I admire his drive, energy, and charisma, but his kookiness makes that all go away when he backpeddles on all his extreme social positions. I think he was a poor choice--he rather overshadows poor Romney. He's glibber than Palin, not as nutty as Bachmann, but he's an albatross. If Romney loses, Ryan's career is kaput. The ultra right-wing loves him, but that's a horrible endorsement. My opinion, for what it's worth.
I wrote this at the beginning of last week--but I think it still works:
The Good, Bad, and the Ugly in re Paul Ryan (from the Team Romney perspective and in no particular order)
1. Good. Mitt Romney was suspect for the conservative base. Now he is not. Now he is bulletproof for the base. If this is an election about turnout instead of persuasion, that is a good thing. 2. Good. Unlike any of the other politicians associated with the 2012 race, Paul Ryan has a reputation as a “straight talker” in re our most daunting national crisis. He is considered a serious person. 3. Bad. Paul Ryan is a bit misunderstood. He is no David Walker. He is much less a “green eyeshade” Republican than he is a supply-sider a la Jack Kemp. 4. Bad. Paul Ryan’s numbers don’t add up. When pressed for specifics, Ryan has never been able to deliver. 5. Bad. Paul Ryan is much less serious than he is advertised to be (see #3 & #4). 6. Ugly. He is susceptible to the Mediscare strategy. 7. Ugly. Because Team Romney is susceptible now to Mediscare, they are launching a disingenuous attack on the President in re “stealing” $700 billion in Medicare funds. It is silly on the facts, but there strategy is to so muddy the waters that the Democrat Mediscare is blunted. 8. Good. Wisconsin is in play for Romney. Wisconsin for Romney = GAME OVER for the President. 9. Bad. Florida is now in play for the President. FL for the President = GAME OVER for Team Romney. 10. Good. None of these negatives matter too much because only geeks like us are even concerned with who is on the bottom of the ticket.
Eddie Munster or an previously unknown younger brother of Romney or a model in a Tommy Hilfinger ad?
I'm not sure why his career would be kaput if Romney loses. He will eventually go on to work for an ultra conservative think tank and make lots of money. He did win the Biggest Brown-noser award in High School so he has great upside.
This is a very scientific analysis I have been taking from reading comments from my FB friends; specifically my presumed Republican friends on FB,,..
None of them were on fire with Romney, but as a moderate they were on board. Not enough negatives.
The initial comments with the announcement of Ryan as his VP were - we will have to wait and see. I suspect they like the fiscal parts of Ryan but the social issues are a bit over the top for their liking. Will they still vote for Romney, yes.
The one who could be swayed is my Mom as she doesn't think politicians (specifically male) should be legislating womens health issues. It is one area where we find some common ground.
Last night, while I was making dinner, I heard Paul Ryan say on the evening news that we shouldn't worry about his extreme position on rape victims (if they become pregnant as a result of the rape, they would be forced to bear their attacker's child) because Romney will be President, and his position is less extreme. Dude, the whole point of being Vice President is that you're a heartbeat away from the Presidency! If Romney dies of a heart attack on day one, we do have to worry what your positions are.
In re birth control: we have never had a national election decided on that issue--but there is a first time for everything.
ONE MORE ADDITION TO THE GOOD LIST FOR RYAN (from a purely political POV):
He is a game changer in the sense that he is now the youngest and most energetic and most physically attractive candidate on the stage. He exudes youth and vigor. He looks great with his shirt off. These are painfully silly considerations when picking a president or VP, but it also would be silly to pretend that they are not important in our modern political culture.
I think your last point-- that it doesn't matter much to most people-- is very true.
As for how a VP candidate looks with his or her shirt off... well, we shouldn't make that a standard for decision, for a lot of reasons. (not that you were...)
Until Romney stands FOR something positive, I think the Republican ticket is toast. Reagan beat Carter and Clinton beat Bush by espousing positive messages. I don't see that happening this year.
IPL - after next weeks convention in Tampa he will be standing for everyone owning a life jacket and a canoe. Downtown Tampa, Davis Islands and Bayshore are going to flood pretty good with the current path of TS Isaac.
And AWF - The PResidents physique isn't oo bad in my book.
Carrie - too late on that issue. They want us barefoot and pregnant.
The pretty boy may look good without his shirt off and exuding all that youth and vigor a great promise if it were not for his track record as a supportive partisan member of Congress, fully complicit when GW Bush was running up the deficit tab and plunging our debt into free fall, by voting “yes” every chance he got. Now he campaigns, like all republicans do, as a fiscal conservative and blames Obama for fiscal ineptitude...I don’t know about you, but I don’t get it. Same as I don’t get the absurdity of how some republicans proclaim (often times in the same breath) government overreach when it comes to taxation, but not when it comes to reproductive rights. I don’t mean to be crude but I will, for I’d take government overreach inside my pockets any time over government crawling inside my fallopian tubes.
