It's Official--Romney and Ryan for 2012!!!

[Sarah G]

Neither person on that team is anyone I could ever get excited about. Both are wrong for America.

 

[BluePhantom]

I voted "Other, will explain..." so here's my take. It's a curious and bold move. I had been predicting Portman in order to seal Ohio. My interpretation is that the Romney camp feels that Ohio will go their way without Portman and Ryan will go a long way toward flipping Wisconsin. It creates more paths to victory that way because with Wisconsin, Romney can lose Virginia (which he probably won't anyhow) and still win by taking Iowa (which is looking good) and either Colorado, Nevada, or New Hampshire.

It's bold because it could have negative impacts in Florida and Virginia. Florida will probably still go with Romney, but Virginia is really up in the air. So what I imagine the Romney camp is thinking is that the critical states of Ohio and Florida can be won without help from Rubio or Portman. Historically the GOP candidate closes as the election nears and the debates get underway. I imagine that will happen this year as well. So Florida, Ohio, and Virginia which are all pretty much even at this point should swing to Romney by the time it's all said and done. Iowa is looking good as well, but he needs one more state between Nevada, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin to seal the deal. Ryan brings Wisconsin further into play and again even without Virginia Romney can still win as I described above.

So it's a curious pick because Portman and Rubio seemed like stronger candidates who were less controversial (especially in Portman's case). It's a bold pick because it means Romney will have to take Ohio and Florida without help from a VP candidate who will get in-state support and Ryan, being more controversial, could make it a little tougher in a couple states, but it's a pick with very sound strategy as it creates more paths to victory and a "Plan B" if Romney can't take Virginia.

I would have preferred Portman myself, but it's a good pick from a strategical point of view when considering the electoral vote.

 

[Missourian]

Let's go down the list...

Portman, Pawlenty, and Daniels were snooze-fest central.

Rubio doesn't have enough experience.

Christie wasn't interested & imo, would have created a far too Northeast-centric ticket.

Ryan is a serious conservative...a "damn the torpedoes" conservative...a politician who isn't afraid to tell you exactly what he believes and why he believes it...

Now he has the platform to explain it to the American electorate!

Regardless of the outcome, this is a red letter day for the conservative movement.

 

[Foxfyre]

Why?

Because it will be so easy for the Obama campaign and the left wing media to vilify Ryan. The Obama campaign is probably pleased as punch over this pick.

Ryan self-vilifies. He's free advertising for the Obama/Biden campaign.

How does he do that? Can you provide an example in which he self villifies?

 

[Liability]

Because it will be so easy for the Obama campaign and the left wing media to vilify Ryan. The Obama campaign is probably pleased as punch over this pick.

Ryan self-vilifies. He's free advertising for the Obama/Biden campaign.

How does he do that? Can you provide an example in which he self villifies?

The short answer (if honest) would be, "no."

She just spoke tripe without a care in the world for its lack of truth value.

 

[Stephanie]

I like Ryan...

good for Romney..now lets take the gloves off and get to work showing the failures of this administration

leave the gutter politics to Obama

 

[candycorn]

Because it will be so easy for the Obama campaign and the left wing media to vilify Ryan. The Obama campaign is probably pleased as punch over this pick.

Ryan self-vilifies. He's free advertising for the Obama/Biden campaign.

How does he do that? Can you provide an example in which he self villifies?

His plan to convert Medicare to a voucher system.

 

[Truthmatters]

the tea party is not the people robmoney needed to win this.


The tea party make it impossible for the republicans to win elections

over 60 congressman and 6 senators says different, that was just 20 months ago, hello.

and then your tea party got known by its real intentions.

The debt debacle comes to mind.

Your party is done this election

 

[Stephanie]

the tea party is not the people robmoney needed to win this.


The tea party make it impossible for the republicans to win elections

over 60 congressman and 6 senators says different, that was just 20 months ago, hello.

and then your tea party got known by its real intentions.

The debt debacle comes to mind.

Your party is done this election

lol, again...Obama is at 43% approval with the American people...
so which party is done? Edited.

 

[Liability]

No VP pick is perfect. I mean, hell, our incumbent VP is Biden, for the love of God.

And I am certain that Ryan has his faults (including some of the things which he voted FOR).

But I predict (with certainty) that the Dims will try to make his budget plan the focus of their attacks on the ground that it would force the elderly to choose between lethal injections or jumping off tall buildings.

That's false, of course, but dishonesty never stops the liberal Democrats from saying whatever nonsense enters their minds.

