Mitt Romney’s VP choice in Representative Paul Ryan was a good decision. Paul Ryan is energetic (something the GOP candidate wasn’t in the last election) and a strong conservative (which counterbalances Romney’s “flip-flop” image). Romney has made a big decision to strum up support from his base, and as the Democrats lead a divisive class-warfare campaign, the unity from the Republicans may get some independent voters. Recently, Ryan released his own version of the budget that promotes conservative ideals of cutting taxes and cutting spending. But now the Romney campaign must decide whether to uphold this budget in its entirety (and potentially push away pro-entitlement independents) or to reject parts of the Ryan budget and risk looking uncohesive as a campaign. The NY Times article mentions this, but it is important to note that Romney’s VP choice does place an emphasis on the economy in this election. This gives Republicans a great chance in the election, as President Obama’s record on the economy is not the greatest. It also allows the Romney campaign to focus on being proactive in the campaign rather than being reactive to the President’s campaign. It will be interesting to see just how the President’s campaign responds, and we’ll certainly be watching the Biden-Ryan debate.
I feel that Paul Ryan might hurt Romney's campaign. Ryan has strong views on topics that are highly debatable, and many people disagree with him. For example, many women believe that if Romney-Ryan take office, a lot of women's rights will disappear. Ryan voted against the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay act, which makes it easier for women to challenge unequal pay. He also believes that abortion should be illegal in all cases, including rape and incest, and even if giving birth would endanger the life of the mother. In an article written by Gina Barreca of Huffington Post, Gina mentions that Paul Ryan said, "We will honor you, our fellow citizens, by giving you the right and opportunity to make the choice." in his speech on Saturday morning. Barreca then goes on to question that if Ryan wants to let the American citizens choose for themselves and keep the government out, wouldn't that mean that women should be given the right to choose how to take care of their own bodies? To me, Gina Barreca makes some very valid points, and if other women see the same way, then it should be interesting to see how the election turns out.
I agree with you, Alli. Like Andrew K. said, I do believe that Mitt Romney may have chosen Paul Ryan for Vice President to help his flip-flop image. At the same time though, I think it's way too risky. In an article written by Patricia Zengerie on Reuters, it's stated that Obama is stronger with women on all issues. For example, when asked who was better on jobs and the economy, 46% of women voted for Obama and 40% on Romney. On healthcare, 52% on Obama and 32% on Romney. Most importantly, on family values Obama had 51% of women's votes while Romney had 36%. Romney has tried to fix this gender gap by making allegations that Obama doesn't support stay-at-home mothers, but it didn't help him. Women have made up their mind and Obama has the stronghold. This choice for Vice President, in my opinion, was not wise and I believe Alli is right.
Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan was overall a good decision for him, although there are some aspects that could create problems. For one thing, Paul Ryan is a representative from Wisconsin, a state that could go either way in the upcoming election. This could very well get Romney that state and closer to being elected over Obama. His youth is also important, as this can be used to appeal to younger voters, most of which usually vote as democrats. Ryan is also Catholic, which could also bring in more support than Romney had originally being a Mormon. However, Mr. Ryan is very conservative. As Andrew noted above, this is a good way of trying to neutralize the tendency of Romney to flip-flop. But it will also make it a lot harder to appeal to independents and many of the middle ground community. If you're a democrat, this decision is not appealing at all. But overall, from a republican perspective, the choice of this young catholic could give Romney the support he needs from the republicans around the country that he may not have had without this strong conservative as a running mate.
More things are right with Romney's vice president choice of Paul Ryan than wrong. There are both pros and cons for Romney with his decision. To win the general election most candidates try to appeal to independents. This means coming off as more neutral than extreme on the political spectrum. Paul Ryan is a very strong conservative, which appeals to republicans who don't like how Romney "flip-flops." On the down side for Romney, those republicans probably would vote for Romney over Obama anyways and independents would now be less likely to. Ryan being Catholic gains a lot of support from Catholic voters but deters Protestant voters because they might not want to vote for a president and vice president where, for the first time, neither one are Protestant. On the helpful side for Romney, Ryan is young which could appeal to younger voters and appear as an energetic to get things done in Washington, as Andrew and Colin have said. Ryan also gives Romney more of a chance to win Wisconsin, a medium sized swing state. Another good thing about choosing Ryan is that he comes across as making bold moves which are appealing because it could help things get done quicker in congress. Romney seems excited to have Paul Ryan as his running mate.
