Romney picks Ryan for VP

[77thor]

I don't know about this... but it's better than Palin.
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/10/13226315-romney-picks-paul-ryan-as-vice-presidential-running-mate?lite

[nismodave]

Love it.....And Hate it.....

Great Pick.....But means MORE ELECTIONS in WI.

[BAD LS1]

Well now maybe I can get into this now instead of being meh, haven't been really turned on by Romney but I do really like Paul Ryan though!

[Rocket Power]

Hate to see Ryan get tainted if Romney loses.

[BR3W CITY]

thats a mistake. The republicans realize that even republican don't like mitt romney....so they pick a younger "stud" politician to add a little flare to the ballad. The problem is....well mitt romney still sucks. As a republican voter, I hate this election.

Besides that, Ryan has a bright political future ON HIS OWN. Why be second banana; he's gonna taint his political career and get himself lined up with the WRONG people in washington.

No matter what, he'll go from "bright young driven wisconsin politician" to "just another washington insider"

[Prince Valiant]

Taint even if Romney loses?

Hardly.

To use the much loathed Palin as an example, she still, despite being a polarizing figure even on the right, is a political rock star. Hell, perhaps even in part because OF McCain's loss, she became a de facto *voice* and a king-maker. I mean, in their loss, does anyone confuse palin for a "just another washington insider"? Again, Hardly.

Politically this is a win-win for Ryan. If they lose, he is the heir apparent....and very likely to be the next republican nominee. *in any event* this comes close to cementing his likely being the party standard bearer either in 4 years and certainly within 8 years.

Likewise, Romney has hitched his policy views regarding the biggest challenges America faces to the Ryan entitlement reform plan. Economic policies? To Ryan's views. Budget policies? Again, to Ryan's views. Many might not like Romney because he's kind of an empty vessel...but guess what? He's all-in on Ryan's views of gov't...and who better to sell it than Ryan?

And here's what I really like about Romney's picking Ryan...it shows that he's not afraid to be upstaged...though Romney is articulate and very sharp, he doesn't have the same presence as Ryan...and he's showing he's okay with that. Does Romney believe this election is "the most important, perhaps ever?" I think he just proved that he really does believe that.

[awsomeears]

Love it !

[Rocket Power]

Just hope Obama keeps that idiot Biden, and lets him out to talk.

[moels]

I wanna see a Ryan and Biden debate.......that would be a classic ass-stomping. lol

[Russ Jerome]

Love it, win-win as noted for Ryan. Time to stop picking side kicks as apearance models for the lead and time to pick someone who knows what the ^%$ he is talking about. Cant wait to vote.

[Reverend Cooper]

the only way for Ryan to go is up,then it will be Ryan/Walker

[awsomeears]

the only way for Ryan to go is up,then it will be Ryan/Walker

Never thought of that....

Nice !

[77thor]

I dunno... I don't trust Romney and he's another one that is better off not talking at all (but he's not as bad as that idiot Bush).
Ryan as a running mate doesn't make any difference to me.
(VP's are generally in the background and don't matter unless they have to take over in an emergency as president.)

I would classify myself as a still undecided 'Independent' voter.

[Prince Valiant]

(VP's are generally in the background and don't matter unless they have to take over in an emergency as president.)Because Cheney was in the background?

We often think that VP's mean nothing...and sometimes that certainly is true. I mean, really...what has the likes of Biden done? Quayle? Mondale? History certainly is littered with inconsequential VP's.

But history also shows plenty of active, powerful VP's...Nixon, LBJ, Cheney, Gore (though, I disagree there)...

When we look at what goes into making a powerful VP, one needs to examine their career, standing in the party, reasons for bringing them in the campaign, etc. To use an example of one of the choices bandied about, Marco Rubio; Rubio, despite being a gifted and inspiring speaker, does not bring a lot of intellectual heft to the ticket...the body of his work in the senate is decent, but not ground-breaking or transformative. Beyond believing in America and the American Dream, he has made no radical proposal, put himself at the center of any large debate, or taken the lead on any policy proposal (other than immigration)...while he would do well for the campaign, his presence doesn't automatically draw the campaign in a given direction. It would still be Romney's discretion as to how the campaign should look.

-BUT-

Ryan's views have already deeply affected the Romney campaign as it adopted many of his positions...so whether he was VP or not, Ryan's influence is already dramatic. Now being the VP, Romney is essentially married to the positions...he can't walk away from it now. But that's simply one reason why it's important that Ryan be on the ticket....

...the other is who better to defend those positions? It would be one thing were Ryan just a pretty face on the ticket to try and sway WI voters to swing to the republican camp; but Ryan is second-to-none in debate...he's persuasive in his arguments and he makes serious policy discussion sound interesting and compelling. Ryan is basically a *brand* and that brand identity can't easily be changed...almost any policy proposal coming from the white house with him there would virtually have to fit within that brand image.

