Paul Ryan VP boomlet

[ROMAD1]

From Boston to Janesville - By Robert Costa - The Corner - National Review Online

Mitt's campaign plane is in Paul Ryan's hometown. I also think Les Miles is with them.

[Oblong]

Romney Prepares to Pick Ryan | The Weekly Standard

[chasfh]

This is interesting. To me, this means they are doubling down on spiking hyper-partisan turnout and abandoning the wooing of undecideds, since there probably ain't many of those left.

Let the games begin!

[sinister porpoise]

I thought Romney was running a campaign light on details with the hope he could present himself as an experienced businessman that will get things done to fix what Obama hath wrought. Picking Paul Ryan as VP will energize the left to defend government benefits like social security from the Paul Ryan budget. The 0.0000001% leads the ticket and then the guy who has publicly linked his ideology with Ayn Rand and her producers or parasites model of capitalism/government as the #2. Romney is just as stupid as McCain.

[ROMAD1]

I thought Romney was running a campaign light on details with the hope he could present himself as an experienced businessman that will get things done to fix what Obama hath wrought. Picking Paul Ryan as VP will energize the left to defend government benefits like social security from the Paul Ryan budget. The 0.0000001% leads the ticket and then the guy who has publicly linked his ideology with Ayn Rand and her producers or parasites model of capitalism/government as the #2. Romney is just as stupid as McCain.

Is exactly what I'd expect you to say

[sinister porpoise]

You can faintly see the outline of reality but that Republican filter keeps getting in the way

[ROMAD1]

The announcement is in Norfolk so that means it will be someone related to abstinence.

[monkeynuts]

Wow - big risk/big reward.

I wonder how this will play in Florida?

[mtutiger]

I thought Romney was running a campaign light on details with the hope he could present himself as an experienced businessman that will get things done to fix what Obama hath wrought. Picking Paul Ryan as VP will energize the left to defend government benefits like social security from the Paul Ryan budget. The 0.0000001% leads the ticket and then the guy who has publicly linked his ideology with Ayn Rand and her producers or parasites model of capitalism/government as the #2. Romney is just as stupid as McCain.

At this point, this to me is a sign that Romney may think the key to his campaign is to energize and turn out the base as opposed to attracting moderates. To me, that's the only real reason this makes sense.

With respect to Ryan, we've seen this movie before. We saw the warm embrace of the Ryan Budget before Americans actually found out what was in the bill. We saw a safe Republican district go Democrat largely because of the Ryan plan. Americans didn't want the Ryan plan then, and they aren't going to want it now.

On a positive side, maybe we'll actually see Romney go on record policy wise as opposed to running on a set of well-worn platitudes.

[TheCouga]

I wonder how this will play in Florida?

Romney will never win Florida with Ryan on the ticket. This race is over. The only question is how big of a majority Democrats will have in the house.

The Ryan budget is deeply unpopular throughout the country. And Ryan's social conservativism is deeply unpopular with young people. Democrats running House campaigns have been trying for over a year to link each candidate to the Ryan budget.

I keep thinking this has to be a hoax or something. Like the Obama campaign started it to make conservatives extra angry when it ends up being someone else. I really can't believe Romney is this stupid. Not only is this going to hurt the Presidential ticket...it's going to hurt Republicans in the House and the Senate, too.

[TheCouga]

Something's wrong with this pick. I really think Romney has lost his will to win. Either that, or his campaign is just breathtakingly stupid.

[ROMAD1]

Romney will never win Florida with Ryan on the ticket. This race is over. The only question is how big of a majority Democrats will have in the house.

The Ryan budget is deeply unpopular throughout the country. And Ryan's social conservativism is deeply unpopular with young people. Democrats running House campaigns have been trying for over a year to link each candidate to the Ryan budget.

I keep thinking this has to be a hoax or something. Like the Obama campaign started it to make conservatives extra angry when it ends up being someone else. I really can't believe Romney is this stupid. Not only is this going to hurt the Presidential ticket...it's going to hurt Republicans in the House and the Senate, too.

I picture you (as your avatar) wearing a generalissimo uniform, with a red sash that says "TheCouga" on it, and a pair of mirrored sunglasses waiving your hands in the air as you make these sweeping, but ungrounded proclamations

[screwball]

For reference, you can read the full Ryan Plan (99 page .pdf) here

[ROMAD1]

My focusgroupish response to this pick about Ryan is that the VP candidate has moral courage and is extremely articulate and intelligent. Unlike Gunney Hartman's reasoning when he picked Private Joker to be squad leader in Full Metal Jacket...he's not silly or ignorant and he's got guts.

[Oblong]

I think it's as good of a pick as he could get.

