I don't like the guy, but I don't think I would have liked any choice except Jon Huntsman, and that wasn't going to happen.
What I don't understand is what he adds. Sure conservatives like him. But his (recent!) ideas about Medicare seem like they would piss off old white people. Old white people are who Romney has in the bag, right? So Ryan gives a very easy talking point to the Democrats to worry old white people with, but what does he add? Who does he bring in? I don't know.
Bachmann would be horrendous but she'll get the same crowd excited that Palin did. It will be good for getting many women on board, etc.
But I'm confused by what Ryan is supposed to bring in.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
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Right-wing radio loves congressman Ryan. This strikes me as a Hail Mary play to fire up the base, on the reasoning that turnout disparities are the campaign's only shot. I think it will backfire, and that Ryan will attract all of the hatred that Palin did, and none of the sympathy.
ReplyDeleteThe dig against Romney is that he's not a true conservative, so this is to ensure turnout.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like "true" passionate conservatives were going to vote for obama though right? Regardless of whether or not they're crazy about Romney, they're still going to show up and vote for him.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe I'm wrong, I dunno.
If hes already got old white people in the bag, Romney can afford to make some of them a little upset. If he did his calculations right, he'll keep the old people yet add on some people who think Romney is "too liberal" because Paul Ryan is apparently a budget slashing conservative.
ReplyDeleteI haven't paid too much attention to the election, but based on what I know I'd say its a good choice. Better than Palin. From what I know it seemed like it would be between Ryan and Christie. Christie is too moderate though (like Romney), and also really fat. People may not think that would matter, but looks matter alot these days. If it was Christie Romney it would totally be the "big business capitalist pig" kinda ticket. On the other hand, Ryan is a young and relatively good looking guy. Helps balance Romney better than the alternatives.
Ryan will fire up the Democratic base as well.
ReplyDeleteRyan is a fraud who pretends to be an intellectual. He voted for the Bush tax cuts, their extension, the Iraq war, etc. So he is not concerned about the national debt. There is no Ryan plan - it has too many asterisks and TBDs to be a plan. To the extent that it is a plan, it does not cut the deficit until whenever. On the other hand, Ryan is all about attacking the needy for the benefit of the most obscenely wealthy.
I don't agree with any of the above rationales for picking Ryan. There are essentially 2 reasons both very short-term but that is how things get played 1) the pundit class like Ryan and 2) Romney is trending downwards and is looking like a loser. He needs to change the discussion for a couple weeks so he can reset and try and (re)introduce himself at the convention. The first reason is far less important than the second so really this has little to do with Ryan except that he likely is not stupid enough to say anything really outrageous between now and the convention.
ReplyDeleteIf I were Mitt Romney, I would have picked Marco Rubio to avoid being too associated with Paul Ryan's economic plan, but then again, Marco Rubio might've had some skeletons in his closet. Nevertheless, this is a risky decision by Mitt Romney. Ryan is young and seemingly solid, but will it last? Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't support Romney, I hope that for his sake, that Ryan doesn't turn out to implode in a matter of weeks, a la Sarah Palin.
I suspect that the billionaires financing the Republican Party think that Romney is too politically unreliable (Mr. "Etch a Sketch"). The billionaires made picking Ryan for VP the price of their continued financial support. So what Ryan brings to the campaign is a continued flow of donor money from the very wealthy.
ReplyDeleteThe problems with Ryan go a lot deeper than his medicare ideas. http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-vp-paul-ryan-ayn-rand-20120811,0,1175099.story
Ryan is now trying desperately to distance himself from Ayn Rand but he is on tape describing Rand as a foundational influence on his career: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsqOXSjS-w8
So Ryan has the double problem of (1) associating himself with a philosophical position which is abhorrent to the majority of Americans and then (2) lying about it (read the interview at National Review and compare it with the tape).
It appears that Ryan is an ideological extremist in a way that America has not seen since Goldwater in 1964 - that is why the billionaires will fund Romney / Ryan and that is one of the reasons the Romney / Ryan ticket is probably doomed (Bain Capital, the Swiss bank account and the missing tax returns are other reasons why Romney is probably doomed with or without Ryan).
I caught a little bit of the Romney-Ryan press conference today. I found their plan to "save" Medicare amusing. The idea is to preserve Medicare as is for those currently getting it and those soon to get it, but "reforming" it for younger people. Doesn't that sound like robbing future generations for the benefit of the current generation? Exactly what the Reps rail against? ;)
ReplyDeleteOne the one hand they say this is an urgent problem. On the other hand they propose a solution that starts to roll out in ten years and would not be fully implemented for about thirty years (on the basis that it will take thirty years, and perhaps longer, for most of the current 55 year olds to die).
DeleteDidn't Ryan's budget specifically exclude old people from the Medicare cuts? If so, then I don't see the problem. It gives privileged white geezers the opportunity to not only kick the foreigner out, but also feel like serious and brave fiscal hawks when their own wallets are off-limits. The imminent Republican tax hikes for the middle class might be an issue, but I think the GOP has played the anti-tax rhetoric effectively enough for so long that people will actually believe them when they say they won't ever raise taxes.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the median age of the Republican voter is. That would explain a lot.
Delete"But I'm confused by what Ryan is supposed to bring in."
ReplyDeleteCongress. The only way I can make sense of the Ryan pick is as a tacit acknowledgement that the presidency cant be won. The thinking is that Ryan will energize the hard-line right, and possibly sway some closely contested Senate seats (though I don't pay enough attention to know which seats those are).
I believe this sort of scorched-earth political strategy was pioneered by Wayne B. Wheeler.
Perhaps someone could explain if Republicans are out of sync, why the Senate that electorally favors them is Democratic while the House that should be more representative is Republican.
ReplyDelete