It's offical. Paul Ryan is Romneys VP Pick

[raider.adam]

How the GOP May Have Just Lost the Election and Won the Future | Observer

Whoa. Thanks for posting that.

This opinion piece isn't particularly good. It seems funny that 5 years out he is already picking Ryan to win the nomination (which it is apparent that there will be several heavy hitting Republicans going into that primary), but the White House as well (which implies that Obama is going to do such a crappy job over the next 4 years that the GOP taking over is assured).

I mean heck, the writer is even saying Ryan will tank the election to benefit himself.

[darthsinatra]

Right because spending on useless programs like "the arts" so we can see more offensive "art" like the piss Christ.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nat...iticized,1160/

[five apples]

I don't understand this choice at all. Ryan is a very intelligent and mostly even keel dude. But he espouses some radical things that I just don't see American's getting excited about. His tax beliefs are not going to go down well at all. I assume other people said no.

[NickTheCage]

So, you're just going to ignore Ryan's connections to Ayn Rand? Brilliant. Your new hero was influenced to go into politics by an atheist Social-Darwinist, but that doesn't bother you "good" christians?

Im sure this has really been keeping them up at night.

The religious right is going to be on board especially since Obama got them spun up when he tried ramming those contraception mandates down the throats of religious institutions. Think that trumps Ryans ARand 'influence', no?

[NickTheCage]

You keep criticizing Obama for this but Ryan wants to cut Medicare too. Obamacare isn't "robbing" Medicare, it is capping costs. Just like how Ryan is capping his Medicare vouchers. In other words, both agree that Medicare costs are too high and the program needs to be cut to size. The difference is that Obamacare is hitting the suppliers with lower payouts, hoping they find savings and lower costs. Ryan is limiting payouts to seniors, who may or may not find insurance for that price. If they can't find or can't afford private insurance, they will be back on Medicare.

And so the debate begins; should we spend 700 billion on medicare or obamacare?

LOL

[raider.adam]

I don't understand this choice at all. Ryan is a very intelligent and mostly even keel dude. But he espouses some radical things that I just don't see American's getting excited about. His tax beliefs are not going to go down well at all. I assume other people said no.

Romney is already on record supporting much of the Ryan budget and positions, so it doesn't really change that.

As for other people saying no, before they started the vetting process, they checked with people on their list first. Anyone that had made it to the short list had already given their willingness.

The shortlist was Ryan, Pawlenty and Portman.

[five apples]

Romney is already on record supporting much of the Ryan budget and positions, so it doesn't really change that.

As for other people saying know, before they started the vetting process, they checked with people on their list first. Anyone that had made it to the short list had already given their willingness.

The shortlist was Ryan, Pawlenty and Portman.

Obama has been portraying Romney as the rich dude who wants to make the country even better for rich dudes, and Ryan's plan is going to be very easy to attack and have the dems say look, they really are the rich dude party. Romney has been intelligently vague on what he will do, but that Ryan plan is very much out there and the dems are going to hammer it. Cuts on corporate taxes and even greater cuts on capital gains is not going to be popular, as are gutting social security and other old people crap. I guess they are all in, so to say.

[BarryG]

And so the debate begins; should we spend 700 billion on medicare or obamacare?

LOL

I would rather debate, which will actually rein in Medicare costs? Since Ryan revised his plan to allow people who can't afford insurance on the voucher back into Medicare, the plans are basically the same -- capping payouts.

[NickTheCage]

I would rather debate, which will actually rein in Medicare costs? Since Ryan revised his plan to allow people who can't afford insurance on the voucher back into Medicare, the plans are basically the same -- capping payouts.

Who really cares?

None of their plans solve our insolvency problem and just make it worse. If it doesn't work it can't last for ever.

[Naveen]

I think this pick shows just how weak Romney's people must think he is with conservatives. Their internal polling must have been awful, and probably belied the idea that the base will turnout in large numbers just because they hate Obama. The fact that they'd go with Ryan over someone who could appeal to the center is telling.

[FKD19124]

They picked him because he knows about creating budgets unlike Obama. Ryan can do math. Obama's team obviously cannot.

I think this pick shows just how weak Romney's people must think he is with conservatives. Their internal polling must have been awful, and probably belied the idea that the base will turnout in large numbers just because they hate Obama. The fact that they'd go with Ryan over someone who could appeal to the center is telling.

[phillycat]

As I have said before, the idea of a VP choice "firing up the base" is largely incorrect and if that is the reason, the campaign isn't going to win anyway, because any bump from the VP choice dies out rather quickly since the election is still between the two people at the top of the ticket.

