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The Paul Ryan Choice (Thomas Sowell)
Creators Syndicate ^ | August 14, 2012 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 08/13/2012 12:47:11 PM PDT by jazusamo

Governor Mitt Romney's choice of Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate is one of those decisions that seem obvious — if not inevitable — in retrospect, even though it was by no means obvious to most of us beforehand.

Anyone who wants to get a quick sense of who Paul Ryan is should watch a short video of a February 2010 meeting in which Congressman Ryan politely, but devastatingly, "schools" Barack Obama on the utter fraudulence of the statistics that the Obama administration was using to claim that ObamaCare would reduce the deficit. That video is available on the Drudge Report.

As a long-time member, and now chairman, of the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan is thoroughly familiar with both the facts and the fictions in the federal government's budget. In recent years, the fictions have grown much bigger than the facts. But, as Congressman Ryan reminded the president, hiding spending is not the same as reducing spending.

If this year's election is going to be decided on the basis of hard facts, the Obama administration is doomed. But the Obama campaign is well aware of that, which is why we are hearing so many distracting innuendoes and outright lies about such peripheral issues as what Mitt Romney is supposed to have done while running Bain Capital — or even what is supposed to have happened at Bain Capital, years after Mitt Romney was long gone.

The Obama campaign's big smear, about how Romney is supposed to have caused a woman to die of cancer, has been exposed as a lie by CNN, hardly a Republican network. What smears like this show is that the Obama administration cannot run on its track record, so it has to run on distractions from country's real problems.

(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; 2012election; elections; obama; paulryan; ryan; sowell; thomassowell
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To: AuH2ORepublican
Thanks for that information. It appears there is a chance for another Conservative to replace Mr. Ryan, though the replacement would be a freshman and hold no power. There are questions (always questions) as to what is really being planned when nobody is looking ...

I haven't a clue as to what the future will hold yet have learned ... cannot trust either the gop-e or the RATs.

21 posted on 08/13/2012 1:27:34 PM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: LADY J

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/08/11/flashback-paul-ryan-vs-barack-obama-february-2010/


22 posted on 08/13/2012 1:29:03 PM PDT by GSAonce
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To: no-to-illegals
Most VP's are placed into the useless statistics or a statistic of history.

Democrat VP's are ceremonial figureheads. Republican VP's such as Cheney are very involved.

23 posted on 08/13/2012 1:30:33 PM PDT by oldbrowser (As long as Obama's records are sealed, any discussion of Romney's past is off limits.)
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To: WatchOutForSnakes

There have been 47 Vice Presidents of these United States. Fourteen of them have gone on to become President. This is hardly irrelevant.

Wild eyed conspiracy theorists will find a wild wacky conspiracy under every rock - no matter how far fetched.


24 posted on 08/13/2012 1:31:20 PM PDT by allmendream (Tea Party did not send GOP to D.C. to negotiate the terms of our surrender to socialism)
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To: oldbrowser
Would Romney pledge such? and could Romney put it in writing?
25 posted on 08/13/2012 1:32:31 PM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: allmendream

yep a little greater than 1 in 4, yet less than 1 in 3.


26 posted on 08/13/2012 1:34:18 PM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: Nevadan

What has been striking to me is how lame the administrations attacks have been lately — like they are desperately low on muck to sling. The more outrageous their claims the better. Makes them look cartoonish.


27 posted on 08/13/2012 1:35:09 PM PDT by ichabod1 (Spriiingtime for islam, and tyranny. Winter for US and frieeends. . .)
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To: GBA

And President Sowell appoint Treasury Sec. Walter Williams... that would have been a good combo.


28 posted on 08/13/2012 1:36:56 PM PDT by CapnJack
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To: CapnJack

A great start ... though was not to be. Fate is fickle.


29 posted on 08/13/2012 1:39:23 PM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: no-to-illegals
Roughly 30% of Vice Presidents have gone on to be President.

Although there are currently six people still alive who are or were Vice President - I think we can safely rule out any of them succesfully seeking the office - they are Mondale, George H.W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden.