[chasfh]

For reference, you can read the full Ryan Plan (99 page .pdf) here

For those without the time or inclination to read through this, the main thrust of the Paul Ryan budget is that it radically alters the Medicare idea by cutting a check to seniors so they have to shop from among a bewildering array of options to obtain their insurance and then have to make discretionary decisions about whether they can afford to go to the doctor when the need arises, rather than allowing seniors to simply enroll in Medicare, go to the doctor and get the care they need. It also sets the stage for the complete privitization of Social Security, putting at risk the one part of a senior's retirement portfolio that is currently safe from the hands of Wall Street. It also essentially ensures perpetually increasing war spending by essentially placing a floor on it.

If all you want from federal government is for them to act as the senior management team for War, Inc. and get out of the business of everything else, or if your stock portfolio is heavy on war-based industries, then Paul Ryan is your man.

[chasfh]

I think it's as good of a pick as he could get.

I think you're probably right, and that's probably not a positive for them.

[screwball]

For those without the time or inclination to read through this, the main thrust of the Paul Ryan budget is that it radically alters the Medicare idea by cutting a check to seniors so they have to shop from among a bewildering array of options to obtain their insurance and then have to make discretionary decisions about whether they can afford to go to the doctor when the need arises, rather than allowing seniors to simply enroll in Medicare, go to the doctor and get the care they need. It also sets the stage for the complete privitization of Social Security, putting at risk the one part of a senior's retirement portfolio that is currently safe from the hands of Wall Street. It also essentially ensures perpetually increasing war spending by essentially placing a floor on it.

If all you want from federal government is for them to act as the senior management team for War, Inc. and get out of the business of everything else, or if your stock portfolio is heavy on war-based industries, then Paul Ryan is your man.

I only posted the link because I assumed people would be discussing his budget plan. I didn't post it because I endorse it, and for the record, I don't.

I have read the entire thing (a month or so ago) though.

[Ingefanclub]

I think it's as good of a pick as he could get.

After hearing of Pawlenty & Portman incessantly for months when I recently heard Paul Ryan may be a possibility some life jumped back into my heart. This is risky but will energize the base like nothing else could.

Romney needs a conservative to have a chance and Ryan is as conservative as they come. If this happens it draws a complete contrast between Romney and Obama as one has $1.5 trillion deficits (the reason I cannot stand Obama his drunken sailor spending) and Ryan who wants to save our country from turning into Greece. It would be perfect for Republicans but is Romney smart enough to do this?

[ROMAD1]

Turn on your tv.

[Deleterious]

Absolutely hilarious that Mittens introduced Ryan as the next president of the United States. Even more hilarious was Mittens showing up behind Ryan 30 seconds into his speech, throwing his arm around Ryan and saying, "I have been known to make a mistake or two from time to time."

[mtutiger]

If this happens it draws a complete contrast between Romney and Obama as one has $1.5 trillion deficits (the reason I cannot stand Obama his drunken sailor spending) and Ryan who wants to save our country from turning into Greece.

First of all, the Ryan plan doesn't do anything about reducing the deficit. This has been fleshed out multiple times, often by very credible sources, but still gets ignored by conservatives.

Second of all, it is a pet peeve of mine when people say that the US could end up like Greece. It's technically not possible for the US to end up like Greece, which is in part been rocked the way that it has because it doesn't have it's own money supply. Now, Screwball and some others may make the point that US doesn't because the Fed operates from a very autonomous state within our own country, and this is true, but in theory, we couldn't end up like Greece because we could actually turn on the printing presses day and night and print our way out of it.

Now, that would lead to hyperinflation within the US Currency, which also isn't good. But it doesn't resemble Greece at all.

[mtutiger]

Absolutely hilarious that Mittens introduced Ryan as the next president of the United States. Even more hilarious was Mittens showing up behind Ryan 30 seconds into his speech, throwing his arm around Ryan and saying, "I have been known to make a mistake or two from time to time."

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed that...

[Mr.TaterSalad]

I've got to agree with Couga on Florida. Mitt spent a whole bunch of time earlier on in Florida going from retirement community to retirement community and all of a sudden he picks the one man, Ryan, who could very well be AARP's most hated target of all the people they politically focus on. The drum beat against Ryan in Florida from AARP will be so ginourmous against this ticket that they may very well loose the state by over double digit percentage points. I think this pick also damages Romney's chances to win in his home state of Michigan, for different reasons though.

They had the chance to pick a Susana Martinez, Marco Rubio or Rob Portman. Picks that could be justified has having some long-term strategic outline to them. Instead, he picked, next to maybe Nancy Pelosi and Barny Frank, the most polarizing figure in the House in Ryan. The pragmatist in me who looks at this without my libertarian goggles on says this will be a politically damaging pick.

