find a job. Create jobs before you start talking abound ending entitlement programs. This is common sense logic Ryan and Romney both lack.
Newt Gingrich's solution was to put the kids to work. How about the parents?! Where are the jobs?
Cutting spending is great but how are those people supposed to live if there are no jobs AND no welfare? Oh, I know, the conservative thought is to just let them die since they're not being productive, right?
If you care about the country, about women, about children, about a struggling middle class, about everyone having access to healthcare and about your future and America's future -- vote for Obama and Biden.
It's that simple.
He voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. So, basically, he wants to starve children, kill old people and wants gays to be beat and tied to a post and left for dead.
Those are great values he has.
Incidentally, the Hyde Amendment already prevents PP, or any other organization that receives federal dollars from using those dollars for abortions.
Debates always interest me because all parties seem to play the same "lowered expectations" game. You know, talk the other guy up a lot while at the same time implying that your guy/gal is just not that smooth a talker, and voila, as long as your guy/gal is able to speak in complete sentences, you're golden.
...he's superb. Watch Obama's "shit, he's good" expression.
Paul Ryan: Hiding Spending Doesn't Reduce Spending
Prepared speeches are good. Having something to look at helps. If for no other reason than to help keep the focus on the real issues and strategies of the candidates in question.
Having said that, I do think speeches that people make without prepared statements or a teleprompter sometimes reveal something about a person's true feelings. I do think, for example, that Obama's statement indicates that he is a fairly strong supporter of a big public sector. Remember that he also once said something like, "The private sector is doing fine. The public sector is what needs help."