In what other country, where a once proud ‘middle class’ has been, over the last 40 years, slowly marginalized by self interest and business can Ryan’s voice have an expanding audience – a voice that is funded by citizenry, 70% who are either ambivalent or disagree with his personal and political views. God bless the USA…
The longer our silence, the more we are required to sow and less we will continue to reap. Is there a sane conservative that believes government can financially cut its way out of the Great Recession – a liberal that believes all the investment possible will lead to the solution?
Please help me, is there a for-profit business that has a ‘mission statement’ that, first and foremost, seeks to create jobs? Is there any business devoted to creating jobs? Should there be one? If full employment could be reached by creating 300,000 jobs each month for the next six years (21.6 million jobs) – In a global economy, where and in what industries or professions will the jobs be created by our job creators? With current and future technological innovations and increased productivity, would we create enough jobs even with the return of disposable goods being manufactured here at home?
Give Ryan credit; though he may be singing to the choir, his budget addresses the correct topic(s). The off-key music will continue until WE begin to change the tune…
Carrie and Christine, Choirs today are mostly women and it will be women that lead and begin to change the tune. And more importantly, pregnancy has past me by and I intend to continue wearing heels...
Mitt Romney's calculated choice For Vice President of the United States was just one more piece of evidence that he is betting that big donors will be his ticket to be President. He has decided that if he has the money he can continue to repeat, over and over, the callous, blatantly incorrect and misleading statements he is now making. Ryan guarantees his donors can safely expect a return on their investment. The selection of Paul Ryan lessens the risk of Mitt defaulting on his promises. He has not gotten nor deserves much trust. Mitt also looks more honest and less scary when he is next to Paul Ryan.
Paul Ryan is a light weight as a compassionate human being. He has freed himself of costly compassion and concern for progress. This allows him to create a balanced budget for a country no one would want to live in. He is an ideal candidate for the New Republican Party. He and Mitt do speak of caring for the middle class, women, the struggling, and security for the next generation. Their budgets betray them and they must know this. They still go on.
Since Ryan has joined the ticket they have boldly ratcheted up "pants afire " false statements" while offering no funded solutions for a secure and decent future for America. They are effectively muddying the waters, but they are leaving a slimy residue.
I admire his drive, energy, and charisma, but his kookiness makes that all go away when he backpeddles on all his extreme social positions. I think he was a poor choice--he rather overshadows poor Romney. He's glibber than Palin, not as nutty as Bachmann, but he's an albatross. If Romney loses, Ryan's career is kaput. The ultra right-wing loves him, but that's a horrible endorsement. My opinion, for what it's worth.
ReplyDeleteI wrote this at the beginning of last week--but I think it still works:
ReplyDeleteThe Good, Bad, and the Ugly in re Paul Ryan (from the Team Romney perspective and in no particular order)
1. Good. Mitt Romney was suspect for the conservative base. Now he is not. Now he is bulletproof for the base. If this is an election about turnout instead of persuasion, that is a good thing.
2. Good. Unlike any of the other politicians associated with the 2012 race, Paul Ryan has a reputation as a “straight talker” in re our most daunting national crisis. He is considered a serious person.
3. Bad. Paul Ryan is a bit misunderstood. He is no David Walker. He is much less a “green eyeshade” Republican than he is a supply-sider a la Jack Kemp.
4. Bad. Paul Ryan’s numbers don’t add up. When pressed for specifics, Ryan has never been able to deliver.
5. Bad. Paul Ryan is much less serious than he is advertised to be (see #3 & #4).
6. Ugly. He is susceptible to the Mediscare strategy.
7. Ugly. Because Team Romney is susceptible now to Mediscare, they are launching a disingenuous attack on the President in re “stealing” $700 billion in Medicare funds. It is silly on the facts, but there strategy is to so muddy the waters that the Democrat Mediscare is blunted.
8. Good. Wisconsin is in play for Romney. Wisconsin for Romney = GAME OVER for the President.
9. Bad. Florida is now in play for the President. FL for the President = GAME OVER for Team Romney.
10. Good. None of these negatives matter too much because only geeks like us are even concerned with who is on the bottom of the ticket.
Eddie Munster or an previously unknown younger brother of Romney or a model in a Tommy Hilfinger ad?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why his career would be kaput if Romney loses. He will eventually go on to work for an ultra conservative think tank and make lots of money. He did win the Biggest Brown-noser award in High School so he has great upside.
This is a very scientific analysis I have been taking from reading comments from my FB friends; specifically my presumed Republican friends on FB,,..
ReplyDeleteNone of them were on fire with Romney, but as a moderate they were on board. Not enough negatives.
The initial comments with the announcement of Ryan as his VP were - we will have to wait and see. I suspect they like the fiscal parts of Ryan but the social issues are a bit over the top for their liking. Will they still vote for Romney, yes.
The one who could be swayed is my Mom as she doesn't think politicians (specifically male) should be legislating womens health issues. It is one area where we find some common ground.
Last night, while I was making dinner, I heard Paul Ryan say on the evening news that we shouldn't worry about his extreme position on rape victims (if they become pregnant as a result of the rape, they would be forced to bear their attacker's child) because Romney will be President, and his position is less extreme.
