The only way Obama loses is if head wins out over heart with the electorate. There is no politician who can out-charisma Obama with the general public short of the second coming of Reagan. So I think putting a recognizably strong intellect on the ticket is the right way to go. The conclusion the public has to come to is that “we like Obama, but we need someone who’s going to be better at the job than him.” The public needs to learn that Miss Congeniality is nice but it doesn’t mean you know how to solve the country’s complex problems. I don’t know if it can be done but Ryan gets us closer.
I think his charisma is 3.5 years past its expiration date. And his spectacularly negative campaign will underscore the fact that he is not a nice guy, first impressions notwithstanding, that he is merely a Chicago thug with a funny name and an uncommonly interesting background (as far as it's even known).
So I think putting a recognizably strong intellect on the ticket is the right way to go.
Absolutely.
Romney has got to put forward a vision and a plan. It's not enough to say, Obama drove us into the ditch, and I'm the better driver to get us out (because I made a gazillion at Bain and fixed the SLC Olympics). He has to explain why. Figuring out the why has been Ryan's avocation since entering the House.
I think you sum it up well. We can’t out celebrity Obama. So let’s try to get substance back into the campaign with Ryan.
A few thoughts for all the bed wetters over this choice.
-For once we no longer need to fear the MSM narrative that our candidates are dopes. For the MSM to attack now, it has to be on the issues, not whether our candidate is an intellectual lightweight, partied too much in college or made it because of their Dad. I want to talk about issues.
-Florida may present problems but Ryan has held a “lean Dem” district for over a decade. He knows how to appeal to Midwest voters. WI, MI and Iowa now are in play. Obama now has to defend those States.
This pick has risk, but it is a different type of risk than we are used to. It is solely on the Medicare thing. On every other attribute, including being a very likable but effective attack dog against Obama, Ryan fits the bill.