Governor Romney's decision to select Mr. Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential candidate has its pros and cons. It benefits Romney's campaign because Ryan is a young, intelligent individual. Also, Ryan is Catholic, and will hopefully gain the support of other Catholics. However, Ryan does lack foreign policy experience and has no military experience which is dangerous waters to be in because in the event that Romney is elected, and dies in office, there will be an inexperienced man from Wisconsin, running our country, delegating tasks with other nations, and controlling our armed forces. Another con would be Paul Ryan's radical conservative views. He is for privatizing Medicare, and also reducing the budget for entitlement programs which can affect the votes for Romney from lower income families and the elderly.
As a Mormon, I personally am glad that Romney picked someone with a strong economic plan so that the focus can stay on the economy and real issues rather than religion and other things, because thats what voters should be thinking about, not what Religion the President is. Romney's pick of Paul Ryan for Vice President was a very good move on Romney's part. Paul Ryan has a very strong budget plan that he will use to repair our poor economy. This will almost certainly do Obama in, as people will pay attention to Ryan's economic plan. Elections can be all about timing and right now, this year, Romney has a better chance of winning this election because the economy is so poor. Four years ago he didn't really stand a chance. But now people are desperate for a way out. Romney is doing all the right things and making all the right moves. If he can keep this up then he will win the election over Obama.
As Hope said above, the general election is all about catering to the independents and those in the middle of the spectrum. When Romney chose Paul Ryan as his running mate he began to lean way more to the radicals on the Republican side. Romney is already known for “flip-flopping” but now he has chosen a side that the independents might not like. Ryan has strong views on the economy and wants to make Medicare private. This was a good choice for Romney and this can be more proactive towards the Democrats but the Democrats will also now attack Paul Ryan too. Paul Ryan doesn’t appeal to lower income voters because of his views on entitlements. As for the comments that Ryan’s age appeals to the younger voters, we have to remember that Obama is just 51 while Romney is 65. I wouldn’t count Obama out so quickly even though Romney did make a good running mate choice.
From a pro-Romney point of view, Paul Ryan seems like a good choice for the Vice Presidency. His addition to the ticket seems to seems to be a strategy by the Romney campaign to guarantee votes from right-wing Republicans, and perhaps sway conservative-independents. Paul Ryan, with the addition of being quite young, also seems like a very active Vice President. Generally, the Vice President position in America is essentially nothing. The VP campaigns a lot during election year, but then seems to do nothing, almost as if they're the USA's version of the Queen of England. However, Paul Ryan seems to have a lot of proposals that are actually gaining attention and support among the Republican Party. It was a wise decision by Romney to pick up Ryan.
Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan, who is considered a rising star in the Republican Party, was the right selection for the VP nominee. Paul Ryan has many qualities that many criticized Mr. Romney for lacking. One is Paul Ryan is strong willed which counters many people’s criticisms of Romney flip-flopping, so Ryan will add a strong willed character to the ticket. Another criticism of Romney that is balanced by Ryan is Mitt Romney is not considered very conservative by many so Paul Ryan will be more able to mobilize the base of the Republican Party. A third issue that many criticize Romney for is his health care plan and that it is so similar to Obamacare. Since health care has been such a controversial subject for the last year it will be a major topic in the election. Paul Ryan as said in the article, is the “chief architect” for the Republican Party’s health care plan which will give Romney even stronger support of the Republican base. This article briefly talks about both Romney and Ryan’s lack of experience in foreign policy. This will not be a significant issue because the main issues in the following election are domestic policy, the budget, and the economy. The fact that neither Ryan nor Romney are protestant will not significantly impact the vote either considering that the main issues are dealing with the economy.
Paul Ryan will be a good addition to the Romney ticket. He adds energy, strong will, and ideas that could solve some of the major issues of the United States. Paul Ryan is the “chief architect for the republican party’s plan for tax and spending cuts and an advocate of reshaping the Medicare program.” The budget deficit is at the center of America’s problem and as much as no one wants to admit it, the best way to reverse the deficit is to cut spending and raise taxes. When Romney added Ryan to his ticket it strengthen this cause, it brought in a person with experience in running a major parties financial budget. The logic behind this is that if Paul Ryan can successfully run the Republican parties budget he can successfully reverse the budget deficit for America. Paul Ryan’s experience with Medicare will add strength to the Romney ticket because it will counter one of the major objectives of the Obama administration, health care. Besides the stimulus bill the Obama administration focused on redoing the health care system in America. By adding Ryan’s health care experience to the ticket it will force the Obama administration to reconsider their highly controversial health care bill and add a competing idea to the health care debate. If the republicans can beat the democrats at their own game, health care, it would be a devastating blow to the Obama administration and their chances of getting reelected.