ReplyDeleteDude, the whole point of being Vice President is that you're a heartbeat away from the Presidency! If Romney dies of a heart attack on day one, we do have to worry what your positions are.
I think they'd both better make up their minds about birth control right quick.
ReplyDeleteIn re birth control: we have never had a national election decided on that issue--but there is a first time for everything.
ReplyDeleteONE MORE ADDITION TO THE GOOD LIST FOR RYAN (from a purely political POV):
He is a game changer in the sense that he is now the youngest and most energetic and most physically attractive candidate on the stage. He exudes youth and vigor. He looks great with his shirt off. These are painfully silly considerations when picking a president or VP, but it also would be silly to pretend that they are not important in our modern political culture.
Farmer--
ReplyDeleteI think your last point-- that it doesn't matter much to most people-- is very true.
As for how a VP candidate looks with his or her shirt off... well, we shouldn't make that a standard for decision, for a lot of reasons. (not that you were...)
Right, Mark. Of course, I stand by my caveat and my cynical conclusion.
ReplyDeleteActually, I agree pretty much with all of your conclusions about Ryan in the second post from the top.
ReplyDeleteUntil Romney stands FOR something positive, I think the Republican ticket is toast. Reagan beat Carter and Clinton beat Bush by espousing positive messages. I don't see that happening this year.
ReplyDeleteIPL - after next weeks convention in Tampa he will be standing for everyone owning a life jacket and a canoe. Downtown Tampa, Davis Islands and Bayshore are going to flood pretty good with the current path of TS Isaac.
ReplyDeleteAnd AWF - The PResidents physique isn't oo bad in my book.
Carrie - too late on that issue. They want us barefoot and pregnant.
The pretty boy may look good without his shirt off and exuding all that youth and vigor a great promise if it were not for his track record as a supportive partisan member of Congress, fully complicit when GW Bush was running up the deficit tab and plunging our debt into free fall, by voting “yes” every chance he got. Now he campaigns, like all republicans do, as a fiscal conservative and blames Obama for fiscal ineptitude...I don’t know about you, but I don’t get it. Same as I don’t get the absurdity of how some republicans proclaim (often times in the same breath) government overreach when it comes to taxation, but not when it comes to reproductive rights. I don’t mean to be crude but I will, for I’d take government overreach inside my pockets any time over government crawling inside my fallopian tubes.
ReplyDeleteA courageous and risky choice…
ReplyDeleteIn what other country, where a once proud ‘middle class’ has been, over the last 40 years, slowly marginalized by self interest and business can Ryan’s voice have an expanding audience – a voice that is funded by citizenry, 70% who are either ambivalent or disagree with his personal and political views. God bless the USA…
The longer our silence, the more we are required to sow and less we will continue to reap. Is there a sane conservative that believes government can financially cut its way out of the Great Recession – a liberal that believes all the investment possible will lead to the solution?
Please help me, is there a for-profit business that has a ‘mission statement’ that, first and foremost, seeks to create jobs? Is there any business devoted to creating jobs? Should there be one? If full employment could be reached by creating 300,000 jobs each month for the next six years (21.6 million jobs) – In a global economy, where and in what industries or professions will the jobs be created by our job creators? With current and future technological innovations and increased productivity, would we create enough jobs even with the return of disposable goods being manufactured here at home?
Give Ryan credit; though he may be singing to the choir, his budget addresses the correct topic(s). The off-key music will continue until WE begin to change the tune…
Carrie and Christine, Choirs today are mostly women and it will be women that lead and begin to change the tune. And more importantly, pregnancy has past me by and I intend to continue wearing heels...
David Letterman said it best: Paul Ryan looks like the guy in the underwear ad.
ReplyDeleteMitt Romney's calculated choice For Vice President of the United States was just one more piece of evidence that he is betting that big donors will be his ticket to be President. He has decided that if he has the money he can continue to repeat, over and over, the callous, blatantly incorrect and misleading statements he is now making. Ryan guarantees his donors can safely expect a return on their investment. The selection of Paul Ryan lessens the risk of Mitt defaulting on his promises. He has not gotten nor deserves much trust. Mitt also looks more honest and less scary when he is next to Paul Ryan.
ReplyDeletePaul Ryan is a light weight as a compassionate human being. He has freed himself of costly compassion and concern for progress. This allows him to create a balanced budget for a country no one would want to live in. He is an ideal candidate for the New Republican Party. He and Mitt do speak of caring for the middle class, women, the struggling, and security for the next generation. Their budgets betray them and they must know this. They still go on.
Since Ryan has joined the ticket they have boldly ratcheted up "pants afire " false statements" while offering no funded solutions for a secure and decent future for America. They are effectively muddying the waters, but they are leaving a slimy residue.
Shame on them. Shame on us. Dad
A while back, Marta said it well. 'Dad' (Mr. Osler), you have a campaign staff awaitng if you ever decide to run for office...
ReplyDelete