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[The Chosen One]

Ryan is a media darling though in the talking head circles. He's considered the "most serious" guy in Congress and the only guy who's put forth a "real" plan. So he actually has some street cred with "media elites".

If nothing else, Obama's and the media will set their laser sights on Ryan for at least the next several weeks, so that should take the heat off Romney's tax returns and recent gaffes.

If the Romney campaign plays it right, they should be able to sail relatively smoothly through the end of August. The media will be focused on Ryan and the Republican convention is almost a completely scripted event, so the Romney campaign should at least be able to stop the bleeding for the remainder of the month.

But I do agree, this is a type of VP pick from someone who thinks he's not only in danger of losing the election but losing the GOP base as well. All this pick does is shore up the base. It doesn't make any inroads with hispanics, african americans, or women. It just plays up to existing GOP demographics with possibly a slight hit to senors.

IMO, the Obama campaign should tie Ryan to the Republican House. Yes the Ryan Budget is controversial, but I think the Romney campaign and Republicans at large will be able to smooth it, so it becomes a wash. But there's very little to be smoothed over with the current Congress. Everybody hates them, they've been a disaster, and Ryan has been in almost lockstep with the extreme elements of the GOP House.

 

[ErasureAcer]

Next Obama ad.

"My fellow Americans."

(picture of Ryan)

"Seriously?"

lmao.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Obama/Biden is the ticket of Yes We Can.

Romney/Ryan is the ticket of No We Won't.

Romney/Ryan: Because Fuck You, That's Why

 

[NullPointer]

Truth in advertising.

 

[FyreWulff]

Ryan?

Ryan?

The AARP and old people are going to fucking TURN on the Republican Party now, lol

 

[Black Republican]

hope they get the nickname ruff ryders (RR)

 

[Aaron Strife]

Romney/Ryan: If we win, we created like, 2 jobs right there.

 

[Thagomizer]

Ryan?

Ryan?

The AARP and old people are going to fucking TURN on the Republican Party now, lol

You see at the end of the day, with a Romney/Ryan ticket, these civilized people? They'll eat each other.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Already hearing this on the networks. Paul Ryan doesn't like to get into politics. He is very serious. He doesn't do personal attacks. He is very likable. He likes to be involved in serious talk on solving the nation's problems.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Already hearing this on the networks. Paul Ryan doesn't like to get into politics. He is very serious. He doesn't do personal attacks. He is very likable. He likes to be involved in serious talk on solving the nation's problems.

I'm so glad I don't watch TV. Our press corp is so utterly corrupted by stupidity.

 

[FyreWulff]

I don't like Ryan's speeches. It always feels like he's talking down to you. Kind of like Romney, in that way.

I didn't get that from Obama or Bush or Clinton or Bush Sr.

 

[Zeus Molecules]

Romney/Ryan: If we win, we created like, 2 jobs right there.

Lol

 

[Aaron Strife]

Already hearing this on the networks. Paul Ryan doesn't like to get into politics. He is very serious. He doesn't do personal attacks. He is very likable. He likes to be involved in serious talk on solving the nation's problems.

Liberals are afraid of Sarah Palin.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Ezra!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...pick-heres-seven-thoughts-on-what-that-means/

Agree with this:

1. Both Democrats and conservatives are going to get the exact debate they wanted. I’m not so sure about Republicans.

I did not know this:

5. It’s not just that Romney now has to defend Ryan’s budget. To some degree, that was always going to be true. What he will now have to defend is everything else Ryan has proposed. Ryan was, for instance, the key House backer of Social Security privatization. His bill, The Social Security Personal Savings Guarantee and Prosperity Act of 2005, was so aggressive that it was rejected by the Bush administration. Now it’s Romney’s bill to defend. In Florida.

Why the Ryan Pick is another sign that Obama is running the narrative:

4. Romney’s original strategy was to make the 2012 election a referendum on President Obama’s management of the economy. Ryan makes it a choice between two competing plans for deficit reduction. This election increasingly resembles the Obama campaign’s strategy rather than the Romney campaign’s strategy.