And I also predict (with hope) that when they do that, it will bite them. Hard. For the truth is: the Ryan plan would impact on Medicare, but the alternative (the Dim plan which is basically doing nothing for several more years) would destroy it altogether.

If the GOP can manage to grunt out the truth -- and say it clearly for a while -- there is a chance they can cram the Dim ploy right up their nose.

 

[Foxfyre]

Ryan self-vilifies. He's free advertising for the Obama/Biden campaign.

How does he do that? Can you provide an example in which he self villifies?

His plan to convert Medicare to a voucher system.

Yes, that is a controversial concept that the Democrats and Obama will no doubt try to demonize as much as possible.

So it all boils down to whether likely voters understand that if we don't fix that program, it will continue to swallow more and more of the nation's resources and be more and more of a drag on the economy. . . .or. . . .

They will vote for the status quo out of fear.

We are ready for real hope and change and Romney/Ryan's competence in being able to sell it, or we aren't. It all comes down to that.

 

[swizzlee]

I must disagree with your statement.......

I am 71, also on Medicare, and I listened to every word Ryan spoke this morning. At no time did he say anything about "taking away" Medicare. In fact, just the opposite. He said if you are 55 or older and/or already on Medicare, there will be NO changes.

He has never said anything different regardless of what the Dem smear ads would like you to believe.

There is no question that Medicare as it exists today is simply not sustainable for the future. Changes MUST be made. If those changes are made now, they will be fair less painful than if we wait until we are plunging over that cliff.

Fearing that change only puts off what most of us know must happen one way or the other....or Medicare just won't exist for us.

 

[Trajan]

No VP pick is perfect. I mean, hell, our incumbent VP is Biden, for the love of God.

And I am certain that Ryan has his faults (including some of the things which he voted FOR).

But I predict (with certainty) that the Dims will try to make his budget plan the focus of their attacks on the ground that it would force the elderly to choose between lethal injections or jumping off tall buildings.

That's false, of course, but dishonesty never stops the liberal Democrats from saying whatever nonsense enters their minds.

And I also predict (with hope) that when they do that, it will bite them. Hard. For the truth is: the Ryan plan would impact on Medicare, but the alternative (the Dim plan which is basically doing nothing for several more years) would destroy it altogether.

If the GOP can manage to grunt out the truth -- and say it clearly for a while -- there is a chance they can cram the Dim ploy right up their nose.

I swing thru a lot of the as close to center periodicals as there are, like the national journal, roll call. etc., the medicare scare ads were coming no matter what, they all saod so.

it was just a matter of time, all the insiders knew this. Romney has picked probably the only man that can make a case or defuse them.

 

[swizzlee]

Ah, but!!!

You forgot the most obvious choice -

Mitt Romney just won the election!!

Shame, shame on you

 

[M14 Shooter]

Good choice.

 

[Liability]

Ryan self-vilifies. He's free advertising for the Obama/Biden campaign.

How does he do that? Can you provide an example in which he self villifies?

His plan to convert Medicare to a voucher system.

That is NOT even remotely an example of self-vilification.

It is merely an example of a legislative choice with which you happen to disagree.

 

[swizzlee]

Au contraire!

He will pick up a load of points from the undecideds who have been sitting back in the weeds wondering whether Mitt had any cajones.

They just found out.

He does.

 

[Katzndogz]

Romney has business experience and accumen. Ryan has the economic expertise. It's an ideal partnership to bring the nation out of its malaise. Of course democrats don't want that.

 

[swizzlee]

His Medicare voucher plan is a CHOICE.............

given to seniors preparing to enter the Medicare system. It would be a system that treats seniors as the adults they are and not as if they were children needing to be led by the hand.

 

[Foxfyre]

Romney has business experience and accumen. Ryan has the economic expertise. It's an ideal partnership to bring the nation out of its malaise. Of course democrats don't want that.

At least it is safe to say that they mostly don't want people thinking that is the case and thereby costing them the election.

We'll know soon enough how the polling is going re the new ticket. And I'm hope with all my fingers and toes crossed that the American people will see what a strong ticket this is, and what a gutsy call it was. It is a ticket for success as an administration rather than a ticket put together for pure political expediency. Romney doesn't have to win Wisconsin. He does have to win Ohio and Florida. Let's hope the folks in Ohio and Florida are wanting competence in government and real solutions to problems as much as everybody else and will vote for ideas again instead of the most popular personality.