[Oblivion]

Btw, who the hell reveals something so important on a weekend?

[StudioTan]

Thanks guys.

Hopefully it helps Obama, Romney scares me. He's like the Stepford politician.

[Officerrob]

Paul Ryan, huh. Well, it could be worse.

Michele Bachmann?

[jiggle]

i'm ready!

[Gray Man]

Oh lord, can you imagine Trump debating Biden?

[Wafflecakes]

When I first heard Ryan was on the short list. I thought it was completely made up to appease tea party folks. Never dreamed he would be insane enough to pick him.

[sangreal]

Not really sure what most of you guys are talking about in here. Romney needs to energize the conservative base, and Ryan does that. He has been in congress for 14 years long before the tea party, but he appeals to the tea party with his budget. While yes, his budget proposal is VERY stringent at least he has a proposal and is putting something out there. His budget not only looks at the short term budget shortfall, but the long term fiscal cliff of $222 TRILLION. Our country needs some sort of economic plan to move forward with, the current instability we have now does nothing to help the economy and the confidence that investors have in Wall Street or small business owners have in hiring people. A boring pick like Portman or Pawlenty would have done nothing and Obama would have continued with his lead and taken a 2nd term, now we will have to wait and see how a young candidate like Ryan will play out because he attracts blue collar voters in the midwest. Regardless, it'll be Romney and Obama who make or break the election, the VP plays a much more minor role

Your premise is wrong. Romney needs independent voters, this is not the primary. Ryan will not help with that at all. Conservatives will suck it up and vote for any non-Obama. He also flies in the face of Romney's message. Ryan has no private sector experience and no foreign policy experience

[Timan]

Why's he gotta do that near where I live... damn hick state/area :( lol

[Officerrob]

Btw, who the hell reveals something so important on a weekend?

On a weekend during the Olympics

[Matt]

Not really sure what most of you guys are talking about in here. Romney needs to energize the conservative base, and Ryan does that. He has been in congress for 14 years long before the tea party, but he appeals to the tea party with his budget. While yes, his budget proposal is VERY stringent at least he has a proposal and is putting something out there. His budget not only looks at the short term budget shortfall, but the long term fiscal cliff of $222 TRILLION. Our country needs some sort of economic plan to move forward with, the current instability we have now does nothing to help the economy and the confidence that investors have in Wall Street or small business owners have in hiring people. A boring pick like Portman or Pawlenty would have done nothing and Obama would have continued with his lead and taken a 2nd term, now we will have to wait and see how a young candidate like Ryan will play out because he attracts blue collar voters in the midwest. Regardless, it'll be Romney and Obama who make or break the election, the VP plays a much more minor role

All of this is wrong.

[B-Dubs]

Not really sure what most of you guys are talking about in here. Romney needs to energize the conservative base, and Ryan does that. He has been in congress for 14 years long before the tea party, but he appeals to the tea party with his budget. While yes, his budget proposal is VERY stringent at least he has a proposal and is putting something out there. His budget not only looks at the short term budget shortfall, but the long term fiscal cliff of $222 TRILLION. Our country needs some sort of economic plan to move forward with, the current instability we have now does nothing to help the economy and the confidence that investors have in Wall Street or small business owners have in hiring people. A boring pick like Portman or Pawlenty would have done nothing and Obama would have continued with his lead and taken a 2nd term, now we will have to wait and see how a young candidate like Ryan will play out because he attracts blue collar voters in the midwest. Regardless, it'll be Romney and Obama who make or break the election, the VP plays a much more minor role

He won't attract blue collar voters. The Ryan budget lost the republicans a seat that has been held by hardcore conservatives for 100 years in 2010, which was smack dab in the middle of tea party mania. The debt likely does need to be addressed but cutting everything except the military and entitlements, while cutting taxes for the super rich isn't the way to do it.

[metalslimer]

Your premise is wrong. Romney needs independent voters, this is not the primary. Ryan will not help with that at all. Conservatives will suck it up and vote for any non-Obama

Yep, his best bet was to pick a moderate that conservatives would begrudingly vote for that had a good approval rating.

[djplaeskool]

Oh god...
If it really is Paul Ryan...



If what I'm reading is right, his budget proposals may well cause a shitstorm.

[johnsmith]

Btw, who the hell reveals something so important on a weekend?

Needed something to distract from the fact he paid zero taxes.

[sprsk]

A couple of rich white guys.