And for everybody jumping at joy:

He’s repeatedly won reelection in a moderate district. Democrats underestimate his political skills at their peril.

AND I like this attack line:

Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan: America's Comeback Team. They come back for your Medicare, Social Security, pensions, jobs, civil rights, schools...

 

[jamesinclair]

Who the fuck announces anything Saturday morning during the brazil-Mexico game? Romney hates latino voters

 

[GhaleonEB]

Ezra Klein has seven thoughts about Paul Ryan as veep. All seven are worth reading. Here are two:

2. This is an admission of fear from the Romney campaign. You don’t make a risky pick like Paul Ryan if you think the fundamentals favor your candidate. You make a risky pick like Paul Ryan if you think the fundamentals don’t favor your candidate. And, right now, the numbers don’t look good for Romney: Obama leads in the Real Clear Politics average of polls by more than four percentage points — his largest lead since April.

5. It’s not just that Romney now has to defend Ryan’s budget. To some degree, that was always going to be true. What he will now have to defend is everything else Ryan has proposed. Ryan was, for instance, the key House backer of Social Security privatization. His bill, The Social Security Personal Savings Guarantee and Prosperity Act of 2005, was so aggressive that it was rejected by the Bush administration. Now it’s Romney’s bill to defend. In Florida.

Bwahahahahaahaha

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...pick-heres-seven-thoughts-on-what-that-means/

Edit: cartoon_soldier, you son of a bitch!

 

[Aaron Strife]

Ehhh. Democrats have never fronted a decent candidate against him. Even the current guy (Rob Zerban) is an unknown.

 

[reilo]

Wait, Paul Ryan? Seriously?

lmao

 

[DataStream]

Already hearing this on the networks. Paul Ryan doesn't like to get into politics. He is very serious. He doesn't do personal attacks. He is very likable. He likes to be involved in serious talk on solving the nation's problems.

Doesn't seem like those serious talks involve an understanding of the importance of compromise or realistic models for sweeping budget changes.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Doesn't seem like those serious talks involve an understanding of the importance of compromise or realistic models for sweeping budget changes.

Compromise is only important when Democrats are in charge.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Ezra Klein has seven thoughts about Paul Ryan as veep. All seven are worth reading. Here are two:


Bwahahahahaahaha

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...pick-heres-seven-thoughts-on-what-that-means/

Edit: cartoon_soldier, you son of a bitch!

It's at 9 now! lol, we both follow Ezra pretty regularly.

 

[reilo]

I can only think of three worse picks for VP:

Palin, Gingrich, and Dick Cheney.

 

[ErasureAcer]

Rob Zerban is Ryan's opponent in WI-01. He seems like a decent guy from his webpage. Anyone live in the district? Sabato has it safe for Ryan but Zerban is doing decent fundraising.

 

[Black Mamba]

I can only think of three worse picks for VP:

Palin, Gingrich, and Dick Cheney.

Bachman. Cain.

 

[reilo]

Bachman. Cain.

It's truly amazing how many godawful people the GOP has where Paul Ryan even looks respectable.

 

[Hobbestetrician]

Wish I could convince myself that this is good for Obama. Really interested to see some polls after a bit to see the affect.

 

[Clevinger]

Wish I could convince myself that this is good for Obama. Really interested to see some polls after a bit to see the affect.

Romney is definitely going to get a good bump until after their convention. The question is, what happens afterward.

 

[Averon]

Wish I could convince myself that this is good for Obama. Really interested to see some polls after a bit to see the affect.

VP picks rarely, if ever, have a lasting effect on the race. Palin is an extreme counter example, though. I do think this will move the polls a couple points in Romney's direction, due mainly to the newly excited GOP base, but as I said, it'll be temporary.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

VP picks rarely, if ever, have a lasting effect on the race. Palin is an extreme counter example, though. I do think this will move the polls a couple points in Romney's direction, due mainly to the newly excited GOP base, but as I said, it'll be temporary.

Nate Silver ‏@fivethirtyeight
But I do think, for better or worse, that picking Ryan is a game-changer -- for better or worse. Variance +1.