What I really like about Ryan is that he also disavows the big gov't conservatism of the Bush years (i.e. "compassionate conservatism" and it's expansive spending programs on socially conservative causes)...he pulls no punches in blaming republicans for their complicity in the current fiscal/budget crisis. Again, Romney *knows* Ryan's views on this, so bringing him in to the most visible part of his campaign outside of himself, is an implicit agreement to that view. Knowing that Obama wants to continue to run against Bush, and try to portray a vote for Romney as a vote for Bush, it's great to have a vocal critic of the Bush years at the forefront of the ticket to rebut such an attack.

To think Ryan wouldn't matter in a Romney administration is to not know Ryan's (or the campaign's thus far) history. Such a belief cannot stand up to the facts.

Curiousity begs me to ask: How can one have paid attention to anything in politics the last 4 years and be an "undecided" voter?

[Holeshot]

I think its a great plug for our state. Think it will flip the borderline Dems to the right as they will feel Ryan has Wisconsinites on his agenda.

[77thor]

...How can one have paid attention to anything in politics the last 4 years and be an "undecided" voter?

Easy.
I don't put all the blame on Obama for the last 4 years.
And like I stated: I don't trust Mitt at all.

Now Obama - Is he perfect? NO ;
Could someone else do better? Maybe, but these are not ordinary times and our 2-party system is obviously broke.
These guys won't work together anymore. There is no compromising. They don't get anything done.

[Prince Valiant]

I don't put all the blame on Obama for the last 4 years.With all that he's done (despite your belief, he certainly HAS done quite a bit) has he made anything better? Let's not forget...his agenda more or less was unopposed for 2 years (the only objections he had to clear were those from his own party members); what are the fruits of his accomplishments?

What would an alternative to a two party system actually look like?

[-stew-]

What I really like about Ryan is that he also disavows the big gov't conservatism of the Bush years (i.e. "compassionate conservatism" and it's expansive spending programs on socially conservative causes)...he pulls no punches in blaming republicans for their complicity in the current fiscal/budget crisis. Again, Romney *knows* Ryan's views on this, so bringing him in to the most visible part of his campaign outside of himself, is an implicit agreement to that view. Knowing that Obama wants to continue to run against Bush, and try to portray a vote for Romney as a vote for Bush, it's great to have a vocal critic of the Bush years at the forefront of the ticket to rebut such an attack.



8004



:popcorn

[WickedSix]

Here is the question I've been tossing back and forth since I heard the selection.... If Obama was unqualified for office when he ran, how is that any different than Ryan now on the VP ticket? Other than 'fighting the good fight' against Democrats what has he accomplished? I think he is a dividing pick and not a unifying one. He will satiate the base and tick off many moderates. I'll probably still vote for the Romney/Ryan ticket because of the lesser of two evil party system.... but I think this is gonna end in 4 more years of Obama/Biden and its going to take another couple years of them saying the economy is recovering when the average person sees no change in their personal wealth for the electorate to swing back in our favor

[-stew-]

What has Ryan actually done? You hear a lot about all the good ideas he comes up with, but I can't recall hearing about any accomplishments. And how will he as vp be positioned better to enact these ideas than he is now as chair of the budget committee?

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[Prince Valiant]

8004Yep...because if medicare part D was going to be passed anyways (and it was, regardless), he'd rather do it the way it was done...WAY under projected cost using a private/public approach that has yielded greater coverage and higher patient satisfaction...this is exactly the approach for what he proposes for reforming medicare.

Likewise, his vote on "NCLB" is very defensible in that it inacted standards and ways to hold schools accountable to their failures. Sure, a Ron Paulite would say "there should be no public schools" but of course, that's a pipe dream that will never happen. Knowing that, I'd rather figure out a way to make failing public schools work.

Likewise, I've defended TARP too...not in *all* it's glory (ie, using it to prop up the auto industry) but as a liquidity device for banks, to which it was effective counter to a gov't caused problem. In my perfect world, TARP would never had been necessary since the gov't policies that led to the banking crisis never would have been in the first place. Working within the concept of monetarism as it was strictly envisioned, TARP is great, since it would ultimately not add to the money supply...however (and of course) it became a slush fund that did in the end also functioned as a stimulus bill, a failed one at that.

Patirot act is just another conspiracist bogeyman that arguments against don't impress me much.

But it doesn't change the fact that he when he speaks, he frequently lambast the bad policies of the last decade, blaming democrats *and* republicans alike.

Here is the question I've been tossing back and forth since I heard the selection.... If Obama was unqualified for office when he ran, how is that any different than Ryan now on the VP ticket? What had Reagan done beyond be an actor and gov? That's only 8 years of actual experience, and only on a local stage.

Contrast the governing experience b/w the two (Ryan/Obama): Obama 2 years in federal office (I only count 2 of the 4, since the last two he was essentially campaigning full-time). Ryan is in his 14th year. People poo-poo Ryan lacking private sector experience, but where was Obama's? Of course, neither Obama nor Ryan can claim executive experience, both demerits in my book...but that might be good in light of the fact that one is *the* executive whereas the other would simply be learning the executive ropes.

