Bad pick, very very bad pick. Romney broke the first rule of “do no harm” to the ticket.
Ryan’s medicare plan will be headlined across the nation in a bad light and will not only lose the independent vote, it may very well lose a not-insignificant chunk of the over 55 moderate conservatives.
Regardless of the details of the Ryan budget, this is a game of politics, not policy. Every news channel and newspaper will say over and over again, Ryan wants to give each senior a $7,000 coupon to buy private insurance, that the coupon value increases with inflation (1 to 3 percent) while insurance costs go up 8 to 10 percent a year and then seniors are on their own...this will be a very steep hill to climb.
This pick will no doubt shore up the base but in the face of another 4 years of Obama, the base didn’t need to be shored up. We need the mushy middle. The Romney campaign needs a smack upside the head.
Even with the best case scenario, consider Florida’s 29 electoral votes gone.
Romney was already backing Ryan's plan, so it's not like the Dems couldn't have done it anyway. Besides, I see it as very hard to demagogue Paul Ryan. The guy looks and sounds like a boy scout. Besides, we all know the debt is the biggest fiscal cliff we're facing. I just can't believe our side can't turn that into a winning issue. It's not that hard for people to understand. People hate their student loan and mortgage debt, right? So why is it so hard to explain that a debt collectively shared by all of us can have consequences that are just as negative for the whole country? We need to win on our issues by winning the argument instead of backing away because we think the Dems will "Dem-agogue" us. That's just cowardice.
Ryan understands these issues and can explain fiscal issues better than most Republicans. He knows the numbers backwards and forwards. He can just get a tad long-winded, so he needs to work on being more succinct with his answers.
As opposed to the horse whipping Medicare is going to take under Obamacare?
Already been mentioned here
http://www.dickmorris.com/handicapping-the-vp-field-dick-morris-tv-lunch-alert/
Compared to Rubio (who was also mentioned among others) Ryan was one of the cleanest.
>>consider Florida’s 29 electoral votes gone.
Could be, but I’m not so sure.
One of the main reasons the GOP could win Florida is seniors hate Obamacare. Ryan is one of the strongest voices, if not the strongest voice against Obamacare. Ryan could well resonate with these seniors in Florida - if he hasn’t already.
Ryan on Chris Mathews
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpt83xV-b08&feature=related
Paul Ryan Destroys Debbie Wasserman-Schultz in Obamacare Debate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u45IETzTqqQ&feature=related
Paul Ryan talks health care with Howard Dean and John Sheils
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6eMqyvEDqI&feature=relmfu
Paul Ryan Takes Chris Matthews “To School” On Deficits and Taxes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYsOet9ynS0&feature=related
And one of my favorites:
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) Rips MSNBC For ‘Using Capitalist Rhetoric’ To Move Anti-Market Obamacare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9ThvOyrPCw&feature=related
I was saying the same thing. Then, I had a light turn on. Marco Rubio will bring Florida to Romney from where he is. He won't be distracted from that task campaigning around the nation. This will be a huge advantage for Romney with Rubio speaking to the Latino community in their own language.
One more point and clip, then I promise I’ll stop pinging you.. :)
The point is that the Dems are already running against Ryan, you hear them all the time say “under the Romney/Ryan plan..” They will continue this even if Ryan is not on the ticket.
The economy will be a major issue; Obamacare will be a major issue. Having the best planner and spokesman/debator on these two issues could be a major plus.
Paul Ryan on MSNBC: This is the rule of man, not the rule of law
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyUYAsBWlTA&feature=related