Posted on 09/02/2012 12:49:04 AM PDT by HarleyD
Voters will have to decide how much to ding Republican vice presidential nominee Paul D. Ryan for slamming President Obama on a debt reduction commission, when Ryan made the same judgment himself with a vote in Congress.
That kind of inconsistency is easy to prove, if a bit arcane for some Americans. But there is nothing mysterious to the athletically-inclined about marathon times, so it will be interesting to see how the public reacts to Ryan carving a huge hunk out of his best time for the 26.2-mile race.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Libs are trying to turn this into a scandal of monumental proportions. Expect the media to pound Ryan on this for at least a couple weeks.
Yes, for a Republican it definitely looks bad.
Everybody expects the scumbag Democrats to lie, so it's a meaningless exercise to expose them. The only thing exposing another lying Democrat does is elicit a shrug and (maybe) a sheepish grin from the lying Democrat, and cricket noises from their "mainstream" newsrooms. Then it's all quickly forgotten. But Republicans - - and especially, conservatives - - are deservedly held to a much higher standard than the scumbag Democrats. Sure, it's a "double standard", but it's one that a seasoned Republican politician like Ryan should have had ingrained in him long ago. And it's something to be proud of, not whine about, as some Republicans like to do.
That said, your "marathon runner" friends are obviously serious runners, and it is therefore understandable that they would remember exact times and other details. Ryan, who is clearly NOT a serious marathon runner, ran one marathon 22 years ago. (The fact that he was never a serious runner is demonstrated, ironically, by his reckless guess at what his time was for that run.) I do not believe Ryan lied for advantage - - really, how many people even know what a good marathon time is? - - but rather because he simply didn't want to admit he didn't know what his time was.
FRegards,
LH
The sad thing here is that if you changed the original story to read “Obama caught falsifying marathon time” the majority of the respondents here would be demonizing him and calling for his head.
Anyone who ran a single marathon in their life with a 4+ hour time would not “misremember” running it “somewhere in the 2:50’s “. To assert otherwise is ABSURD.
One of my children has run a marathon, 'time' is everything in running... He was 'depressed' for weeks at how 'bad' his time was. And while I saw his time flashed on the big screen, I could not tell you what it was, but he sure could. Now the real question is, given 'time' is kept, why would Ryan have the need to LIE about his time? I do not have a clue, but he did agree to be on Romney's ticket... Oh, I know we are all suppose to be in the tank for Romney, but, I saw Romney LIE in a debate...
But the "fact" was vague - - had he presented an exact time, then I would be more than just "troubled". My hope is that his time was 3:50-something, and he turned that into 2:50-something by mistake. Again, marathon times are pretty meaningless to 99.999% of the population.
Still... I ran for years (typically 3 - 4 miles, 4x/ week) prior to going into the Marines (1979) and I think if I ran a marathon I would indeed remember the exact time, mainly BECAUSE it was the only marathon I actually ever ran in and completed. ...Even if it was 30+ years ago.
Additionally, this can't be the first time Ryan has discussed his completing a marathon. It's not like this is the first time this (interesting) accomplishment has come up for Ryan during the past 22 years. The fact that he even completed a marathon is quite an accomplishment in itself. So why fudge a time when so few people would even care what his time was or, even if they knew it, would have a clue if it was a good, bad, or average time? I can't make sense of this.
Troubling... yep, but I'm not ready to throw Ryan under the bus just yet. Not, at least, unless a Democrat-style pattern of lying emerges.
5 K is a lot different. You don’t forget your only marathon
Since that is who the press is the pubs have to be guarded. If they don’t like it they should buy more media outlets. But they don’t
Again, it is a foot race 20 years ago that he did for his own personal fulfillment and not as a career. We are not talking about the birth of a child level of importance.
The fact that he actually participated to completion while most of us can’t even run 20 yards is far more important than committing the time down to memory like it was a phone number.
Again, VDK, you don’t forget your only marathon, and you don’t put yourself in the elite class when you weren’t.
My point, though, is this: it’s an unforced error on his part.
The media is totally in the tank for the liberals. It would seem to be that unforced errors should be kept to a minimum. Especially insignificant unforced errors.
He said he doesn’t run marathons anymore because of a slipped disk. In fact, he only ever ran one marathon. It’s a strange turn of phrase to then say, “I don’t run marathons any more”.
James Rainey
Never knew there were that many expletives in dictionary. Some people don't like me writing about @RepPaulRyan 's marathon time 2 Sep
https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/LATimesrainey
Most fun part of tonight was sitting next to @LATimesrainey.during Clint Eastwood's conversation with the chair. 31 Aug
an old girl friends actions well after the time they were dating....and...crtiquing marathon comments....wow...no wonder Ryan scares them....
Yes. He hadtoruninacorkscrewpattern.
It’s not strange at all. Not a bit. Nor does it matter.
It’s not like his parents met while marching on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King JR. or anything......
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