Posted on 08/11/2012 3:38:21 AM PDT by Kaslin
Sonic Boom (via NBC News):
Campaign sources indicate that Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin is Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, NBC News reported Friday night. Earlier Romney's campaign said in a statement that it would announce a running mate at 9 a.m. ET Saturday morning in Norfolk, Va., just before he begins a four-day bus tour in the battleground state.
I spoke with a high-level Romney campaign source earlier this evening, who confirmed that the announcement will come at approximately 9am ET on Saturday, though he could not officially confirm that Ryan is the pick. The unveiling will occur at a rally in Norfolk, VA -- with the (ahem) U.S.S. Wisconsin as a backdrop. Another well-placed GOP source informs me that party operatives are being told to prepare for a Ryan VP roll-out. For additional details, read the Weekly Standard's reportage, which has been all over this. A chartered plane has also been spotted in Ryan's home town, so all signs point to Ryan. This is happening. ABC News is reporting that top other contenders such as Rob Portman, Tim Pawlenty and Marco Rubio have been informed that they will not be Romney's running mate. There's a faint possibility that this is a giant head-fake, but I sincerely doubt it. Multiple sources have told me similar things, plus the Romney campaign would be crazy to leak a name like Paul Ryan, only to surprisingly pick, say, Tim Pawlenty.
Any way you slice it, this is a game-changer. As I wrote earlier this week, Paul Ryan is one of the sunniest, most likeable conservatives on the scene today. He's also the party's top wonk and is completely fluent in fiscal issues. I predict that Democrats will publicly gloat over this pick ("he'll be so easy to demonize!"), even as they privately worry. Paul Ryan is earnest, smart, articulate, attractive, calm, good-humored, and exceptionally gifted in explaining his case in persuasive and unthreatening terms. He's from the Midwest, has blue collar appeal (unlike Romney, he did not grow up wealthy), and has a beautiful young family. The Left will launch vicious and totally dishonest attacks, as they have throughout the last two years of budget debates. But never before has Paul Ryan enjoyed a larger platform from which to make his case to the American public: The country is going broke, a fiscal calamity awaits, but we can avoid it if we take responsible, urgent action. This campaign is about to get a major (and needed) injection of seriousness.
It's time to brush up on Paul Ryan's budget -- on what it does and does not propose. Let's also recall that Ryan's bipartisan Medicare reform (which he co-authored with liberal Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden) does not affect anyone over the age of 55. Period. This message will need to be hammered in multiple ads and played on a loop in Florida, as "scare granny" tactics from Democrats will be off the charts. Medicare's own bookkeepers warn that the program will be insolvent within 12 years without meaningful reforms. Barack Obama has no plan on this front, aside from robbing $500 Billion from Medicare to pay for Obamacare, and empowering an unelected panel of bureaucrats to ration care. Paul Ryan is very adept at making this case, and every bit of that skill will be essential over the coming three months. Barack Obama's reckless budgets have been unanimously defeated for two consecutive years, and the Senate has not produced a budget in over 1,200 days. The president -- by his own administration's admission -- has no plan to deal with our long term debt, which threatens to swallow our economy and change the very nature of the American idea. Whether we like it or not, this is a debate America must have. Paul Ryan is one of the very best -- if not the best -- conservative communicators on the biggest issue of our time. Buckle up, guys. This is going to get intense.
Finally, this is a bold pick by Mitt Romney. It underscores his appreciation of the national moment and the seriousness of our economic and fiscal state. It should also eliminate any doubts about Romney's commitment to Obamacare repeal and entitlement reform, Paul Ryan's top issues. Parting thoughts: (1) Regardless of where this campaign goes, I cannot wait for the Vice Presidential debate. (2) Two clips:
UPDATE - The Ryan family:
UPDATE II - www.RomneyRyan.com "America's Comeback Team."
