Today, with Mitt Romney’s announcement of Paul Ryan as his running mate the days of the Romney campaign being conducted in the listless bloodless manner we have all gotten used to are over.
Paul Ryan, a forty-two year old congressman from Wisconsin, a rising star in conservative circles. He is best known for designing several conservative alternatives to the federal budget which had no chance of becoming law because of democratic and moderate republican opposition but which existed to galvanize the members of the church of cut and cut and cut some more.
The several budget plans Mr. Ryan created and promoted are the typical conservative kind of thing. Lower taxes for the rich, fewer social programs for the poor, with a reduction of spending on all domestic programs by seventy-five percent and the privatization of social security and Medicare.
Watching Mr. Romney and his running mate brings up something which will be obvious to everyone. The vice presidential candidate outshines Mr. Romney. Its a real boy to a puppet, Its a star to a candle, an idealist to a career politician. Ryan is so different from Romney. For one he actually possesses charisma. Second, whether you agree or disagree, Ryan is known exclusively for talking about policy, something Mitt Romney has avoided ever since the primaries.
Up until this morning, Mr. Romney has done everything possible to remain a political sypher, engaging in masterful newspeak, practicing the art of saying a lot while saying nothing at all so as not to risk the alienation of even one registered republican.
Paul Ryan’s addition to the ticket changes all of that, because now Mr. Romney will be linked to the Ryan plan. All of the major players in the campaign will push this connection, and the public mind being the small sad thing that it is within a month Mr. Romney’s roadmap for what he will do as president will be seen as the policies Mr. Ryan outlined in his most recent budget.
Mr. Romney has made an intelligent political move. Romney cannot appeal to independent voters now because of his hairpin turn to the right during the republican primaries. He cannot energize the superstitious social conservatives he needs to because their superstition denigrates Mr. Romney’s Mormonism. Because Mr. Romney is such a political enigma, many republicans worry that the liberality he showed as governor of Massachusetts is lurking deep under the surface, ready to bubble up only after they help him to the whitehouse. As much as anything can, the selection of Mr. Ryan will calm those reasonable fears.
As I watched Mr. Ryan except the spot on the ticket I was repeatedly struck by his charisma, his anti-Romney eagerness to have substantive policy discussions, his idealism and his youth. I disagree with Mr. Ryan on almost every issue of policy. But seeing a man so ready to debate, and so knowledgeable about the issues and not scared silent by a lust for power is a refreshing thing in a republican candidate. The man has convictions, has reasons beyond god for those convictions, and is willing to open his mouth and talk about actual issues. Its giving me chills.
I kept thinking that Mr. Romney was perfect vice presidential material while Mr. Ryan should have been the Republican presidential candidate. He makes Mr. Romney look like a colorless member of middle management. Mr. Ryan is a fiery speaker, he was compelling when he spoke because he so obviously cares about this country. Romney most resembles a talking action figure, wheeled on stage, mouthing vague platitudes with a robots lack of emotion. Mr. Ryan is energetic, and speaks like he’s spoiling for a substantive political fight. Mr. Romney, while an adequate representative for the GOP is symptomatic of the sad parade which was this years republican primary. Mr. Ryan stands head and shoulders above Mr. Romney in electibility as Mr. Romney stood head and shoulders above his farcical opponents. The vice presidential spot on the ticket is hardly able to contain Mr. Ryan whereas Mr. Romney is nothing but underwhelming as a presidencial candidate.
I don’t know what I think about Mitt Romney because he has turned into a political chameleon. But I must give Mr. Romney credit for his VP pick especially when contrasted to John McCain’s pick of Sarah Paylin.
Back in 2008 it was obvious that Mr. McCain found Sarah paylin and thought to himself, young republican woman who is attractive, good enough. MRS. Paylin was the least qualified vice presidential candidate since Dan Quail, and Mr. Ryan, with his intelligence and his career in congress characterized by policy is the anti-paylin. Unlike her, Mr. Ryan is intelligent, a policy wonk, and thus qualified to hold office.
Mr. Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan for vice president is a tacit endorsement of the Ryan plan. Any part of it which Mr. Romney fails to explicitly refute will be assumed to be Mr. Romney’s thoughts on the matter.
The things about Mr. Ryan which will excite the conservatives are the same things which will energize liberals for Mr. Obama. The Ryan plan is a conservative doctrine which Mr. Romney is now attached to. Mr. Ryan’s budget plan could have been called, “A democratic field day,” and in the coming weeks it will provide easy fodder for the democratic war machine.
Mr. Ryan will only strengthen the criticisms leveled by democrats that Mr. Romney has a Screwjlike attitude for the poor.
Further, the addition of Mr. Ryan, and our first hints of actual policy from the Romney campaign have now set up a clear contrast between the policies of Mr. Obama and Mr. Ryan.
I don’t know if this is the most important election ever. People say that every election. But this election is certainly a choice between two antithetically apposed styles of governance.
Here’s to hoping Mr. Ryan’s addition to the campaign elevates it from the meaningless thing it has been since May and let’s the country have an intelligent debate on policy.
I’m going to end every future post with this. If you enjoyed this post, follow the blog. I’m usually this amusing.
