He was thinking
well beyond
the November election.
Mitt was hardly my first pick. As a ‘Massachusetts Republican’ – he was far too soft on too many issues for me.
But give him credit, he came on like a steamroller in 2002, - and again through this year. He had the $$ and the organization – even if his message was mushy. He had a plan, he worked his plan, and he crushed his opposition.
But winning elections and governing are two different things, – something Obama hasn’t learned. Obama never stopped campaigning long enough to govern. Why else to take 4 months to decide on the Afghanistan troop surge?
Picking Ryan was calculated to both help win in November, – and to help turn around our out-of-control ship of state!
Why not one of the popular senators? He undoubtedly considered at least five (5) of them: Ayotte, DeMint, Portman, Rubio, and Toomey.
Rubio would have been a popular pick, and ~ might ~ have helped bring in some Hispanic/Latino votes. But probably not enough to deliver any single state.
The real answer is that we / Mitt will badly need
EACH Republican senator come January.
Those five are critical, since RiNO Scott Brown may be unseated by Lieawatha Warren.
President Romney will need a Republican senate to approve cabinet positions, judges, and to push through ground-breaking legislation. Things may get close in the Senate, and Ryan may be the tie-breaking vote on a regular basis.
Plus with Ryan’s encyclopedic knowledge of the federal budget, Romney’s ramp-up time is cut immeasurably shorter.
By contrast, Obama quickly discovered what we all knew – Biden is a gaff-prone village idiot who knows NOTHING despite his 36 years in the Senate He’s worthless!
As I type this I am expecting Biden to be replaced on the ticket. The DNC hasn’t printed up too many 2012 Obama-Biden bumper stickers. Obama’s new running mate ~ could ~ be a game-changer, but it will also be an admission that ‘his most critical personnel decision‘ – was an utter disaster.
I’ve been saying for 4 years that Biden was picked simply as a life insurance policy.
So far the Ryan effect seems to be making Mitt sound more enthusiastic, more relaxed and open, – and more Republican! Suddenly we have a whole new ball game, and the Republican National Convention is still two weeks away!
/s/ Iron Mike
Old Soldier, – Still Good for Parts!
August 12th, 2012 - 9:34 pm
Iron Mike, you are alwayz picking on the Village Idiot. It’s Really not nice. Vice President Biden is the cream of the Democratic Party, and I expect him to stay on the ticket.
I expect a tough debate between Ryan and Biden, especially on the cattle guard issue. Biden might even get the upper hand on that one.