Agreed, but from the horse's mouth this is why they did it. Every single spokesperson has said "this choice will fire up the base!" It's the same rationale (and Hail Mary pass) as the Palin pick. And that worked out the same way this one will -- poorly.

And this is just silly and the type of analysis done from someone that just assumes the other side is full of idiots.

I think there are a lot of smart Republicans out there. The smart ones decided to wait out this cycle. I truly hope they come back in 2016 with some actual responsible workable policies to create an adult dialogue. This is not it. If you have read insider accounts of what was happening at the end of the McCain campaign, it was exactly the same thing. It doesn't imply they are full of idiots -- it implies they are smart enough to know when they have a dead dog on their hands.

Also, I thought Rubio would be a bad choice. If Rubio was picked, it is obvious it was a pick to pander to a demographic and everyone would know it. That is not a positive. Picking a VP, even though not elected yet, is the first executive decision a President does. Voters look at the pick and it influences their view of your ability to make a decision. It isn't positive if it looks like you make a major decision based on pandering.

So true. Yet I remind you these are the same supergeniuses who chose Palin in the hope of capitalizing on the mythical "angry Hilary women voters." That wasn't pandering? And this isn't straight up pandering to the right wing fringe after a week of every pundit out there saying Ryan was what was needed to "fire up the base?"

I completely agree with you -- this is a perfect encapsulation of Romney's ability to make a decision -- he can't do a single thing that his "handlers" don't tell him to do. He was plausible only because he was the only R candidate that had a chance to appeal to moderates and independents and he had a record that indicated he might make some non-ideological decisions...and then his first major decision he caves to pressure and picks the most radical Tea Party darling in DC. And now he's picked someone who overshadows him in every possible way. It shows who he is with perfect clarity.

Best analysis yet of the insanity of their "economic plan" -- from those crazed liberals at Forbes: Romney and Ryan's Disastrous Economic Plan - Forbes

Remember when the greatest danger to our nation was terrorism? When exactly did the greatest threat to our freedom become actuarial projections for Medicare? Amazing how quickly things can change.

[raider.adam]

I think this pick shows just how weak Romney's people must think he is with conservatives. Their internal polling must have been awful, and probably belied the idea that the base will turnout in large numbers just because they hate Obama. The fact that they'd go with Ryan over someone who could appeal to the center is telling.

This criticism just doesn't make sense. Did you honestly think that a non-conservative Republican would be VP? Who did you think they would pick that wasn't a solid conservative?

[phillycat]

They picked him because he knows about creating budgets unlike Obama. Ryan can do math. Obama's team obviously cannot.

Really, you are funnier and funnier with every post. I think maybe someone with a sense of humor created you to show how dumb this line of thinking is. Every reputable economist in the country has said that Ryan's "math" is nonsensical. His budget relies on completely unspecified "closing loopholes" (the only loopholes big enough to come close to making the numbers work are completely getting rid of the mortgage interest deductions and the child tax credits) and a mythical "growth increase" that will occur after the government pulls millions of dollars of spending out of the economy. So even though thousands of people will lose their jobs due to these budget cuts, millions of seniors and low-income people will lose the small benefits they have (nearly all of which go to purchasing goods and services), and the government will stop buying goods and services, the "private sector" will somehow increase the amount of things they sell and the number of customers, and go on a hiring binge as a result. This isn't even vodoo economics. This is Tinkerbell economics -- "clap your hands and we save the economy!"

[phillycat]

This criticism just doesn't make sense. Did you honestly think that a non-conservative Republican would be VP? Who did you think they would pick that wasn't a solid conservative?

They didn't have to go all the way to the Tea Party to find a conservative.

If they thought they had a chance of winning Ohio they would have picked Portman. If they thought they could win Florida they would have kept the Medicare discussion off the table. Without either of these states they are toast, unless Obama suddenly tears his own head off and reveals himself as a Kenyan-born fire-breathing demon.

[raider.adam]

I completely agree with you -- this is a perfect encapsulation of Romney's ability to make a decision -- he can't do a single thing that his "handlers" don't tell him to do. He was plausible only because he was the only R candidate that had a chance to appeal to moderates and independents and he had a record that indicated he might make some non-ideological decisions...and then his first major decision he caves to pressure and picks the most radical Tea Party darling in DC. And now he's picked someone who overshadows him in every possible way. It shows who he is with perfect clarity.