Currently the position is usually seen as the ‘heir apparent’ to the President - except in the case of Cheney the self-selected - who was seen as a mentor to the President rather than a successor.

30 posted on 08/13/2012 1:41:26 PM PDT by allmendream (Tea Party did not send GOP to D.C. to negotiate the terms of our surrender to socialism)
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To: Nevadan
Also this line: "There are no doubt voters who will vote on the basis of believing that Obama "cares" more about them. But that is a faith which passeth all understanding."

The outcome of the election hinges on how many of these types will manage to find their way out of their paper bags and ambulate to the polls.

Unfortunately, the number of this type of voter (susceptible to the "Obama cares" bs and oblivious to the fiscal cliff they are perching on) populating America has multiplied exponentially since Reagan's time, and they are masterfully manipulated via social media and sound bites. Combined with the something-for-nothing crowd, they comprise a formidable (though idiotic) political force to be reckoned with.

31 posted on 08/13/2012 1:44:01 PM PDT by BlatherNaut
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To: jazusamo
Thanks, again, for bringing us Dr. Sowell's views on this matter.

Instead of falling into the so-called "progressive" tactic of dividing people by ethnic background, level of income, etc., Paul Ryan enables Romney's campaign to articulate the singularly American idea that Creator-endowed life, rights and liberties belong to every individual, and that those ideas are, therefore, unalienable and are not grants from government, nor are they available for proscription by government.

That idea, if articulated clearly (and Ryan can do it), will be understood by each citizen who catches the Founders' meaning, to be applicable to that citizen, and to work to that citizen's benefit to provide opportunity and freedom.

For decades, the "progressive movement" has sought to eradicate that idea from textbooks and public discourse, because the power of that idea ennobles, dignifies, and causes individuals to resist the appeal of those who wish to enslave them.

32 posted on 08/13/2012 1:45:55 PM PDT by loveliberty2
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To: jazusamo

.

.

.


33 posted on 08/13/2012 1:46:55 PM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: allmendream

Just asking some questions, FRiend. The elites allow Mr. Ryan the time to impale zer0 (accurately), remove Mr. Ryan from Congress, if the ticket is elected, and then what do the elites do with Mr. Ryan? I’m not certain they would not move to shut Mr. Ryan up should the ticket win. The future is as cloudy as the present, when politics are in play and the players play, in my humble opinion.


34 posted on 08/13/2012 1:47:36 PM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: Tzimisce

“2012: It’s not an election, its a RESTRAINING ORDER”

That there is a yard sign fitting for my yard!


35 posted on 08/13/2012 1:52:17 PM PDT by CSM (Keeper of the Dave Ramsey Ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
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To: MNJohnnie
The Benedict Arnold wing of the Conservative movement bitch and whine about the GOP-e when they DON'T pick a Conservative, then they bitch and whine when they do!

Seems to me their goal is not to advance the Conservative agenda but to just mindlessly bitch about the GOP.

Hard to argue with that!


36 posted on 08/13/2012 1:52:51 PM PDT by rdb3 (We need Ward Cleaver for President. We already have Eddie Haskell. (ATB))
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To: smoothsailing

LOL!

The look on Zer0 puppets face is perfect.


37 posted on 08/13/2012 1:54:42 PM PDT by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: allmendream
Roughly 30% of Vice Presidents have gone on to be President.

Well, 13 of the 47 Vice Presidents have become President. However, nine of them ascended to the office due to the death (8) or resignation (1) of the President.

Of the four who were elected President, only two did so within the last 200 years, and only one of those was elected immediately following his term as VP.

I agree that many people think of the VP as an "heir apparent" to the office of POTUS, but it really hasn't happened all that much.

38 posted on 08/13/2012 1:55:40 PM PDT by PhatHead
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To: rdb3
Hard to argue with that!

yep, one has to believe the gop-e and the democRATs never work together for the same end or legislation.

39 posted on 08/13/2012 1:58:23 PM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: jazusamo

“The political mirage of something for nothing, from leaders who “care,” has ruined many a nation.”

Amen!

Thanks for the ping jaz.


40 posted on 08/13/2012 1:58:29 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will, they ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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