Monday, October 15, 2012
Paul Ryan, The PhenomThis is an article from Time Magazine about Paul Ryan as the Republican vice presidential candidate. Ryan is a very competent and energetic campaigner and has been breathing new life into the GOP campaign but has been hazy on giving out the specifics for any of his plans, while aggressively attacking the Obama administration. Medicare has become a big issue of contention with the candidates. Ryan has been a great asset to the Romney campaign because he is more relatable and personable than Romney, particularly with the blue collar workers who are wary of the multimillionaire that is Romney. I think that Ryan was probably a good choice of running mate for Romney if only because he balances him out. I think that both Romney and Ryan should start telling us more specifics of their plans and stop attacking the Obama campaign quite as aggressively. Ryan's politics please the very conservative, but are not an asset with any other part of the political spectrum, so that is probably the biggest downfall in my opinion.
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I think both sides aren't specific in order to be tactful. Issues that they may want to address may not be able to be brought up during this crucial time for fear of losing any potential voters. On many issues, both sides are vague. It's how you play the game. For example, Romney keeps saying that he's going to reform tax codes and cut deductions without raising rates. Well what specifically? Doesn't it sound better than saying that we're going to reduce the tax benefits of charitable contributions of upper income Americans? Likewise, Obama says that he'll make Medicare more efficient by cutting "waste"? Doesn't that sound better than saying we're just going to pay health care providers and private insurance companies less?
ReplyDeleteDespite talking aroudn Medicare, I think Ryan is a good choice and a strong individual. While his original budget plans are unpopular, the reality is that drastic spending cuts are necessary.
I personally am not a Paul Ryan fan. He is not alone in being unclear, but I dislike him for his policies. I do not like the voucher system and other reforms to Medicare than Ryan supports. I also disagree with Ryan's conservative stance on human rights issue. He voted against repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," he does not support marriage equality, and he is pro-choice. While I respect that Ryan's views are different than my own, I still don't want him as our next vice president.
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Delete*My apologies for the typo. Ryan is certainly pro-life, a stance that I disagree with.
ReplyDeleteThe article provided a lot of substance to support that Ryan has certainly made a name for himself in these past few months. His budget plan has garnered much attention, despite its unpopularity. As was previously stated, he does seem a bit evasive on certain policies, but he is in good company. Although it may be beneficial for Ryan to be vague about proposed policies in order to maintain the interests of a greater number of people, it is difficult for a voter to fully understand the intended plans of the candidate without knowing the specifics.
ReplyDeleteRomney needed an energetic vice president to cancel out his boring personality and he got that with Ryan. But, he also got a very conservative person and with most the country being moderate, I am not sure why Romney picked him, because it seems like the numbers wouldn't add up. Having a very conservative vice president on the ballot is going to hurt the Republican party because I don't think they will be able to capture the independents' votes.
ReplyDeleteAs far as having somebody to to support their more conservative views, the Republican party made a good choice in Ryan. However, despite being more relatable than Romney, he isn't a good candidate for attracting the votes of independents and of course more liberal voters. The fact that he is vague isn't the best argument against him considering any politician this down to the wire is going to sugar coat things and downplay problems.
ReplyDeleteI believe picking Ryan may win Romney some conservative Republicans when it comes time to vote, but the decision might also turn off more moderate Republicans. Romney and Ryan have different opinions on many issues, and although Ryan has said he defers to Romney's judgement, I like to see a campaign ticket where the candidates balance each other out or are on the same page.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Ryan was a good pick for Romney because it balances him out and he seems to be more personal with people. Both him and Romney have been very vague in their plans and a lot of the things that they want to do and I agree that they shouldn't be so aggressive in attacking the Obama campaign when it isn't even clear what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Grace. Both sides (Obama campaign and Romney campaign) can be deemed unspecific. It irks me when the Obama administration consistently criticizes that of Romney for being vague when they are guilty of the same. The race to the election is speeding up and both sides want to keep their plans in simple phrases/terms that are the most alluring to the public, as Grace said, they are being tactful. I agree with most of Ryan's plans such as the voucher system and can appreciate his initiative for a strong budget plan; for the country really needs to crack down on spending. While I do not agree with his and Romney's pro-life stance, I doubt that if they get into office they will be able to overrule Roe v. Wade.
ReplyDeleteI think Ryan was a poor choice for Romney's running mate because I don't believe that Ryan (personality aside) helps Romney in any significant voter category. Because Ryan is very conservative, he only helps Romney with votes he already has with conservatives who are the base of the Republican party to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jeff. Ryan was a very poor choice for Romeny's running mate. Although, Ryan's personality helps balance out the dullness of Romney he doesn't help Romney win any votes. Romney should have chosen someone with personality and a more moderate viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteI somewhat disagree with the statement that Ryan does not help Romney in any significant voter category. Although Ryan helps Romney get the votes of conservatives, who are already the base of the Republican party, Ryan's age may have an impact in a voter's opinion. As discussed in class the day following the Vice Presidential Debate, Ryan was perceived as a young politician beside the older Joe Biden. This may have a positive or negative effect on voters, but I think one of the many reasons Romney chose Ryan as his running mate was because of the youthful perspective that Ryan brings to the table. Ryan's youth may have an impact on the younger generation of voters. Although we have learned that younger members of the VEP vote less than the older members, this population is still significant and has been increasing in size judging by the 2004 election.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ryan was used on the ticket to enegerize and bring in the vote of those more to the right. To solidify the vote of the conserveratives is a win for any campaign because you'd be getting more votes. But it was not as if the Tea Party would have throw there support behind a moderate who may not agree with their agenda if elected into office. Ryan was sure to get conservative votes and was always going to follow the GOP agenda which is why he was a good candidate choice for Mr. Romney.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Adam that Ryan was used to energize the Republican ticket this year. He's a youthful candidate that can bring in a lot of spirit for the Republican ticket. I also agree with Grace and Lauren that there is way too much finger pointing going around in this election. Instead of taking a trip back to preschool and putting the blame on the other candidate or previous presidents, it's time that both candidates actually put forth actual plans and prove why they are more effective than the other candidate's.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Adam and anyone who said Ryan was used for his youthfulness to bring energy to the Republicans. I'm not necessarily sure about whether or not it helped him or hurt him, as him and Romney have both been a bit vague about their policies. I don't really think he was a bad pick to be his running mate or really good pick either. I do agree with Jeff that his policies may not bring over any voters, but he might be able to change a few votes because of his personality.
ReplyDeleteConsidering Ryan's age, I do see where he was brought on the ticket to encourage younger voters, however I do not think that he added any new dimensions to Romney's campaign that Romney did not already do himself. Ryan seems to appeal to those voters that are already won over.
ReplyDeleteRyan was a great choice for the republican party because he covers all the demographics that Romney can't cover. He is young, intelligent, and youthful; however, could he be too unexperienced or unknown? I agree with Bryan's point that I don't think Ryan or Biden really change the affect that the two candidates have on voters. It seems as if America knows what to expect from Obama and Biden, they just want to know what Romney brings to the table.
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