[SteveWinwood]

An atheist philsophy. Hey I'm not as familiar with Ryan's social views. How much of a fundie is he? Romney needs to fire up the independent base. Putting someone on the ticket who wants to kill off the government does not appeal to independents. The tea party does not appeal to independents.

He's catholic iirc. Romney can't win on any religious front.

[Forever]

Dis. Gun. B. Gud.

[BlackJace]

Checkmate, victory for Obama if Ryan is chosen.
Even I don't think Romney is that dumb.

[Clevinger]

Not really sure what most of you guys are talking about in here. Romney needs to energize the conservative base, and Ryan does that. He has been in congress for 14 years long before the tea party, but he appeals to the tea party with his budget. While yes, his budget proposal is VERY stringent at least he has a proposal and is putting something out there. His budget not only looks at the short term budget shortfall, but the long term fiscal cliff of $222 TRILLION. Our country needs some sort of economic plan to move forward with, the current instability we have now does nothing to help the economy and the confidence that investors have in Wall Street or small business owners have in hiring people. A boring pick like Portman or Pawlenty would have done nothing and Obama would have continued with his lead and taken a 2nd term, now we will have to wait and see how a young candidate like Ryan will play out because he attracts blue collar voters in the midwest. Regardless, it'll be Romney and Obama who make or break the election, the VP plays a much more minor role

Ryan doesn't give a shit about the debt. His budget(s) balloons our debt because all that money he's cutting from Medicare and Medicaid and food stamps and research grants and every other good freaking thing the federal government does, it all goes to tax cuts for the wealthy. And no, just because he "puts something out there" doesn't make him deserving of respect. He put something out there that amounts to smearing a turd on a piece of paper and calling it a solution.

[Measley]

Rombot can kiss Ohio and Florida goodbye.

[Bowdz]

The political calculus is so unbelievably messed up with a Ryan choice. Assuming that Obama carries Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico (which he almost certainly will), and the Obama campaign hammers the Ryan budget in Florida and manages to take the state, Obama will just have to win any other state to clinch it. Trading Wisconsin for Florida (although there's a slim chance Wisconsin will turn red this November) just seems ridiculous.

[Brinbe]

Ha, I fucking knew it! I said as much in the poligaf thread. The statement about wanting someone with a vision said it all... have fun defending that f'n budget LOL!

[butter_stick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1D0quttOeY

Please. I need my lord

[whytemyke]

All of this is wrong.

Even if it's not, it's setting Romney up to run off of his VP candidates plans, leaving even more questions about why Romney is on the ticket to begin with.

[sangreal]

Btw, who the hell reveals something so important on a weekend?

I thought a weekend dump screamed desperation but when I looked it up it seems to be pretty standard practice for vp picks

[XenodudeX]

Any sane person in this country should be fucking scared of this ticket. This just confirms that Mitt Romney would be nothing more than a fucking puppet for the rich (and now the tea party). Even more so than Obama.

[Matt]

The political calculus is so unbelievably messed up with a Ryan choice. Assuming that Obama carries Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico (which he almost certainly will), and the Obama campaign hammers the Ryan budget in Florida and manages to take the state, Obama will just have to win any other state to clinch it. Trading Wisconsin for Florida (although there's a slim chance Wisconsin will turn red this November) just seems ridiculous.

Ryan dosen't turn Wisconsin. He hurts Romney in Wisconsin.

[thefit]

Btw, who the hell reveals something so important on a weekend?

It is odd though I'm sure they already have all the Sunday shows booked so there is that.

[Glorified G]

It is expected to be Paul Ryan

Are you serious?

Edit: Holy shit, you were serious. lmao.

[fuzzyreactor]

no words

[sangreal]

This has great potential for dems down ticket as well, the Ryan budget has already lost a seat or two

"but we're only screwing people under 55!"

[el retorno]

Well the AARP is gonna go ballistic.

[MasterShotgun]

I'm out the loop. What exactly is so glorious about it possibly being Paul Ryan that people are already declaring Romney done for?

(I don't want Romney to win either. I just want to know what's up.)

[Measley]

Any sane person in this country should be fucking scared of this ticket. This just confirms that Mitt Romney would be nothing more than a fucking puppet for the rich (and now the tea party). Even more so than Obama.

Exactamondo.

[WhatRobEats]

I don't get this move Paul is a pretty polarizing dude. Can't imagine why the republican leadership thinks this will get anymore votes.