Paul Ryan definitely adds a burst of energy to the Romney campaign that I think it needed to stay in the running against president Obama. On the other hand it is definitely a risk as Romney stated. He did not pick a vise presidential candidate who was more towards the center, who would draw in the Independents, who might make him an alternative presidential candidates to democrats who may not be satisfied with Obama. I feel like Romney didn't really draw in that many more voters with his pick because those who are republicans are already going to vote for Romney because they don't like Obama. Then again his pick did help him to have a more solid point of view on healthcare and tax cuts. Paul Ryan is well-known and respected across the board, but it seems like with a candidate closer to the mid line he may have gained more supporters.
Mitt Romney choosing Paul Ryan will probably have little to no effect on the outcome of the election in November. Statistics have shown that the vice president selection usually is insignificant and does not change many people’s votes. There are many good things about Paul Ryan that could attract voters, such as his energy and bold ideas, and bad things that could deter voters, such as his views on Medicare and lack of experience with foreign policy. However, there is a small chance that Ryan’s views on Medicare could affect whether Romney or President Obama wins Florida in the election. This state is one the few swing states in this election and is considered one of the most important out of those states. Depending on how the campaign plays out the Democrats could use Ryan’s views on Medicare to deter elders in Florida from voting for Romney in the election.
The choice of Paul Ryan as vice president is one that brings some new energy to the Romney campaign. I believe he has now solved the problem of his lack of appeal to the republican base, however the primaries are over. What he should be worrying about now, as Grace said, is appealing to the middle of the road Americans, those independents who are going to determine the outcome of the election. Although Ryan is very attractive to those right winged conservatives, his appeal doesn't go far past that, and this could hurt Romney going forward. Ryan's budget model is hardly one that I think most Americans want to see. With his proposed cutbacks to entitlement programs his views may be driving away crucial votes. Ryan however, regardless of the negatives, will probably prove to be a pretty good choice for Romney and his campaign, he is young and is bringing the excitement that the republicans need to compete against Obama. The excitement will probably be shot lived though and when really looking at the big picture, Romney's choice regardless of who it was, probably isn't going to make a huge difference in the outcome of the election, as historically it never does.
I think Paul Ryan was a good, but risky choice for Mitt Romney because he appeals to not only Republicans, but has some appeal within general public as well. His views are a lot more conservative than most though, so it may take away some pull within independent voters, but Romney is less conservative and more towards the middle so they balance out eachother. Ryan is also a Catholic so that appeals to people concerned with the fact that Romney is a Morman. Paul Ryan is also young for a politician so he may appeal to younger age groups, but that is a small factor to consider in the general election since younger age groups show less voter turnout. Romney and Ryan are a good balance but he is a very risky choice, and it might benefit or harm Romney's chances in the 2012 election. Ryan's views are very radical, so Romney risks losing independent voters, which is very crucial in the general election.
Paul Ryan's selection as VP running mate seems like a good choice on the surface. Romney tends to lean towards the middle, so a conservative like Ryan would certainly gain much support from the tea party. the choice of a young, staunch conservative is empowering to the republicans. However, I believe that due to Ryan's views it was not a good choice. Ryan wants to have a complete overhaul of all benefits for the elderly. This will ensure many social security beneficiaries will be pushed away from the republicans. IF Romney wanted to win this election I believe he should have picked a conservative candidate, but one that appealed to a broader range of the population. That is very hard to accomplish though.
The choice of Paul Ryan as the vice president was a good move by the Romney campaign, but with every choice, there are some set backs. For starters, Paul Ryan brings energy to the Romney campaign with his youth (23 years younger than Romney) and charisma. This is a crucial factor to have in a campaign as it can really reawaken a party's members, in this case the conservatives. I believe that Mitt Romney has a better image to Republicans now as he has been criticized in the past as a flip-flopper, and the choice of Paul Ryan can really patch that problem up. However, there are some negative aspects as to having Paul Ryan as the vice presidential candidate. For example, Paul Ryan's budget plan is unpopular as he proposes cutbacks for entitlement programs, which can really take away votes for the Romney campaign as a large portion of the U.S. are for these entitlement programs as some of my peers like Nick have mentioned. And another negative is that Paul Ryan may be driving away the votes of independents as he is very conservative in his views rather than down the middle. So, overall, I think that Paul Ryan was a good decision by Romney but, one that may not have a big outcome when it comes to the general election as the pros and cons of this choice sort of cancel each other out, in my opinion at least. The only thing this might affect hugely are the states of Wisconsin and Florida as they may go either way in this election. And from the looks of this decision by the Romney campaign, he might win one of the two states.
