It’s funny, looking at Ryan’s text in print from various articles, I could easily mistake all of it as stuff that Newt Gingrich said. Which is a very, very good thing. They both seem to be as strong on big visionary ideas as they are on practical policy details. Which still seems like a very rare combination in a politician.
I got the same impression. I think what it is is similar to Reagan - and I don’t mean to compare them in other areas.
Reagan had studied and gone so deep on the issues and developed his core beliefs and was able to translate them into policy, they were all of a piece to him: personal beliefs/government policy.
My favorite example is when Reagan was asked his views on the Cold War and said: “We win; they lose.”
Now this was at the time when the popular zeitgeist was we could get along and co-exist. Reagan disagreed and summarized his core policy immediately and in four words.
I’m comparing Reagan, and Newt, and Ryan in the way you mention: vision and practical mesh. I think that only happens when a man is a thoroughly integrated political personality. He doesn’t have to think about what would be the right approach on this or the other, it all flows from who they are.
Sorry for the length, but this is an important decision; I’m praying for our nation.