5 Reasons Why Paul Ryan Would Suck As Romney VP

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Is Paul Ryan on track to be Romney’s VP pick?  Well that’s the rumor on the beltway.  The Wisconsin wonk may well be headed for the campaign trail, but that may not be the best move for republicans.

Best Opinion:  Wash. Post, Atlantic, National Journal…

NBC News reports, “with a high degree of confidence,” that Mitt Romney is down to three candidates for his running mate: Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.), and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Of the three, Ryan, formerly considered a long-shot, is easily generating the most passionate responses. Republicans are deeply split, say Jonathan Martin, Jake Sherman, and Maggie Haberman at Politico, with the “cautious,” pragmatic camp arguing that the House budget wonk is too risky a choice, and the “go bold” crowd insisting that Ryan would reinvigorate the “boring white guy” Romney campaign, give it some needed conservative policy heft, and maybe even tip Wisconsin into the GOP side of the electoral ledger. A look at why Romney shouldn’t pick Romney as his running mate:

1. Two words: Ryan budget
The House GOP budget chief’s signature achievement, a controversial government-slashing budget blueprint, is the top reason “Democrats are salivating — not literally but damn close — over the prospect of Romney putting Ryan on the ticket,” says Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post. Ryan’s big proposals to revamp Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are what endear him to conservatives, says David Graham at The Atlantic, but they also make him “an easy target for the other side, since voters tend to be horrified by deep cuts to entitlements and anything else that entails serious upwards redistribution of wealth.”

2. Choosing Ryan would make people worry about Medicare
With Ryan on Romney’s ticket, the election would almost certainly become “a referendum over protecting the social safety net,” not President Obama’s economic record, says Josh Kraushaar at National Journal. That could doom Romney with the bulk of undecided voters, who are “inclined to vote Obama out of office” but rely on government entitlements. “A Romney-Ryan ticket could worry them enough that they’d vote for the devil they know.” That’s doubly true of Medicare recipients, says The Washington Post‘s Cillizza. Older voters are “the most reliable group of voters in every election — and a critical constituency for Republicans.” Romney can’t afford to lose them over “a budget plan he had no hand in crafting.”

3. He’s a creature of Washington, and Congress
One of Romney’s great assets is that, with the federal government deeply unpopular, he doesn’t have many connections to Washington. That distance from Capitol Hill changes with Ryan on the ticket, say Politico‘s Martin, Sherman, and Haberman. Ryan has spent seven terms in the House, and was deep in the weeds of Washington policymaking even before that, so having him as running mate would allow Obama to credibly “carve in the challenger a scarlet ‘C’ for the unpopular Congress.”

4. Ryan is an untested campaigner
“One of the most curious — and little known — facts about Ryan is that he is not a terribly political creature,” says The Washington Post‘s Cillizza. His focus on policy is admirable for a member of Congress, but “a lack of interest/acumen for the political game isn’t a good thing in a vice presidential nominee.” If you need an example of “picking a veep with little natural political instinct,” think Sarah Palin. Ryan’s never run outside of his safe congressional district, says The Atlantic‘s Graham. So “while he might be a very effective nationwide campaigner, he’s simply not proven.” That’s a big gamble for risk-averse Romney to swallow.

5. And he’s in a good spot where he is
“Perhaps a more important question than whether Romney would want Ryan is whether Ryan would have any interest in the job,” says The Atlantic‘s Graham. At 42, he’s already fought his way up to being “the undisputed GOP budget king,” and jumping to an “impotent job” with the vice presidency could derail his bright future. Ryan’s “young enough that he’ll still have plenty of shots at the White House, Cabinet, or Senate if he wants them, whereas it’s unclear where he’d go after four or eight years as VP.”

Many thanks to The Week for their substantial contributions to this story.

UPDATE: Romney did in fact pick Paul Ryan at Norfolk, VA. two days after this story published.

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Professor Mike

Professor Mike is a left-leaning, dog loving, political junkie. He has written dozens of articles for Substack, Medium, Simily, and Tribel. Professor Mike has been published at Smerconish.com, among others. He is a strong proponent of the environment, and a passionate protector of animals. In addition he is a fierce anti-Trumper. Take a moment and share his work.
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Bill Formby
11 years ago

Folks I am not conceding anything yet. Given the amount of money at the disposal of the Republicans and their super pacs and their total lack of scruples when it comes to campaigns, I will be worried about until it’s over and Obama is sworn in again. We have not even hit their real push yet. Just wait until after Labor Day and especially the month of October. There may not be room on television for anything but Republican ads trashing Obama. It will be like a tsunami. That is why the Obama team is trying to do as much damage as it can now because it may not be able to get a word in edgewise until the debates. They took a virtual ‘Nam hero like Kerry and “Swift Boated” him right out of contention.

As for the VP selection, there will not be the mistake made by McCain. My money is on Portman or Pawlenty. Romney knows he cannot afford a VP candidate with any questions in his background. Those are Romney’s safe bets which he likes.

Jess
Reply to  Bill Formby
11 years ago

“They took a virtual ‘Nam hero like Kerry and “Swift Boated” him right out of contention.”

I’m just thinking out loud here, but PO is not going to just sit back and let the swiftboating go unchallenged the way Kerry did. There is more damage coming up about Robme, that they will just let drip drip from now till Nov. Look at all the scratch they have spent so far and it really does not look like they are upping the numbers nationally. Let them go with either of those and you have Portman being up front and personal as Commander cuckoo bananas budget man and Pawlenty being, well Pawlenty.

11 years ago

I believe Romney will pick Pawlenty in keeping with his (so far) totally incompetent campaign style. Romney will not win, so it’s all a moot point.

Jess
Reply to  Bob Keller
11 years ago

I’m hoping for Paul Ryan or little Bobby Jindal aka Kenneth the page from 30 Rock. It would give me some laughter, watching the right wing go ape shit when they realize he is an anchor baby and his parents were not born here so that excludes him or something something.

Jess
11 years ago

shhhh, this is a BRILLIANT idea Mike. Don’t talk them out of it. Medicare being gone would be hung around their necks like anvils and it would work. Budgets cutting services for poor people and giving that coin to richie rich again anvils. Do not tell them this is a sucky choice, it is a good one. Hell anybody he picks is going to be awful but Eddie Munster, GREAT choice.

Jess
Reply to  Professor Mike
11 years ago

You know me, I find or get names for all of them and that one has been passed around for forever on teh tooby things here.

Gran72
11 years ago

Now that’s all America needs! Two cold fish in the White House. Where’s my passport just in case.

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