Romney’s choice for Ryan as his running mate will have both positive and negative effects for the republican’s chance at grabbing the presidential seat. As governor of Massachusetts Romney often had to be a moderate republican in order to appease the generally liberal state, by choosing Ryan, though, he adds a strong right-wing republican to his ticket. This addition could swing many hardcore republicans who might have felt that Romney was a more moderate candidate compared to other choices like Santorum or Gingrich. By Romney choosing Paul Ryan as his vice presidential candidate he is also effectively making fiscal issues the big talking point in these upcoming presidential elections. This could both hurt and help Romney’s chances at presidency. Paul Ryan, being the “the chief architect of the Republican Party’s plan for tax and spending cuts and an advocate of reshaping the Medicare program” could sway many voters, republicans and democrats alike, who disagree with Obamacare. However, it could also dissuade many older republicans, especially in key states like Florida, who are against the restructuring of Medicare and Medicade. As stated by Andrew, Ryan’s consistent strong conservative voting gives the Romney-Ryan ticket a stronger republican image by counterbalancing a weak point of Romney, his ‘flip-flop’ voting. Overall, from a republican standpoint, it appears that the Paul Ryan choice was a good one for Mitt Romney.
Ryan as Romney's choice as a running mate has its positive and negative effects. The fact that Ryan is considerable younger than Romney makes it easier for him to relate better to young voters. These voters can see him as one of them easier then they could look at Romney and relate. A downside to having Ryan as a running mate is that fact that he has intentions of getting rid of Medicare. This could turn older voters away because for many of them, Medicare is the only source of income that they receive. This may also turn away younger voters because when they look at their futures they want to make sure they they will be well covered and taken care of, and without that blanket of Medicare, some could feel like they are not being taken care of and will not be taken care of in the future.
I believe that Mitt Romney choosing Ryan as a running mate will end up hurting him in the long run. I believe this for one crucial reason; Ryan plans to eradicate medicare, which would end up hurting seniors. These people grew up believing that the money they are giving to the government will go towards their retirement. This would certainly change their minds about who they are voting for. Also, seeing as citizens who are over the age of 65 are more likely to vote than any other age group, and they are mostly republicans, i see more seniors ending up democratic this year. This is a major group for republicans, and it doesn't help when you pick a running mate that intends to hurt your group of supporters.
Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan as his VP is an interesting gamble. I think that it instantly endears him to the conservative part of the Republican party, a side of the GOP that Romney had questionable support from. Romney had to adapt moderate platforms as Massacheusetts governor, as Kaushik said, and this move really will solidify the conservative base of the party. Ryan is an instant injection of youth and charisma into the campaign as well, something that will energize voters and possibly mobilize younger voters. However, Ryan's staunch social and economic conservatism may scare away some moderates though, especially the fact that Ryan's abortion policy closely mirrors that of the exiled Todd Akin. Ryan also plans to cut entitlement programs like medicare, which, while helping to cut the budget, will anger many senior citizens who usually vote Republican. It's an intriguing and gutsy choice by Romney, one that will take time to see the effects thereof.
I think that Romney picking Paul Ryan was a good choice. Ryan already has a debt plan which Romney would partially use. Ryan is also from Wisconsin which is becoming a swing state and this could help Wisconsin turn into a Republican state in this upcoming election. Along with having the debt plan Ryan has come from a district which is predominately democratic and has won this district by large margins. This means that Ryan is likeable to not only the Republicans but also Democrats.
I'll start with the good. Paul Ryan is younger and more energetic than your typical Republican candidate, which will add some appeal for younger voters, who would be less likely to sympathise with politicians as old as their grandparents. Also, this will be a very nice career advancement for Mr. Ryan, as he has a good 30 years or so left in his political career. That would be good for him, but not good at all for women and seniors. Paul Ryan has a congressional history of voting against any bill that would further women's rights, and his budget (which would likely not pass) cuts out most funding for Medicaid and Medicare, which could be devastating for some seniors and low-income americans. One thing is for sure; Paul Ryan loves babies. With his desire to illegalize abortions and prohibit birth control, he certainly wants more of them. Too bad he is also cutting funding for many of those babies.
I think Romneys Vice Presidential choice of Paul Ryan was a very good choice on his part. Though I don't agree with his views, I feel that since he is very strongly sided with the republican ideology, he will draw the attention away from Romneys constant flip flopping that is usually the focal point of media scrutiny. It can't hurt that Ryan is younger and more animated than most politicians, and is therefore more appealing to the female voters that the republican party usually lacks. Though his appearance may help draw in some women voters, when they find out that he votes against many bills that expand womens rights, that could potentially keep them from voting for him. I still believe that Obama will win reelection, and I think that is Romney has any hope to win he is going to have to learn to be more compassionate to all his potential constituents.
