Posted on 05/14/2008 4:04:43 PM PDT by SJackson
Janesville Congressman Paul Ryan continues to attract serious attention as a prospective Republican nominee for vice president. And rightly so.
One need not agree with Ryan's sincere-if-frequently-myopic conservatism to recognize the strengths he would bring to John McCain's ticket.
Where McCain is ancient -- older than Ronald Reagan or Dwight Eisenhower when they attained the presidency -- and looks it, Ryan is so fresh-faced, upbeat and energetic that he sometimes seems a good deal younger than his 38 years.
At that age, the Wisconsin Republican is almost young enough to be not McCain's son but the Arizona senator's grandson.
Yet Ryan is, by most reasonable measures, more experienced than McCain when it comes to dealing with domestic economic, tax and budget issues.
While the presumptive presidential nominee has freely admitted that he has little knowledge of -- or interest in -- fiscal affairs, Ryan knows his way around the balance sheets better than just about any Republican in the Capitol. As a key player for the better part of a decade in budget debates, he was a heavy-lifting member of the House Ways and Means Committee when Republicans were in charge of the chamber. And the congressman is still taken seriously now that the Democrats are in charge.
Ryan is not bragging when he explains that "where my aptitude is is in the area of economics."
The Wisconsinite's serious focus on budget fundamentals is not the only thing that inspires confidence among his fellow Republicans.
Where McCain is a maverick who conservatives suspect of being soft, Ryan's hard to the right on every issue -- so steady in his social and economic conservatism that he makes Ronald Reagan look like a wavering ideologue.
Yet, while McCain's got a mean streak that even his carefully choreographed campaign cannot hide, Ryan is a charmer. Raised Wisconsin-nice, he does not allow partisan or ideological differences to turn personal -- so much so that he once showed up at a Madison fundraising event for his former colleague and friend Tom Barrett, who was running for the Democratic nomination for governor at the time and eventually became mayor of Milwaukee.
That's not the end of what makes Ryan an attractive ticket mate for McCain. As U.S. Rep. Phil Ensign, who serves with the Wisconsin congressman on the Ways and Means Committee, says, "Paul is Catholic, from the Rust Belt, and has the economic credentials Sen. McCain needs."
As John Gizzi, the authoritative political writer for the conservative publication Human Events -- Reagan's favorite ideological journal -- notes, Ensign's sentiments are not isolated. "Other Republican back benchers agree, and talk of Ryan-for-veep mushrooms in the House GOP conference," argues Gizzi.
Does this mean that Ryan's likely to end up as McCain's running mate?
The Wisconsinite remains a long shot.
Despite his freewheeling reputation, McCain is actually an exceptionally cautious, old-school player -- more a Bob Dole than a Newt Gingrich. He's not inclined toward out-of-the-box thinking. And Ryan -- an unknown outside Wisconsin and a few blocks from Capitol Hill in Washington -- would require the sort of leap that might be beyond McCain's skill set.
Yet the prospect of balancing a 2008 GOP ticket led by one of the oldest and crankiest presidential contenders in the history of the republic with an attractive and experienced 30-something congressman from a swing state is hardly a radical one. In fact, it makes sufficient sense that wise Democrats will be hoping that this whole notion of forging a McCain-Ryan ticket remains a conservative pipe dream.
Did hell just freeze over? No? Then I’m quite sure it’s not yet time for Republicans to start taking advice from a malicious hard-core socialist like Nichols....
This is an interesting idea, and one that never occured to me. If the drive-by media isn’t able to do the Dan Quayle treatment on him, he could be a good choice.
Good point, but Paul Ryan as VP is an interesting idea. Nicholas may be plugging his home state more than anything else.
Why does Bush/Quayle spring immediately to mind, here? I don’t know much about Ryan, but he’d better be an exemplary speller and public speaker, if he’s to be on the ticket.
Who the hell is “Phil Ensign” ?
I don’t know Ryan, but Nichols and the Capital Times are as far left as you can get so I don’t think McCain will be taking their advice. Interesting to see what the Congressman is about from those who do know him, and I’m sure will show up.
Who is the Republican that John Nichols likes?
The left picked our Presidential nominee and now they are trying to pick our VP?
I think that someone THAT young is a terrible idea--as it only serves to HIGHLIGHT and put even more focus on how old McCain really is!
Besides, McCain is going to have to choose a Governor. I would prefer if McCain chooses Mike Rounds of SD. He's only 53, young and is conservative enough but appeals to the mainstream. If he chooses Rounds, or Sanford, then yeah, I'd vote for McCain, although I'll still need several shots of Jack's.
Frank Lautenberg’s age doesn’t seem to bother the left...
I cannot disagree with the title of this piece, but The VP to McCain means nothing.
Getting rid of RINOs is all I care about.
I won’t vote for Mccain no matter who he puts on the ticket. If it is a true conservative, I might vote if McCain switches places on the ticket.
I have no idea. Could be Phil English of Pennsylvania.
Barry thanks you for you half vote. Honestly, if you look at McCain, and you look at Obama, and can't decide which would be better for the nation, it's best you stay home. Or vote for a non-entity.
Mike Rounds is an interesting idea, but South Dakota is not a swing state or one with a lot of electoral votes. Also, some conservatives are irked at him for not running against Tim Johnson.
“Frank Lautenberg’s age doesn’t seem to bother the left...”
Not until it suits them to bring it up.
BTW, I read that Nelson Mandela took up the Presidency of South Africa when he was 76 and ruled for 5 years. Is anyone on the left saying he wasn’t fit for office at his age? Thought not.
Still, he sounds really good. McCain would do well to pick an energetic conservative. I like this Ryan fellow.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.