American now decides. Vote for the Ryan vision or Obama vision.

Romney is now the back seat driver of the Election.

 

[Black Republican]

#tpawsuicidewatch

 

[Black Mamba]

So, let's say the Ryan pick backfires. And let's say Romney gets creamed in the general election (6+ points, EC map bad even loses Florida). And the Dems pick up a lot in the house (even if they don't win it).

Where does the GOP go from there? splinter? Move back to the center? Move further right?

Would be fun to watch.

 

[Clevinger]

So, let's say the Ryan pick backfires. And let's say Romney gets creamed in the general election (6+ points, EC map bad even loses Florida). And the Dems pick up a lot in the house (even if they don't win it).

Where does the GOP go from there? splinter? Move back to the center? Move further right?

Would be fun to watch.

I'm thinking a moderate move with Jeb or Rubio in 2016. Congress will probably stay tea party crazy until a leader like Jeb comes along and tells everyone to chill the fuck out.

 

[Black Mamba]

I'm thinking a moderate move with Jeb or Rubio in 2016. Congress will probably stay tea party crazy until a leader like Jeb comes along and tells everyone to chill the fuck out.

Well, I don't mean necessarily in picking a 2016 guy.

But in general how they react as a party in terms of politics. After losing in 2008, they went really to the right.

And I still can't believe Jeb will run given his name.

 

[Clevinger]

And I still can't believe Jeb will run given his name.

I hope he does and wins the nom. He seems a lot better than Christie, Rubio (Santorum, lol) etc.

 

[PhoenixDark]

So, let's say the Ryan pick backfires. And let's say Romney gets creamed in the general election (6+ points, EC map bad even loses Florida). And the Dems pick up a lot in the house (even if they don't win it).

Where does the GOP go from there? splinter? Move back to the center? Move further right?

Would be fun to watch.

Jeb Bush is their best candidate.

If this ticket gets defeated badly, or if elderly voters reject them, Ryan can kiss national aspirations goodbye.

This is really Obama's best scenario. His vision against the conservative vision, instead of his vision vs a rich guy who wants to be president. I definitely think the house could be in play if dems play this right. Romney is irrelavant enough for Obama to spend a lot of time attacking congress, going to states and naming their congressmen who voted for this budget.

 

[jamesinclair]

So whats going to be a hit at the water cooler on Monday at work?


"Hey John, did you catch that 6am announcement on Saturday of Romneys veep?"

vs

"Hey John, did you catch the closing ceremonies of the olympics last night?'


The timing baffles me.


You bury bad news on friday night. What does that make saturday at the crack of dawn?

 

[Oblivion]

As I mentioned in the other thread, Obama's response to this news is gonna be a video that just consists of him laughing uncontrollably for twenty minutes straight.

9. Joe Biden has a lot of debate prep ahead of him. I’ve interviewed Ryan three times. Twice on health care (here and here), and once on economics (here). He’s very quick on his feet, and he’s got a lot of experience explaining his plans to skeptical audiences. He’s also a likable and, while I don’t know him very well personally, decent-seeming guy. He’s repeatedly won reelection in a moderate district. Democrats underestimate his political skills at their peril.

lol, the ability to speak in complete sentences is no indication of brilliance, even if we're talking about a Republican. I've seen this dude debate people, and if his opponent is even halfway knowledgeable about his bill, Ryan's gonna be sputtering like a Palin in no time.

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

CNN has just called Paul Ryan a heart throb.

Off topic: Wolf Blitzer is such a big fucking idiot.

 

[pigeon]

You bury bad news on friday night. What does that make saturday at the crack of dawn?

Carefully targeted. Notice who's actually talking about this -- wonks, bloggers, political commentators of all stripes -- and who isn't -- ordinary people, like, say, independent voters. When you're making a choice that appeals to extremely intense people and will turn off average people, do it in dead time, because it maximizes your chance of the average people not really noticing.