Mitt Romney’s VP choice in Representative Paul Ryan was a good decision. Paul Ryan is energetic (something the GOP candidate wasn’t in the last election) and a strong conservative (which counterbalances Romney’s “flip-flop” image). Romney has made a big decision to strum up support from his base, and as the Democrats lead a divisive class-warfare campaign, the unity from the Republicans may get some independent voters. Recently, Ryan released his own version of the budget that promotes conservative ideals of cutting taxes and cutting spending. But now the Romney campaign must decide whether to uphold this budget in its entirety (and potentially push away pro-entitlement independents) or to reject parts of the Ryan budget and risk looking uncohesive as a campaign. The NY Times article mentions this, but it is important to note that Romney’s VP choice does place an emphasis on the economy in this election. This gives Republicans a great chance in the election, as President Obama’s record on the economy is not the greatest. It also allows the Romney campaign to focus on being proactive in the campaign rather than being reactive to the President’s campaign. It will be interesting to see just how the President’s campaign responds, and we’ll certainly be watching the Biden-Ryan debate.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Paul Ryan might hurt Romney's campaign. Ryan has strong views on topics that are highly debatable, and many people disagree with him. For example, many women believe that if Romney-Ryan take office, a lot of women's rights will disappear. Ryan voted against the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay act, which makes it easier for women to challenge unequal pay. He also believes that abortion should be illegal in all cases, including rape and incest, and even if giving birth would endanger the life of the mother. In an article written by Gina Barreca of Huffington Post, Gina mentions that Paul Ryan said, "We will honor you, our fellow citizens, by giving you the right and opportunity to make the choice." in his speech on Saturday morning. Barreca then goes on to question that if Ryan wants to let the American citizens choose for themselves and keep the government out, wouldn't that mean that women should be given the right to choose how to take care of their own bodies? To me, Gina Barreca makes some very valid points, and if other women see the same way, then it should be interesting to see how the election turns out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Alli. Like Andrew K. said, I do believe that Mitt Romney may have chosen Paul Ryan for Vice President to help his flip-flop image. At the same time though, I think it's way too risky. In an article written by Patricia Zengerie on Reuters, it's stated that Obama is stronger with women on all issues. For example, when asked who was better on jobs and the economy, 46% of women voted for Obama and 40% on Romney. On healthcare, 52% on Obama and 32% on Romney. Most importantly, on family values Obama had 51% of women's votes while Romney had 36%. Romney has tried to fix this gender gap by making allegations that Obama doesn't support stay-at-home mothers, but it didn't help him. Women have made up their mind and Obama has the stronghold. This choice for Vice President, in my opinion, was not wise and I believe Alli is right.
DeleteMitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan was overall a good decision for him, although there are some aspects that could create problems. For one thing, Paul Ryan is a representative from Wisconsin, a state that could go either way in the upcoming election. This could very well get Romney that state and closer to being elected over Obama. His youth is also important, as this can be used to appeal to younger voters, most of which usually vote as democrats. Ryan is also Catholic, which could also bring in more support than Romney had originally being a Mormon. However, Mr. Ryan is very conservative. As Andrew noted above, this is a good way of trying to neutralize the tendency of Romney to flip-flop. But it will also make it a lot harder to appeal to independents and many of the middle ground community. If you're a democrat, this decision is not appealing at all. But overall, from a republican perspective, the choice of this young catholic could give Romney the support he needs from the republicans around the country that he may not have had without this strong conservative as a running mate.
ReplyDeleteMore things are right with Romney's vice president choice of Paul Ryan than wrong. There are both pros and cons for Romney with his decision. To win the general election most candidates try to appeal to independents. This means coming off as more neutral than extreme on the political spectrum. Paul Ryan is a very strong conservative, which appeals to republicans who don't like how Romney "flip-flops." On the down side for Romney, those republicans probably would vote for Romney over Obama anyways and independents would now be less likely to. Ryan being Catholic gains a lot of support from Catholic voters but deters Protestant voters because they might not want to vote for a president and vice president where, for the first time, neither one are Protestant. On the helpful side for Romney, Ryan is young which could appeal to younger voters and appear as an energetic to get things done in Washington, as Andrew and Colin have said. Ryan also gives Romney more of a chance to win Wisconsin, a medium sized swing state. Another good thing about choosing Ryan is that he comes across as making bold moves which are appealing because it could help things get done quicker in congress. Romney seems excited to have Paul Ryan as his running mate.
ReplyDeleteGovernor Romney's decision to select Mr. Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential candidate has its pros and cons. It benefits Romney's campaign because Ryan is a young, intelligent individual. Also, Ryan is Catholic, and will hopefully gain the support of other Catholics. However, Ryan does lack foreign policy experience and has no military experience which is dangerous waters to be in because in the event that Romney is elected, and dies in office, there will be an inexperienced man from Wisconsin, running our country, delegating tasks with other nations, and controlling our armed forces. Another con would be Paul Ryan's radical conservative views. He is for privatizing Medicare, and also reducing the budget for entitlement programs which can affect the votes for Romney from lower income families and the elderly.
