Posted on 08/16/2011 10:03:04 AM PDT by markomalley
Despite his repeated assertions that he’s not going to run for president in 2012, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan is “strongly considering” getting in the race, according to a report Tuesday.
The Weekly Standard’s Stephen F. Hayes reported that Ryan, a Republican, is vacationing in Colorado this week, where he is discussing with his family the possibility of a run.
“He’s coming around,” a source told Hayes about Ryan’s thinking.
Ryan, a leader on budget issues, is often mentioned in the same sentence as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as a “dream” candidate that GOP donors and activists would like to see join the race.
Karl Rove, the George W. Bush deputy chief of staff, said Monday that he thinks Ryan is taking the prospect seriously.
“I think Chris Christie and Paul Ryan are going to look at it again,” he told Sean Hannity on Fox News. “I’m starting to pick up some sort of vibrations that these kinds of conversations are causing Christie and Ryan to tell the people who are calling them, ‘you know what, I owe it to you, I’ll take a look at it.’”
Just last week, Ryan stoked more speculation when his political action committee, Prosperity PAC, said it will run advertisements in Iowa to defend his proposed “Path to Prosperity” budget.
A Ryan spokesman downplayed the speculation: “While grateful for the continued support and encouragement,” Conor Sweeney told Hayes, “Chairman Ryan has not changed his mind.”
Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol has already called on Ryan to run. Just last month Kristol, mentioning Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, said “Ryan–Rubio or Rubio–Ryan would be a very strong ticket.”
He has been my pick from the start. I can't wait for the debates between them. He is the only one who can totally pick apart Obama on economic issues and leave only liberal shreds behind.
Ryan has crossover appeal. If he gets in the race, he wins. Ryan would trash Obama in any debate.
I like Paul Ryan but I think for right now he needs to stay where he’s at and give ‘em what for on the budget committee. I like Christi but he’s no Conservative. If Bill Kristol recommends someone, I’m suspect of it......but what do I know?
bump.
Obama’s worst nightmare!
Isn’t Ryan the one who was shilling the pro Super-Committee vote, along with Boehner and Cantor?
Hmmmmm.....not so sure. I don’t think he did a good job communicating to the general public what his budget was about. Plus, I don’t think his budget went far enough.
I love him and think he’s the best debater the GOP has — polite but firm. Willing to work with the Left but not willing to play along with “increases are cuts” nonsense. I have donated to him and his PAC. But its too late for him to run for president. He is not a Rich Perry who can get a national organization up and running in a month or two. He will flame out and diminish himself. Moreover, he will have plenty of power on the budget committee. That is where he is best suited. Having said that, if he wanted to run just to hold candidates feet to the fire on spending, I wouldn’t mind that. Run without really trying to win.
I love the way hannity’s show is pre-taped during the day so when some important vote or race is going on live at night (like in WI) at the same time he's busy talking about Obama’s weeks events or some prostitute school teacher scandal.
“Isn’t Ryan the one who was shilling the pro Super-Committee vote, along with Boehner and Cantor?”
There is no one who would pass the FR purity test. No one.
In my opinion, Ryan gives us the best shot to win the general, and still have someone who will do good thing for America.
He might as well jump in:
Rick Perry backed an already-climate-crusading Al Gore in ‘88
My first thought: There is no one I’d rather see in a presidential debate with President Obama than Paul Ryan.
Second thought: How long after the primary season would it take the Obama campaign to argue that presidential debates are an outdated relic of the past?
He led the way in support of raising the debt ceiling by $2.4 TRILLION dollars. No thanks.
“Second thought: How long after the primary season would it take the Obama campaign to argue that presidential debates are an outdated relic of the past?”
I thought that as well, but I don’t think even the Pravda/Obama coalition could totally avoid debates without taking serious damage in image.
There would be 2 or 3 of them.
We need Paul Ryan to stay in the House for some needed political seasoning. He could be an excellent Presidential candidate in 2016 or 2020.
I think Ryan should stay in the House and burnish his credentials as a budget expert and conservative leader.
But then again, I thought Palin would have been much better served if she fought through the nonsense and remained as Alaska Gov. for her full term.
But what do I know?
“I like Paul Ryan but I think for right now he needs to stay where he’s at and give ‘em what for on the budget committee.”
Well he can do what seems to be the new trend now...Keep his seat, run and when he wins, give the seat up!
I’m starting to wonder if Palin has been waiting on Ryan to decide, and maybe vice versa who knows. That would make a powerful ticket.
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