That just isn't accurate. Romney made the short list and he chose who the VP would be. Apparently Romney and Ryan get along rather well. One of the analysises (sp) I read I thought had a great sum up. Ryan is the type of guy that Romney would have hired at Bain. Energetic, ambitious, smart and a team player.

I understand the animosity because a lot of Ryan's policies are exactly what liberals hate. The reason I like the pick is why a lot of you hate it. Without going into pro/cons of Ryan's policies, I like the pick because it is a pick of substance. He isn't an empty shirt and it now means both campaigns are going to have to run on issues and solutions and not the lame talking points both sides have been using.

This makes it a real election of choices now for the American voter.

[raider.adam]

They didn't have to go all the way to the Tea Party to find a conservative.

If they thought they had a chance of winning Ohio they would have picked Portman. If they thought they could win Florida they would have kept the Medicare discussion off the table. Without either of these states they are toast, unless Obama suddenly tears his own head off and reveals himself as a Kenyan-born fire-breathing demon.

So you think picking an ex-Bushie would be a good thing for Romney?

[seand]

Really, you are funnier and funnier with every post. I think maybe someone with a sense of humor created you to show how dumb this line of thinking is. Every reputable economist in the country has said that Ryan's "math" is nonsensical. His budget relies on completely unspecified "closing loopholes" (the only loopholes big enough to come close to making the numbers work are completely getting rid of the mortgage interest deductions and the child tax credits) and a mythical "growth increase" that will occur after the government pulls millions of dollars of spending out of the economy. So even though thousands of people will lose their jobs due to these budget cuts, millions of seniors and low-income people will lose the small benefits they have (nearly all of which go to purchasing goods and services), and the government will stop buying goods and services, the "private sector" will somehow increase the amount of things they sell and the number of customers, and go on a hiring binge as a result. This isn't even vodoo economics. This is Tinkerbell economics -- "clap your hands and we save the economy!"

Severe austerity alone doesn't automatically fix structural issues in the economy and short term it makes unemployment dramtically worse. Ask Greece.

[phillycat]

That just isn't accurate. Romney made the short list and he chose who the VP would be. Apparently Romney and Ryan get along rather well. One of the analysises (sp) I read I thought had a great sum up. Ryan is the type of guy that Romney would have hired at Bain. Energetic, ambitious, smart and a team player.

Would you also argue that it was Romney's idea to go to Israel? And have a cheezeball casino billionaire sitting next to him there? Or was that something forced on him by political necessity and he doesn't have the backbone to resist? Or his idea to completely disavow his signature accomplishment -- one I actually admire -- dispassionately reading the data and designing "Romneycare" for Massachussetts -- in order to pander to the right wing propagandists? Yeah, standing up for what he believes in seems right in character. Surely you can't believe this.

As for Ryan being the type of guy Romney would have hired at Bain - if by that you mean a callow, soulless, ambitious young douchebag with family money and connections who looks good in a suit, yes there are a lot of those in consulting (although a degree from Miami University of Ohio would probably not have made the cut). If you mean Romney would have been dumb enough to hire him at Bain into a position where he was likely to outshine his mentor by being younger, more personable, more in line with the "values" (or lack thereof) of the firm and quicker on his feet, you must think Romney is dumber than even I do.

Without going into pro/cons of Ryan's policies, I like the pick because it is pick of substance. He isn't an empty shirt and it now means both campaigns are going to have to run on issues and solutions and not the lame talking points both sides have been using.

It's only of substance if you swallow the premise that our current economic woes are the result of undertaxation and overregulation -- even though the both taxation and regulation are at historic lows, the Bush tax cuts that were supposed to create jobs never did and the lack of regulation created the financial and housing party that has led to the current unpleasant hangover. What it actually does is shift the discussion (agree that it has been dull and pointless so far) to a laser-like focus on something that doesn't even matter that much in the short term (in the long term, of course, it needs to be looked at, but that's been true for thirty years).

Remember when the most important issue facing our country was who was going to be stronger in foreign policy and tough on terrorism? So hard to believe that has all been solved in the past four years, but I guess Obama must have fixed all that. It's time to face the real enemy -- old people on Medicare!

[NickTheCage]

Severe austerity alone doesn't automatically fix structural issues in the economy and short term it makes unemployment dramtically worse. Ask Greece.

Come on sean, you aren't this economically illiterate, are you? Of course severe austerity will NEVER work if you increase taxes and regulations.

What is severe about the Ryan/Romney budget?