ReplyDeleteAs a Mormon, I personally am glad that Romney picked someone with a strong economic plan so that the focus can stay on the economy and real issues rather than religion and other things, because thats what voters should be thinking about, not what Religion the President is. Romney's pick of Paul Ryan for Vice President was a very good move on Romney's part. Paul Ryan has a very strong budget plan that he will use to repair our poor economy. This will almost certainly do Obama in, as people will pay attention to Ryan's economic plan. Elections can be all about timing and right now, this year, Romney has a better chance of winning this election because the economy is so poor. Four years ago he didn't really stand a chance. But now people are desperate for a way out. Romney is doing all the right things and making all the right moves. If he can keep this up then he will win the election over Obama.
ReplyDeleteAs Hope said above, the general election is all about catering to the independents and those in the middle of the spectrum. When Romney chose Paul Ryan as his running mate he began to lean way more to the radicals on the Republican side. Romney is already known for “flip-flopping” but now he has chosen a side that the independents might not like. Ryan has strong views on the economy and wants to make Medicare private. This was a good choice for Romney and this can be more proactive towards the Democrats but the Democrats will also now attack Paul Ryan too. Paul Ryan doesn’t appeal to lower income voters because of his views on entitlements. As for the comments that Ryan’s age appeals to the younger voters, we have to remember that Obama is just 51 while Romney is 65. I wouldn’t count Obama out so quickly even though Romney did make a good running mate choice.
ReplyDeleteFrom a pro-Romney point of view, Paul Ryan seems like a good choice for the Vice Presidency. His addition to the ticket seems to seems to be a strategy by the Romney campaign to guarantee votes from right-wing Republicans, and perhaps sway conservative-independents. Paul Ryan, with the addition of being quite young, also seems like a very active Vice President. Generally, the Vice President position in America is essentially nothing. The VP campaigns a lot during election year, but then seems to do nothing, almost as if they're the USA's version of the Queen of England. However, Paul Ryan seems to have a lot of proposals that are actually gaining attention and support among the Republican Party. It was a wise decision by Romney to pick up Ryan.
ReplyDeleteRomney’s choice of Paul Ryan, who is considered a rising star in the Republican Party, was the right selection for the VP nominee. Paul Ryan has many qualities that many criticized Mr. Romney for lacking. One is Paul Ryan is strong willed which counters many people’s criticisms of Romney flip-flopping, so Ryan will add a strong willed character to the ticket. Another criticism of Romney that is balanced by Ryan is Mitt Romney is not considered very conservative by many so Paul Ryan will be more able to mobilize the base of the Republican Party. A third issue that many criticize Romney for is his health care plan and that it is so similar to Obamacare. Since health care has been such a controversial subject for the last year it will be a major topic in the election. Paul Ryan as said in the article, is the “chief architect” for the Republican Party’s health care plan which will give Romney even stronger support of the Republican base.
ReplyDeleteThis article briefly talks about both Romney and Ryan’s lack of experience in foreign policy. This will not be a significant issue because the main issues in the following election are domestic policy, the budget, and the economy. The fact that neither Ryan nor Romney are protestant will not significantly impact the vote either considering that the main issues are dealing with the economy.
Paul Ryan will be a good addition to the Romney ticket. He adds energy, strong will, and ideas that could solve some of the major issues of the United States. Paul Ryan is the “chief architect for the republican party’s plan for tax and spending cuts and an advocate of reshaping the Medicare program.” The budget deficit is at the center of America’s problem and as much as no one wants to admit it, the best way to reverse the deficit is to cut spending and raise taxes. When Romney added Ryan to his ticket it strengthen this cause, it brought in a person with experience in running a major parties financial budget. The logic behind this is that if Paul Ryan can successfully run the Republican parties budget he can successfully reverse the budget deficit for America. Paul Ryan’s experience with Medicare will add strength to the Romney ticket because it will counter one of the major objectives of the Obama administration, health care. Besides the stimulus bill the Obama administration focused on redoing the health care system in America. By adding Ryan’s health care experience to the ticket it will force the Obama administration to reconsider their highly controversial health care bill and add a competing idea to the health care debate. If the republicans can beat the democrats at their own game, health care, it would be a devastating blow to the Obama administration and their chances of getting reelected.
