Hmm, I thought I would be the first to know by downloading the smartphone app. Of course, there is no official confirmation of the pick, and supposedly Mitt will make the announcement today. Oh, well. ABC News says Ryan is a high risk high reward pick (if he’s the actual pick)
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who Republicn sources tell ABC News has been selected as Mitt Romney’s running mate, is young and politically tested.
Just 42 years old, he’s already been elected to represent Wisconsin’s 1st District seven times. Within the Republican Party, he’s regarded as a rising star, and conservatives would be delighted if he was added to the ticket. It’s no secret that the more hardcore factions of the GOP have had their doubts about Romney (see: Rick Santorum’s longevity in the primaries). Having Ryan riding alongside the candidate would ease the bulk of their concerns.
On the flip side, Paul Ryan is young, politically tested, and arguably more popular inside the Republican Party than Romney. Here’s a challenge: Name another vice presidential nominee with similar credentials whose ticket won the general election? Exactly.
Um, that seems more like a win win, not a on one side and on the other. ABC provides a few of the “negatives”, which includes
Against – He’s specific about how he would do it. However one feels about the “Roadmap” proposal, and people tend to feel rather strongly, there’s no doubt about what it would entail. The top tax rates would be cut to 25 percent from 35 percent; all taxes on capital gains, interest, and stock dividends would be eliminated; and, most controversially, the Ryan plan would privatize Social Security and Medicare.
So, it’s bad to have a specific plan to deal with the exploding federal budget? Did we enter an alternate universe while I slept?
Against – Ryan’s ability to raise money is tied to his reputation as the party’s foremost deficit hawk. But as a vice presidential nominee, he would be required to compromise some of his fiscal purity. Every running mate has to give a little up for the good of the ticket. The question for Ryan is whether giving up tailoring his brand to fit the current GOP platform will cancel out his initial appeal.
If Mitt is picking him, I seriously doubt that Mitt wanted Ryan to moderate, but, instead, bring real conservative cred to the ticket.
I guess we’ll see today if the AP, ABC, Washington Post, Fox News, et all are correct.
More: I suppose updating to note that Mitt’s pick is Paul Ryan would be in order. Received the official notification at 8am or so.
PS: it’s interesting to see all the liberal blogs, interest groups, and news sites already had their hit pieces tee’d up and ready to go. Can’t link the specific Memeorandum thread using Droid, but my goodness, the Barking Moonbats are out in force.
[…] to Patterico, William Teach and Hot Air, former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) will select Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI-1) to be […]
I think it is a good choice. He could have done a lot worse.
I would have preferred Cathy McMorris Rogers and keep Ryan in the Senate, but, still a good choice. Should excite the base without alienating independents.
Yeah, I too would have liked to have kept all of our Senators in, but they must feel that Ryan’s replacement would be another Republican. Am sure Walker will appoint a temporary Republican at least.
I love how the Democrat Socialist Media Party is trying to paint Ryan as anti-woman and anti-poor. That women will not like him because he wants to reduce the tax rates on the rich, not raise taxes on everyone else, and cut some programs that are focused on welfare payments.
I wonder how the DSMP would howl if they got their wish and the women and middle class had to actually pay the correct amount of taxes in order to support this Socialist government and pay off the debt? Can you say FRANCE?!
Only knock on Ryan I had was his insurance plan was nearly like ObamaCare in that it offered national coverage and a mandate as well. He is a bit socially liberal, but a good fiscal libertarian.
Actually, Paul Ryan is in the House of Representatives, not the Senate. We have a little more breathing room there.
GAG….. 2 DOH’s in a week. Must be a Brain-Free Weekend.
(slams head against desk)
I’m just glad to see I’m not the only one who has those kinds of weekends.
The Ryan pick does something else. Wisconsin is a state that is up for grabs with all that has gone on there. This will help in Wisconsin and other “fly over” states.
But there is something else. Ryan is a Roman Catholic. In 50 years, no Republican candidate has won election without carrying the Catholic vote. Obama got 54% of the Catholic vote in 2008.
(And I acknowledge that Biden is Catholic as well, but Biden’s Catholicism is one of convenience and not one of conviction.)
The Ryan pick has and will upset some evangelicals, but will excite Catholics who are suing the Federal government on many fronts for anti-religion positions.
For the evangelicals, I would ask “what would you rather have? A person who sat under the teachings of a Pope, or a man who sat under a man who proclaimed ‘God damn America!’?”
(And for the record, I am one of those evangelicals.)
I am one of those evangelicals as well and I will have no problem voting for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. In my humble opinion, withholding my vote because of their religious affiliations, Mormon or Catholic, would be akin to voting for Obama and Biden. That is something that I, in good conscience, can not do.
Which is why I found it horrendous that any GOD-believing person would vote for Obama knowing his true religion. Thus, with many liberals, they put their political ideology above their stated religious one.
As a supposed “evangelical” or non-catholic, I have no problem with a catholic running for office. I would vote for almost anyone who has a strong GOD-fearing religious foundation as opposed to an atheist or agnostic.
And I agree gitarcarver, this will only help Romney especially in Wisconsin. Am sure that also helped in the decision to pick REPRESENTATIVE Ryan.
Ummm…. I may have left the impression that I am one of the evangelicals who question whether Roman Catholicism is “evil” or whatever.
I am not. (Although I do have doctrinal differences)
To be clear, I am an evangelical Christian.