 

[Oblivion]

"I have made the decision to release 10 years of tax returns. Paul Ryan's. // LOL #gopfail

:lol

 

[jamesinclair]

Carefully targeted. Notice who's actually talking about this -- wonks, bloggers, political commentators of all stripes -- and who isn't -- ordinary people, like, say, independent voters. When you're making a choice that appeals to extremely intense people and will turn off average people, do it in dead time, because it maximizes your chance of the average people not really noticing.

But those bloggers/talking heads etc dont matter in the election.

Joe and Mary are going to be talking about the Spice Girls rocking London on Monday morning, certainly not the Rand Ryan type that was announced while everyone was sleeping in on saturday.



Do a poll in a week, and ask "when do you think romney will announce his VP pick?". Id wager 90%+ would not realize it already happened.

 

[The Chosen One]

:lol

I hope someone asks Romney how many years of tax returns did his vetters require of Paul Ryan for VP consideration...

 

[Oblivion]

Already hearing this on the networks. Paul Ryan doesn't like to get into politics. He is very serious. He doesn't do personal attacks. He is very likable. He likes to be involved in serious talk on solving the nation's problems.

What the hell are you talking about? I know you know better than this.

 

[pigeon]

Do a poll in a week, and ask "when do you think romney will announce his VP pick?". Id wager 90%+ would not realize it already happened.

That's the point. Whether or not you think Ryan will be an asset to the campaign (I don't), Romney's clearly not confident about his ability to connect with moderates -- but he needs to get the conservative media to stop yelling at him. He's burying the lede for the moderates, but the conservatives will get the message.

 

[Oblivion]

Also, I just saw Jonathan Alter ask Romney's pretend second wife, Jennifer Rubin, how the Ryan medicare budget is not radical, and the only thing she could say was "bubububu Ron Wyden!".

These people are so fucked.

 

[The Chosen One]

But those bloggers/talking heads etc dont matter in the election.

Joe and Mary are going to be talking about the Spice Girls rocking London on Monday morning, Rand Ryan type that was announced while everyone was sleeping in on saturday.



Do a poll in a week, and ask "when do you think romney will announce his VP pick?". Id wager 90%+ would not realize it already happened.

Most everyday people don't know who Paul Ryan is. I know my wife didn't (smh). They're just going to find out sometime this week that Romney picked some "young looking guy" for his VP. Then it will be a 3-4 week sprint for both the Romney and Obama campaigns to try to define him to the general public. But most likely it will be the first initial network interviews and then the debates where the general public will form their opinions about him.

I do agree though that picking Ryan will force Romney to be specific. And for someone like Romney who hates being specific and holding into a position steadfastly, he's going to have to do just that if he's going to stand-by Ryan's tenure in Congress.

 

[jamesinclair]

That's the point. Whether or not you think Ryan will be an asset to the campaign (I don't), Romney's clearly not confident about his ability to connect with moderates -- but he needs to get the conservative media to stop yelling at him. He's burying the lede for the moderates, but the conservatives will get the message.

I guess that makes sense.

The "never attack a republican" strategy wasnt working because the extremists were growing restless and would indeed have begun attacking romney had he gone with someone else. We already saw many on the far right attack romney on the mass healthcare thing this week.

Perhaps Romney was in fact worried about a mutiny at the convention ruining his campaign?

We were joking about the post-convention boost going to Obama if the paulites held something significant, and maybe romney was worried the rest of the extremist would join their chatter?

Now the far right will cheer romney at his big moment. They have what they wanted, they have the king of austerity and government suicide at the helm. Theyre pleased.


Everyone else? Its best they not know whats happening.

 

[Black Republican]

funny the timing of this pretty much washes the controversy on the priorities USA ad

 

[jamesinclair]

Also, is anyone else creeped out by the merging of names?

Ayn Rand
+
Rand Paul
+
Paul Ryan
=
Ayn Rand Paul Ryan


It's worse than the Rick Scott / Scott Walker confusion some people had. What is it with these people and all having the same damn name?

At least democrats have good, independent names. Biden. Obama. Hillary. No confusion.

 

[Clevinger]

CNN has just called Paul Ryan a heart throb.

Off topic: Wolf Blitzer is such a big fucking idiot.

Obligatory: