Ryan VP?

[carlfense]

Oops. Romney just made the election a decision between Republican plans for the US and Democratic plans for the US.

 

It's a tacit admission that their "referendum on Obama"/invisible man campaign was stumbling.

 

Obama and his team are quite possibly the luckiest presidential campaign in history. Unbelievable.

[Excel]

Very much an economic ticket which makes sense, they're focusing on the Midwest as well which also makes sense, Ryan also has ties to Ohio.

Romney won't have to worry about Oklahoma. Obama failed to win a single county in '08.

 

Oklahoma is the Midwest? I have a hard time considering Kansas Midwestern at times.

[JJ Husker]

Oops. Romney just made the election a decision between Republican plans for the US and Democratic plans for the US.

 

It's a tacit admission that their "referendum on Obama"/invisible man campaign was stumbling.

 

Obama and his team are quite possibly the luckiest presidential campaign in history. Unbelievable.

 

I have come to expect much better analysis from you carl.

This election is and always was about the difference between republican and democrat views for our country. If you thought otherwise, you were mistaken.

 

I don't see where this selection is any kind of admission to any failure. They wanted to shore up the base and make the choice come November more clear. They accomplished both.

 

If you think this makes the Obama campaigns job easier, you are delusional. It very well could cost them victory but the options at the ballot box are now crystal clear. If there are any fence sitters left, they will never lnow what they want.

[strigori]

Romney has clearly given up any thought of winning the independent voters. Ryan is one of the farthest right guys he could have picked. I don't think the strategy of forgetting the independents and focusing on trying to get the base riled up is a winning tactic.

What positions of Ryan's make him "one of the farthest right guys he could have picked"?

Have you seen his budget proposal? Vouchers, vouchers and more vouchers. And he is a big fan of Ayn Rand. That alone is some scary stuff.

[MLB 51]

Very much an economic ticket which makes sense, they're focusing on the Midwest as well which also makes sense, Ryan also has ties to Ohio.

Romney won't have to worry about Oklahoma. Obama failed to win a single county in '08.

 

Oklahoma is the Midwest? I have a hard time considering Kansas Midwestern at times.

Well. DirecTV considers us Southwest. I have always consider the central plains states midwest.

[strigori]

Oops. Romney just made the election a decision between Republican plans for the US and Democratic plans for the US.

 

It's a tacit admission that their "referendum on Obama"/invisible man campaign was stumbling.

 

Obama and his team are quite possibly the luckiest presidential campaign in history. Unbelievable.

 

I have come to expect much better analysis from you carl.

This election is and always was about the difference between republican and democrat views for our country. If you thought otherwise, you were mistaken.

 

I don't see where this selection is any kind of admission to any failure. They wanted to shore up the base and make the choice come November more clear. They accomplished both.

 

If you think this makes the Obama campaigns job easier, you are delusional. It very well could cost them victory but the options at the ballot box are now crystal clear. If there are any fence sitters left, they will never lnow what they want.

It makes Obama's job much easier. This will quickly bring Medicare to the forefront of the election. A guy who is vocal on killing medicare, medicaid and all things social security is not the way to win over moderate voters.

Sure, they increased the margin of victory in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. I don't think it helps them one bit in swing states. Romney just brought on board one of the biggest obstructionists from Congress (a body whom almost no one in the entire country thinks is competent)

[carlfense]

This election is and always was about the difference between republican and democrat views for our country.

Agree to disagree I guess. Romney tried to put all of the focus on Obama and the economy without offering his specific vision and the polls show that this approach was not working.

 

I don't see where this selection is any kind of admission to any failure. They wanted to shore up the base and make the choice come November more clear.

Thank you. You've made the point more eloquently than I did. If your presidential candidate is still "shoring up the base" in August during an election year . . . well that is as clear of an admission of failure as I've seen at this point in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

This is exactly what Obama wanted. He wanted to tie Romney to Ryan's proposal months ago. Romney just made that job a whole lot easier for Obama. Romney can still win this . . . but he's not helping himself.

[krill]

Have you seen his budget proposal? Vouchers, vouchers and more vouchers. And he is a big fan of Ayn Rand. That alone is some scary stuff.