But here's the big thing, and this takes me back to the legislative experience. Obama, though serving in state and federal (albeit, briefly on either count), really had *NO* experience crafting bills and working to get them passed (I know of none that he actually authored). Thus when he came to office, he had to rely on Reid/Pelosi to craft the bills he wanted...the stimulus? That was a Pelosi Obamanation (yes, bad pun) that allocated money to condom distribution, planned parenthood, etc as "stimulus." "Obamacare"? Again, a 2800 page treatise loaded with pet causes for Pelosi, and strong-armed to pass by both Reid/Pelosi using suspect means (ie, "deem and pass" to reconcile differences). Had Obama actually played a part in crafting and getting legislation passed, the process that most Americans deemed as ugly and unsightly might have occurred with considerable differences and concessions. But of course, the nationally elected Obama hitched his horse to an individual elected in a tiny liberal district in the San Fran area...so I'm not surprised that most of America eschews her views of gov't.

Ryan of course is running for national office, *and* would has considerably more legislative experience than Obama ever had. Rather than Romney having to rely on locally elected officials to craft and help guide bills he wants through congress, Ryan can be of considerable use here...and of course, who else would be better at defending policies he helped craft than Ryan?

But this tired debate mirrors that of last election...comparing the VP to the President...Ryan's experiences and strengths perfectly compliment Romney's weaknesses in my mind. Romney's executive experience is considerable, legislatively he's deficient: Ryan helps here. Romney is somewhat of an empty vessel, Ryan is a known commodity. Romney can be droll and boring, Ryan can excite a crowd.


What has Ryan actually done? You hear a lot about all the good ideas he comes up with, but I can't recall hearing about any accomplishments. And how will he as vp be positioned better to enact these ideas than he is now as chair of the budget committee?See above.

Does one think that the chair of the budget committee in 2002 had more power and visibility than Dick Cheney?

[That_Guy]

Easy.
I don't put all the blame on Obama for the last 4 years.
And like I stated: I don't trust Mitt at all.

Now Obama - Is he perfect? NO ;
Could someone else do better? Maybe, but these are not ordinary times and our 2-party system is obviously broke.
These guys won't work together anymore. There is no compromising. They don't get anything done.


Are you serious? Obama hasn't stopped campaigning sense when he was elected. Icing on the cake the guy is a massive vacation whore, he doubled our debt ceiling, and hasn't said shit to congress about balancing the budget. He is the dude who wants to be every bodies friend so he lies to them and in the end he will end up with no friends because he lied to them all. He is the single largest political appointment's sense carter. All the hope and change he has been selling to college students is going to blow up in his face. I have multiple friends who voted for him the first go round and they all are going to vote for romney. Why because they cant find jobs, because his stimulus plan did dick for the american people, and they realize the quantitative easing is not going to pull this country out of the dumps. You can fend for the guy all you want and that is fine but the the rest of us you are just another cool aide drinker.

[BlueOvalBolt]

What has Ryan actually done?

Who could forget his role as the lovable Eddie Munster?

http://i48.tinypic.com/2m7ulvq.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/2hq4cpc.jpg

[Prince Valiant]

And his role in Seinfeld as Lloyd Braun:

http://gallery.sealhat.com/albums/userpics/10001/thumbsup_lloydbraun.jpg

[-stew-]

And his role in Seinfeld as Lloyd Braun:

http://gallery.sealhat.com/albums/userpics/10001/thumbsup_lloydbraun.jpg

That's dudes real name. Hes Ryan brauns cousin.

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[Gregor]

Just hope Obama keeps that idiot Biden, and lets him out to talk.

It wouldn't be Clinton. Hitlery wants Obama gone in 2012. So does the DNC, so they can pave the way for a Romney VS Clinton 2016.

That and their still pissed about Ol' Barry pulling the race card.

Romney and a Ryan is a prefect setup to take down Obama. It will take 4 years to fix the damage.

[2006wrxtr]

I am in New Orleans, LA and can tell you that Ryan has alot of fans down here,
along with Ron Paul crazies that just won't let the fact that Ron Paul lost the race
stand in the way on thier voting for him.

I like the pick and belive it helps balance Romney out, and they will be better than
what we have in the whitehouse right now. It really irritates me when people say they
aren't going to vote because they don't like either one of the canidates. It is choosing he lesser
of the evils; there will never be a "Perfect Caidate". Don't complain if you didn't vote!!!

[2006wrxtr]

Are you serious? Obama hasn't stopped campaigning sense when he was elected. Icing on the cake the guy is a massive vacation whore, he doubled our debt ceiling, and hasn't said shit to congress about balancing the budget. He is the dude who wants to be every bodies friend so he lies to them and in the end he will end up with no friends because he lied to them all. He is the single largest political appointment's sense carter. All the hope and change he has been selling to college students is going to blow up in his face. I have multiple friends who voted for him the first go round and they all are going to vote for romney. Why because they cant find jobs, because his stimulus plan did dick for the american people, and they realize the quantitative easing is not going to pull this country out of the dumps. You can fend for the guy all you want and that is fine but the the rest of us you are just another cool aide drinker.

I sense that since Carter there has been no President worse.....

[77thor]

Lol