ReplyDeletePaul Ryan definitely adds a burst of energy to the Romney campaign that I think it needed to stay in the running against president Obama. On the other hand it is definitely a risk as Romney stated. He did not pick a vise presidential candidate who was more towards the center, who would draw in the Independents, who might make him an alternative presidential candidates to democrats who may not be satisfied with Obama. I feel like Romney didn't really draw in that many more voters with his pick because those who are republicans are already going to vote for Romney because they don't like Obama. Then again his pick did help him to have a more solid point of view on healthcare and tax cuts. Paul Ryan is well-known and respected across the board, but it seems like with a candidate closer to the mid line he may have gained more supporters.
ReplyDeleteMitt Romney choosing Paul Ryan will probably have little to no effect on the outcome of the election in November. Statistics have shown that the vice president selection usually is insignificant and does not change many people’s votes. There are many good things about Paul Ryan that could attract voters, such as his energy and bold ideas, and bad things that could deter voters, such as his views on Medicare and lack of experience with foreign policy. However, there is a small chance that Ryan’s views on Medicare could affect whether Romney or President Obama wins Florida in the election. This state is one the few swing states in this election and is considered one of the most important out of those states. Depending on how the campaign plays out the Democrats could use Ryan’s views on Medicare to deter elders in Florida from voting for Romney in the election.
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ReplyDeleteThe choice of Paul Ryan as vice president is one that brings some new energy to the Romney campaign. I believe he has now solved the problem of his lack of appeal to the republican base, however the primaries are over. What he should be worrying about now, as Grace said, is appealing to the middle of the road Americans, those independents who are going to determine the outcome of the election. Although Ryan is very attractive to those right winged conservatives, his appeal doesn't go far past that, and this could hurt Romney going forward. Ryan's budget model is hardly one that I think most Americans want to see. With his proposed cutbacks to entitlement programs his views may be driving away crucial votes. Ryan however, regardless of the negatives, will probably prove to be a pretty good choice for Romney and his campaign, he is young and is bringing the excitement that the republicans need to compete against Obama. The excitement will probably be shot lived though and when really looking at the big picture, Romney's choice regardless of who it was, probably isn't going to make a huge difference in the outcome of the election, as historically it never does.
ReplyDeleteI think Paul Ryan was a good, but risky choice for Mitt Romney because he appeals to not only Republicans, but has some appeal within general public as well. His views are a lot more conservative than most though, so it may take away some pull within independent voters, but Romney is less conservative and more towards the middle so they balance out eachother. Ryan is also a Catholic so that appeals to people concerned with the fact that Romney is a Morman. Paul Ryan is also young for a politician so he may appeal to younger age groups, but that is a small factor to consider in the general election since younger age groups show less voter turnout. Romney and Ryan are a good balance but he is a very risky choice, and it might benefit or harm Romney's chances in the 2012 election. Ryan's views are very radical, so Romney risks losing independent voters, which is very crucial in the general election.
ReplyDeletePaul Ryan's selection as VP running mate seems like a good choice on the surface. Romney tends to lean towards the middle, so a conservative like Ryan would certainly gain much support from the tea party. the choice of a young, staunch conservative is empowering to the republicans. However, I believe that due to Ryan's views it was not a good choice. Ryan wants to have a complete overhaul of all benefits for the elderly. This will ensure many social security beneficiaries will be pushed away from the republicans. IF Romney wanted to win this election I believe he should have picked a conservative candidate, but one that appealed to a broader range of the population. That is very hard to accomplish though.
ReplyDeleteThe choice of Paul Ryan as the vice president was a good move by the Romney campaign, but with every choice, there are some set backs. For starters, Paul Ryan brings energy to the Romney campaign with his youth (23 years younger than Romney) and charisma. This is a crucial factor to have in a campaign as it can really reawaken a party's members, in this case the conservatives. I believe that Mitt Romney has a better image to Republicans now as he has been criticized in the past as a flip-flopper, and the choice of Paul Ryan can really patch that problem up. However, there are some negative aspects as to having Paul Ryan as the vice presidential candidate. For example, Paul Ryan's budget plan is unpopular as he proposes cutbacks for entitlement programs, which can really take away votes for the Romney campaign as a large portion of the U.S. are for these entitlement programs as some of my peers like Nick have mentioned. And another negative is that Paul Ryan may be driving away the votes of independents as he is very conservative in his views rather than down the middle. So, overall, I think that Paul Ryan was a good decision by Romney but, one that may not have a big outcome when it comes to the general election as the pros and cons of this choice sort of cancel each other out, in my opinion at least. The only thing this might affect hugely are the states of Wisconsin and Florida as they may go either way in this election. And from the looks of this decision by the Romney campaign, he might win one of the two states.