 

Only Medicare vouches for people under 55...those of us (well) under 55 would get to pay for baby boomer's full medicare our whole lives and then get a coupon when we retire, if it's even possible for the non-super wealthy to retire in 40 years if Republicans have their way. What a deal!

[JJ Husker]

Well carl, your re-explanation does make a lot more sense than your original gloating comment. I won't argue that Romney didn't have problems with his base. When you're a weak top of ticket candidate like Romney or McCain, problems with your base should be expected. I guess I just took that part of it for granted.

[carlfense]

Well carl, your re-explanation does make a lot more sense than your original gloating comment.

I wasn't gloating . . . I was marveling.

 

I won't argue that Romney didn't have problems with his base. When you're a weak top of ticket candidate like Romney or McCain, problems with your base should be expected. I guess I just took that part of it for granted.

That's the thing . . . Republicans chose Romney. If he is weak they have no one to blame but themselves. At this point in the process Romney should be aggressively pursuing moderates and independents . . . instead he is desperately trying to not lose the Tea Party. That complicates things because the things that are appealing to the base will drive moderates away in droves. Romney (and the Republican Party in general) is in a tough spot right now.

[carlfense]

Slightly OT . . . but I just saw this Obama video about Romney/Ryan on a blog. It's not a particularly good ad IMO . . . but I noticed something interesting at :38.

 

Check it out!

[knapplc]

At this point in the process Romney should be aggressively pursuing moderates and independents . . . instead he is desperately trying to not lose the Tea Party. That complicates things because the things that are appealing to the base will drive moderates away in droves. Romney (and the Republican Party in general) is in a tough spot right now.

 

I saw a few days ago that Ryan was being touted quite highly and immediately thought of this. This move reeks of pandering, and will backfire on Romney. Like Palin, Ryan is a polarizing figure, not the kind of guy who will bring moderates to the fold.

[Comish]

I received this (in red) from a close source who does core poli sci analysis on VP selections

 

*Never has there been firm data that a veep choice brought a single state to the table.

 

 

*Only four times was it even statistically possible-to-likely

 

To me that means:

 

If that data is correct, then the argument becomes that the VP moment is merely a

"Confirming" push on the electorate about the main assets at the top

of the ticket (think Bush picking Cheney).

 

Although this pick will obviously ramp up the tea party and help to repair fissures within the GOP, that is an ancillary benefit..

 

What this choice really says is:

 

Romney believes in limited government and is serious about taking on that challenge.

 

The election now is undoubtedly about choice in the size and type of government the American people want.

[carlfense]

What this choice really says is:

 

Romney believes in limited government and is serious about taking on that challenge.

No . . . what this choice really says is that Romney believes that picking Ryan as his VP gives him the best shot at winning.

 

No one can say what Romney believes because he's been to the left of Ted Kennedy and to the right of Ronald Reagan. The man will do or say whatever he thinks gives him the best shot to win. Core political beliefs? So far as I can tell he has none.

[JJ Husker]

Well carl, your re-explanation does make a lot more sense than your original gloating comment.

I wasn't gloating . . . I was marveling.

 

I won't argue that Romney didn't have problems with his base. When you're a weak top of ticket candidate like Romney or McCain, problems with your base should be expected. I guess I just took that part of it for granted.

That's the thing . . . Republicans chose Romney. If he is weak they have no one to blame but themselves. At this point in the process Romney should be aggressively pursuing moderates and independents . . . instead he is desperately trying to not lose the Tea Party. That complicates things because the things that are appealing to the base will drive moderates away in droves. Romney (and the Republican Party in general) is in a tough spot right now.

 

I agree the republican party is in a tough spot and has been for some time. Their main problem is that they have gone in too many directions and a lot of those are away from limited government, limited spending, and sensical economic theory. There's still a few of us but too many have ventured to the far right religious or the placate the liberal extremes. I would argue that Romney was not so much chosen by the republican party as he was instead chosen by the media to be the ideal foe for Obama. The media destroyed other front runners one by one until all we were left with was the unexciting Mitt. Personally I would've preferred Herman Cain or Newt. I might be paranoid about how manipulative our mainstream media is but I predicted all along that would the plan. Romney is just too ho hum and one of the best targets if your campaign wants to play class warfare against the rich. I like Ryan but will admit it probably won't be enough to keep us from making the same mistake for another 4years.