I am delighted that Romney has chosen Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. It signals that he is serious about fiscal conservatism and restoring America’s economy to prosperity. Ryan is the balance the Republican ticket needed.
Dear Keith Koffler* of White House Dossier worries, “Are Two White Guys What the GOP Needs?“:
But there’s a potential downside with Ryan that Mitt Romney could have avoided by picking Hispanic Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, African American Florida Rep. Allen West, Condoleezza Rice, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley or any of the other half dozen or so women said to have been considered.
A presidential ticket is not just about competence and ideology. It’s a symbol to many Americans, an incarnation of their own hopes and dreams for the future. They want to be able to point to the candidates and tell their kids – whether they be little girls or children of color – “Look, you can be president too!” And they want to believe the candidates have experiences and backgrounds that will enable them to truly understand what they go through every day.
On this level, many of the swing voters Romney will need – moderates and even many Democrats – will be disappointed with this pick.
Actually, I think competence and ideology have the potential to generate a landslide victory for Romney/Ryan because people want jobs and a prosperous economy. Obama hasn’t delivered either. In contrast, Romney knows how to create jobs and Ryan is a budgetary wizard who understands the machinery of the federal budget. I think independents will see Ryan as someone they can trust to improve the economy.
Just watch Rep. Ryan dissect Obamacare right in front of Obama and Biden. Obama glowers, looks daggers, then falls back on his trademark contempt as a bluff in lieu of having an informed rebuttal. Ryan’s performance is dazzling:
H/T: Joe Wiesenthal at Business Insider.
I’m thinking Joe Biden is not looking forward to the debates between the vice presidential candidates.
What I wish Ryan and the Republican Party would do, however, is look at the presidential race as a sales presentation rather than a will battle. The job of a salesperson is to overcome the objections to a purchase by a prospective buyer and make a sale. So, regarding issues such as entitlement reform, Republicans call for entitlement reform in a way that makes sense to Republicans but which frightens the bejeebers out of independents and persuadable Democrats. That why the Democrats’ commercial showing a Ryan look-alike throwing a wheelchair-dependent granny off a cliff resonated with their base. Sneering that their fears are baseless does nothing to dissolve their fear–in fact, it validates it.
H/T for photo: Ace from Ace of Spades HQ and @johnekdahl.
Democrats win elections by answering the question, “What will become of me?,” even though their answer is founded on smoke, mirrors and unsustainable spending.
What Romney and Ryan must do when they are selling their entitlement reform plans is to answer the question, “What will become of me?” After all, our entitlement programs, Medicare and Medicaid, are for people who cannot work due to frailties of age or disability. These people are not slackers. And the costs of medical care and longterm care can quickly wipe out the assets even of prosperous, prudent people.
What Republicans have with fiscal conservatism is the golden ticket to prosperity–but people must be able to see the benefit in their own lives. Generally, Republicans leave that part of the sales presentation out since we think it is so obvious it doesn’t need explaining. But it does. And God forbid that Romney and Ryan repeat what McCain did, which was to try to sell the electorate on the glories of economic pain now for a distant better future. The more Republicans inspire people about the golden ticket, the more people will get busy making the most of themselves and the less pain will be required to get our economy thriving again. That’s the winning message for Romney/Ryan.
*I ADORE Keith and went fangirl bonkers on him at CPAC 2012 when he asked a question in one of the panel meetings and I realized I was practically sitting next to him.
Update: Dear Stacy McCain was at the Romney/Ryan rally in Manassas, Virginia, today. I urge you to read his report because he captures the enthusiasm of the crowd for these candidates–an enthusiasm that Obama/Biden no longer generates. And for a bonus, he has the video of Hitler finding out that Romney has chosen Ryan.
Update: Dear Stacy McCain correctly predicts on Twitter that if my dear gentle readers hit the tip jar, I will make Paul Ryan a sammich–with my personal favorite, a Brandywine heirloom tomato that I’ve grown myself!
Update: Dear Michelle Malkin also is thrilled with the selection of Ryan and she features a short video of Ryan explaining how his plan will save Medicare, which I urge you to watch. It goes a long way toward answering the question, “What will become of me?” But conservatives need to remember that saying “the free market will make healthcare cheaper and better” is a meaningless statement for liberals/progressives. It’s the equivalent of saying, “Then a miracle occurs.” And it suggests that people will be dickering with their doctors, as if people will joyfully embrace the prospect of, say, heart surgery with anything less than all the trimmings.