Pages & Rages 
Oh, Ryan!
Today, with Mitt Romney’s announcement of Paul Ryan as his running mate the days of the Romney campaign being conducted in the listless bloodless manner we have all gotten used to are over.
Paul Ryan, a forty-two year old congressman from Wisconsin, a rising star in conservative circles. He is best known for designing several conservative alternatives to the federal budget which had no chance of becoming law because of democratic and moderate republican opposition but which existed to galvanize the members of the church of cut and cut and cut some more.
The several budget plans Mr. Ryan created and promoted are the typical conservative kind of thing. Lower taxes for the rich, fewer social programs for the poor, with a reduction of spending on all domestic programs by seventy-five percent and the privatization of social security and Medicare.
Watching Mr. Romney and his running mate brings up something which will be obvious to everyone. The vice presidential candidate outshines Mr. Romney. Its a real boy to a puppet, Its a star to a candle, an idealist to a career politician. Ryan is so different from Romney. For one he actually possesses charisma. Second, whether you agree or disagree, Ryan is known exclusively for talking about policy, something Mitt Romney has avoided ever since the primaries.
Up until this morning, Mr. Romney has done everything possible to remain a political sypher, engaging in masterful newspeak, practicing the art of saying a lot while saying nothing at all so as not to risk the alienation of even one registered republican.
Paul Ryan’s addition to the ticket changes all of that, because now Mr. Romney will be linked to the Ryan plan. All of the major players in the campaign will push this connection, and the public mind being the small sad thing that it is within a month Mr. Romney’s roadmap for what he will do as president will be seen as the policies Mr. Ryan outlined in his most recent budget.
Mr. Romney has made an intelligent political move. Romney cannot appeal to independent voters now because of his hairpin turn to the right during the republican primaries. He cannot energize the superstitious social conservatives he needs to because their superstition denigrates Mr. Romney’s Mormonism. Because Mr. Romney is such a political enigma, many republicans worry that the liberality he showed as governor of Massachusetts is lurking deep under the surface, ready to bubble up only after they help him to the whitehouse. As much as anything can, the selection of Mr. Ryan will calm those reasonable fears.
As I watched Mr. Ryan except the spot on the ticket I was repeatedly struck by his charisma, his anti-Romney eagerness to have substantive policy discussions, his idealism and his youth. I disagree with Mr. Ryan on almost every issue of policy. But seeing a man so ready to debate, and so knowledgeable about the issues and not scared silent by a lust for power is a refreshing thing in a republican candidate. The man has convictions, has reasons beyond god for those convictions, and is willing to open his mouth and talk about actual issues. Its giving me chills.
I kept thinking that Mr. Romney was perfect vice presidential material while Mr. Ryan should have been the Republican presidential candidate. He makes Mr. Romney look like a colorless member of middle management. Mr. Ryan is a fiery speaker, he was compelling when he spoke because he so obviously cares about this country. Romney most resembles a talking action figure, wheeled on stage, mouthing vague platitudes with a robots lack of emotion. Mr. Ryan is energetic, and speaks like he’s spoiling for a substantive political fight. Mr. Romney, while an adequate representative for the GOP is symptomatic of the sad parade which was this years republican primary. Mr. Ryan stands head and shoulders above Mr. Romney in electibility as Mr. Romney stood head and shoulders above his farcical opponents. The vice presidential spot on the ticket is hardly able to contain Mr. Ryan whereas Mr. Romney is nothing but underwhelming as a presidencial candidate.
I don’t know what I think about Mitt Romney because he has turned into a political chameleon. But I must give Mr. Romney credit for his VP pick especially when contrasted to John McCain’s pick of Sarah Paylin.
Back in 2008 it was obvious that Mr. McCain found Sarah paylin and thought to himself, young republican woman who is attractive, good enough. MRS. Paylin was the least qualified vice presidential candidate since Dan Quail, and Mr. Ryan, with his intelligence and his career in congress characterized by policy is the anti-paylin. Unlike her, Mr. Ryan is intelligent, a policy wonk, and thus qualified to hold office.
Mr. Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan for vice president is a tacit endorsement of the Ryan plan. Any part of it which Mr. Romney fails to explicitly refute will be assumed to be Mr. Romney’s thoughts on the matter.
The things about Mr. Ryan which will excite the conservatives are the same things which will energize liberals for Mr. Obama. The Ryan plan is a conservative doctrine which Mr. Romney is now attached to. Mr. Ryan’s budget plan could have been called, “A democratic field day,” and in the coming weeks it will provide easy fodder for the democratic war machine.
Mr. Ryan will only strengthen the criticisms leveled by democrats that Mr. Romney has a Screwjlike attitude for the poor.
Further, the addition of Mr. Ryan, and our first hints of actual policy from the Romney campaign have now set up a clear contrast between the policies of Mr. Obama and Mr. Ryan.
I don’t know if this is the most important election ever. People say that every election. But this election is certainly a choice between two antithetically apposed styles of governance.
Here’s to hoping Mr. Ryan’s addition to the campaign elevates it from the meaningless thing it has been since May and let’s the country have an intelligent debate on policy.
I’m going to end every future post with this. If you enjoyed this post, follow the blog. I’m usually this amusing.
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