[Syph Medwes]

Ryan or Rubio please. Double R ballot.

[sangreal]

I'm out the loop. What exactly is so glorious about it being Paul Ryan that people are already declaring Romney done for? (I don't want Romney to win either. I just want to know what's up.)

Ryan wants to replace medicare with private insurance coupons to pay for millionaire tax cuts

edit: seriously.

[Iksenpets]

Wow. Can't believe Mittens did this. If you had asked me what VP Obama would most like to run against, I would've said Ryan. Obama gets to double down on all the attacks that are already working. Makes Romney look even more aloof from the middle class and even more subservient to the right wing of the GOP. And what does he gain from it? Anything, other than rallying the base?

At least now Obama can beat Romney and discredit the Ryan plan in one fell swoop by winning this election.

[thefit]

I'm out the loop. What exactly is so glorious about it possibly being Paul Ryan that people are already declaring Romney done for? (I don't want Romney to win either. I just want to know what's up.)

Look up complacent voters not showing up in 2010 and then Wisconsin shitstorm.

[Wilsongt]

Needed something to distract from the fact he paid zero taxes.

More like a distraction from the fact that his wife's horse didn't medal in the Dressage at the Olympics.

[Glorified G]

They just handed Florida to the dems.

[ronito]

Not really sure what most of you guys are talking about in here. Romney needs to energize the conservative base, and Ryan does that. He has been in congress for 14 years long before the tea party, but he appeals to the tea party with his budget. While yes, his budget proposal is VERY stringent at least he has a proposal and is putting something out there. His budget not only looks at the short term budget shortfall, but the long term fiscal cliff of $222 TRILLION. Our country needs some sort of economic plan to move forward with, the current instability we have now does nothing to help the economy and the confidence that investors have in Wall Street or small business owners have in hiring people. A boring pick like Portman or Pawlenty would have done nothing and Obama would have continued with his lead and taken a 2nd term, now we will have to wait and see how a young candidate like Ryan will play out because he attracts blue collar voters in the midwest. Regardless, it'll be Romney and Obama who make or break the election, the VP plays a much more minor role

Yeah this plays into the myth that most of America are republicans. At best they're 49-50%. Romney doesn't need to convince republicans to vote for him. He needs to get the voters in the middle and even better the voters that would have voted for Obama. All this does is buy Romney the votes he had anyway and suddenly alienated the middle and swing and further cements Obama's message that the republicans are pro-rich, anti-poor and out of touch.

Also it's not like it's a minor thing. Like I pointed out as Mccain found out a VP can't win your election but they can certainly lose it for you.

[Balphon]

Yes, thinking about your ideology and changing it over time is "flip flopping". We should all be set in our present ways 'til our death.

He isn't so much changing his ideology as rejecting the parts that are politically inconvenient.

[jaxword]

I hope someone's been bookmarking all the political threads where people were 100% adamantly screaming how Obama would lose and Mitt was going to win.

Those are going to be really really funny in a few months.

[FLEABttn]

Yes, thinking about your ideology and changing it over time is "flip flopping". We should all be set in our present ways 'til our death.

It wasn't change based on introspection or new information. It was a change based on political gamesmanship. 7 years prior, he's singing her praise, handing out copies of her books for Christmas, and saying she was the reason he got into politics. Once he's actually a visible political player on the national stage and draws scrutiny from Catholic leaders, magically is tone changes. Saying "It’s an atheist philosophy" and comparing his philosophy to that of a Catholic priest is too convenient given the source of the complaints.

[Death Dealer]

Rob Portman personally screwed over my friend in high school when he forgot to write him a letter of recommendation for the USAFA even though he was an alum from our high school and was involved in our Model Congress/Senate group, which again, my friend was an officer for. Fuck him.

Are you sure he forgot ? Or just gave the nomination to someone else ? There is a finite number of people they're allowed to recommend. It's very competitive.


There is nobody Romney will realistically choose for VP that would make me happy. But I'm not voting for him, or anybody else for President this year anyways.

[Wilsongt]

I hope someone's been bookmarking all the political threads where people were 100% adamantly screaming how Obama would lose and Mitt was going to win. Those are going to be really really funny in a few months.

Just search for all of PhoenixDark's posts. ;)

[I H8 Memes]

They've got my vote.

[Elginer]

Holy shit, just read on Huffington Post it's gonna be Ryan. I mean really. Wow. This is gonna be quite the show.

[Nameless]

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