Good looking family get them out on the campaign trail. Paul Ryan looks youthful and dynamic. He runs each day so is athletic. Full head of black hair same as Mitt. The visuals are all very good and much better than the two mangy mutts Obama and Biden. Biden is a white haired bald head stooge while Bammy is going gray himself and looks mangy (worth mentioning twice)
...look for Crazy Joe to suddenly want to spend more time with his family soon—and PIAPS being begged bullied and bribed to be Obama’s number two.
And good thing CNN is still on narrative as Blitzer says Ryan will hurt the minority vote.
He's not Hispanic, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Canadian, and New Yorkese.
And any other minority block that I've completely forgot about according to Blitz.
Nash Rambler and a Lincoln Continental
GRRRRREAT choice! HOORAY Mitt Romney! HOORAY Paul Ryan!
If you don't vote for Ryan you are voting for Obama...
...sounds better don't it.
Paul Ryan + Mitt combination just might up the white vote for them. More so than if Mitt had picked a black or Hispanic VP. The white vote is not static and can easily make up for the theoretical minorities lost by picking Paul Ryan
The white vote still dominates our elections. What we need are more white females voting Republican
Agree. Mistake.
Dont see a bump. Doesn’t help with women voters.
Another incompetent campaign handing zero a win.
On October 11. Set your DVR.
The VP debate will be similar to a first round NCAA basketball match, where the top seed faces the lowest seed. No, Joe, you’re not the top seed.
Good choice. If we have victory, he will be missed in the House.
He will be President of the Senate. We need him even more over there.
Crow Stroganoff
Remove breast meat from the bone. Slice into strips about 1/2”
thick. Place in a pressure cooker with several cloves of garlic, 1/2
cup diced onion, 3 cups of water, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper,
1 teaspoon dried lovage leaves (can substitute 1/4 cup celery). Cook
under pressure (10 pounds) for 30 minutes. Cool. Remove and
discard garlic. Add broth from 4 oz. can of mushrooms. Adjust
liquid to measure 3 cups. In a shaker mix 1/4 cup of flour with 1
cup cool broth. Heat remaining broth and add flour mixture;
simmer until thickened. Add meat and mushrooms and bring to a
simmer again. Just before serving, remove from heat and add 1/2
cup sour cream. Serve over noodles or rice.
Soccer moms. They elected Clinton.
Women also elected Kennedy. Several point gap in favor of Rats among women voters.
That’s why Palin was attacked so viciously. They can’t allow Republicans to close the gender gap. Women voting stupidly and minorities voting for handouts is the backbone of the Rat party.
Agreed. As I said on another thread:
I’m tired of upside down tickets. 2008 should have been Palin/McCain, and 2012 would be much better as Ryan/Romney (although better still with Romney not even on the ballot). Still, our choices are what they are. If Obama wins, there is less than a 1% chance of America surviving as a free country until 2016. If Romney wins, the destruction will be much slower, and we will probably have a 50-50 chance of reversing the slide after 2016. That’s a huge improvement, and probably the best chance we have left.
“With him on the ticket, the pubbies will be blasted by Bam and the MSM for cuts to social security & medicaire (the third rail of American politics)”
Zero already cut a substantial amount of money from Medicare for Medicaid. Should counter any zero arguments.
It does
I don’t know I agree it was a poor choice. Yes, there would have been pandering reasons to run with a minority or woman choice to pick up votes, but given that Romney has something of a political rather than principled reputation (not hard to see around here), it wouldn’t have done his base any favors.
Sure, one could have gone with Rubio, but the man appears to have baggage, and he has minimal exposure on the national scene. It would have looked like 100% pander.
Ryan does a decent job of locking up the base as I cannot think of any conservative who doesn’t like him. He is a very smart, focused individual who stays on message. Also with Wisconsin possibly in play at the moment he adds to that part of the calculation.
Now there is no doubt the Dems will demagogue the heck out out this with even more granny thrown off a cliff BS, but let’s be honest, either the populace grows up and faces the situation, or we’re toast, and any serious GOP contender better be willing to point that out and follow through.
Anyway, Romney already endorsed the Ryan plan, so he’s ‘vulnerable’ to any associated charges already. He might as well buy all in.
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