[chasfh]

Absolutely hilarious that Mittens introduced Ryan as the next president of the United States. Even more hilarious was Mittens showing up behind Ryan 30 seconds into his speech, throwing his arm around Ryan and saying, "I have been known to make a mistake or two from time to time."

And the gaffes keep coming!

[mtutiger]

For reference, you can read the full Ryan Plan (99 page .pdf) here

I skimmed it a year ago... I think I'm gonna read it thoroughly this time now. Thanks for posting the link.

[CMRivdog]

Interesting the event is in Hampton Roads, Va. An area that depends on federal funding for its survival

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Now I'm putting my libertarian goggles back on and saying this to Rand Paul...EEEEFFFFFF UUUUUU!!! Rand Paul played this political game by selling out and endorsing Romney in hopes that his "atta boy" chess move would gain him some major political points. Well Rand, you've got a big egg on your face now. You've scored almost zero political points, you've sold out what is supposedly your ideology and you ain't Mitt's VP. Nice. Going.

[mtutiger]

Interesting the event is in Hampton Roads, Va. An area that depends on federal funding for its survival

Well, luckily, some government spending is more irresponsible than others in their eyes.

[ROMAD1]

Interesting the event is in Hampton Roads, Va. An area that depends on federal funding for its survival

The sub text is that the entire area was about to be shuttered by sequestration caused by the president's lack of budget responsibility.

[mtutiger]

The sub text is that the entire area was about to be shuttered by sequestration caused by the president's lack of budget responsibility.

Ha. Isn't it's Congress's job to "control the purse strings?"

[smr-nj]

Does this mean we have to keep Christie here?

Crap.

[Euphdude]

This looks like a move to bridge the gap between the Tea Party and the Republican Party -- not one to excite moderate or independent voters. I think this helps to demonstrate just how polarized our country has become, and that's not necessarily a good thing.

[Gehringer_2]

So I don't need to tell anyone I'm not in much sympathy with the GOP right now, but as an ex-repub who still has some sympathy for a functioning two party system, I'll put on my dispassionate hat and note that there is only one way this pick really works to energize the repub base - which is the only way it works at all - and that is if Mitt stops talking like Mitt (i.e. stops saying things that tick off the right - like any more moves whatever toward taking credit for MA care) and starts talking more like Ryan.

But do we really think that will happen?

The joy on the right over this pick and the supposed dedication to their cause on Mitt's part that it implies, will begin to evaporate as soon as Mitt starts talking again and his immutable moderation starts to leak out again. I don't think picking Ryan is enough to make the tiger change his stripes.

So given that, and the downside that others have already well described with the Medi-care crowd, I don't think this is much of a game changer.

[chasfh]

If there's one short-term positive we can take from this, it's that Ryan will be completely out of a job Washington when Romney loses.

[chasfh]

Senator Ron Johnson being interviewed on Fox and was asked, "What does Paul Ryan bring to the Romney campaign?"

Johnson: "Intelligence."

[Gehringer_2]

Senator Ron Johnson being interviewed on Fox and was asked, "What does Paul Ryan bring to the Romney campaign?"

Johnson: "Intelligence."

Priceless.

One of the ways that the 'captured journalism' of the both the left and right does a disservice to the pols is that talking to sympathetic interviewers too much of the time means their 'external' ears get out of practice for how what they are saying is going to sound beyond the bounds of their own fandom. Correct syntax is just to say "He is a very bright guy, who....."

[TheCouga]

I picture you (as your avatar) wearing a generalissimo uniform, with a red sash that says "TheCouga" on it, and a pair of mirrored sunglasses waiving your hands in the air as you make these sweeping, but ungrounded proclamations

And I view you as the cubicle version of R. Lee Ermey with a little bit lower blood pressure and a lot less passion.

[TheCouga]

There was only one pick I was really scared of, and that was Rubio. Well, I actually was kind of scared he'd think outside of the box and go with someone like Condoleeza Rice. The only people the Romney campaign appeals to right now is upper-middle-class and rich white men. Women don't like him, Hispanics don't like him, blacks don't like him, Jews don't like him, and people with graduate degrees don't like him. That's well over 50% of the population, and this pick does nothing to change the narrative of his campaign.

Rubio is not all that popular with Hispanics, but at least Hispanics in the past had shown willingness to vote for a GOP candidate. Just 8 years ago, they gave 45% of their vote to Bush. It's a lot easier to win back voters that once voted for you but now are not than it is to dig in to your small-tent, high-turnout mentality.

Honestly, I think Ryan will do more to turn out the Democratic base than he will the Republican one. And he won't win over a single independent voter.

[Gehringer_2]

Does this mean we have to keep Christie here?

Crap.

"All Politics is local" 'ay Sue?