ReplyDeleteRomney’s choice for Ryan as his running mate will have both positive and negative effects for the republican’s chance at grabbing the presidential seat. As governor of Massachusetts Romney often had to be a moderate republican in order to appease the generally liberal state, by choosing Ryan, though, he adds a strong right-wing republican to his ticket. This addition could swing many hardcore republicans who might have felt that Romney was a more moderate candidate compared to other choices like Santorum or Gingrich. By Romney choosing Paul Ryan as his vice presidential candidate he is also effectively making fiscal issues the big talking point in these upcoming presidential elections. This could both hurt and help Romney’s chances at presidency. Paul Ryan, being the “the chief architect of the Republican Party’s plan for tax and spending cuts and an advocate of reshaping the Medicare program” could sway many voters, republicans and democrats alike, who disagree with Obamacare. However, it could also dissuade many older republicans, especially in key states like Florida, who are against the restructuring of Medicare and Medicade. As stated by Andrew, Ryan’s consistent strong conservative voting gives the Romney-Ryan ticket a stronger republican image by counterbalancing a weak point of Romney, his ‘flip-flop’ voting. Overall, from a republican standpoint, it appears that the Paul Ryan choice was a good one for Mitt Romney.
ReplyDeleteRyan as Romney's choice as a running mate has its positive and negative effects. The fact that Ryan is considerable younger than Romney makes it easier for him to relate better to young voters. These voters can see him as one of them easier then they could look at Romney and relate. A downside to having Ryan as a running mate is that fact that he has intentions of getting rid of Medicare. This could turn older voters away because for many of them, Medicare is the only source of income that they receive. This may also turn away younger voters because when they look at their futures they want to make sure they they will be well covered and taken care of, and without that blanket of Medicare, some could feel like they are not being taken care of and will not be taken care of in the future.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Mitt Romney choosing Ryan as a running mate will end up hurting him in the long run. I believe this for one crucial reason; Ryan plans to eradicate medicare, which would end up hurting seniors. These people grew up believing that the money they are giving to the government will go towards their retirement. This would certainly change their minds about who they are voting for. Also, seeing as citizens who are over the age of 65 are more likely to vote than any other age group, and they are mostly republicans, i see more seniors ending up democratic this year. This is a major group for republicans, and it doesn't help when you pick a running mate that intends to hurt your group of supporters.
ReplyDeleteMitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan as his VP is an interesting gamble. I think that it instantly endears him to the conservative part of the Republican party, a side of the GOP that Romney had questionable support from. Romney had to adapt moderate platforms as Massacheusetts governor, as Kaushik said, and this move really will solidify the conservative base of the party. Ryan is an instant injection of youth and charisma into the campaign as well, something that will energize voters and possibly mobilize younger voters. However, Ryan's staunch social and economic conservatism may scare away some moderates though, especially the fact that Ryan's abortion policy closely mirrors that of the exiled Todd Akin. Ryan also plans to cut entitlement programs like medicare, which, while helping to cut the budget, will anger many senior citizens who usually vote Republican. It's an intriguing and gutsy choice by Romney, one that will take time to see the effects thereof.
ReplyDeleteI think that Romney picking Paul Ryan was a good choice. Ryan already has a debt plan which Romney would partially use. Ryan is also from Wisconsin which is becoming a swing state and this could help Wisconsin turn into a Republican state in this upcoming election. Along with having the debt plan Ryan has come from a district which is predominately democratic and has won this district by large margins. This means that Ryan is likeable to not only the Republicans but also Democrats.
ReplyDeleteI'll start with the good. Paul Ryan is younger and more energetic than your typical Republican candidate, which will add some appeal for younger voters, who would be less likely to sympathise with politicians as old as their grandparents. Also, this will be a very nice career advancement for Mr. Ryan, as he has a good 30 years or so left in his political career. That would be good for him, but not good at all for women and seniors. Paul Ryan has a congressional history of voting against any bill that would further women's rights, and his budget (which would likely not pass) cuts out most funding for Medicaid and Medicare, which could be devastating for some seniors and low-income americans. One thing is for sure; Paul Ryan loves babies. With his desire to illegalize abortions and prohibit birth control, he certainly wants more of them. Too bad he is also cutting funding for many of those babies.
ReplyDeleteI think Romneys Vice Presidential choice of Paul Ryan was a very good choice on his part. Though I don't agree with his views, I feel that since he is very strongly sided with the republican ideology, he will draw the attention away from Romneys constant flip flopping that is usually the focal point of media scrutiny. It can't hurt that Ryan is younger and more animated than most politicians, and is therefore more appealing to the female voters that the republican party usually lacks. Though his appearance may help draw in some women voters, when they find out that he votes against many bills that expand womens rights, that could potentially keep them from voting for him. I still believe that Obama will win reelection, and I think that is Romney has any hope to win he is going to have to learn to be more compassionate to all his potential constituents.
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