Their
worries emerge in a decision to keep Romney and Ryan together until Tampa. The
spin suggests a younger partner providing emotional Viagra for a standard
bearer beaten down by a year of bashing in Republican debates.
“They
really like each other and they feed off of each other,” burbles campaign
manager Matt Rhoades. “There’s an energy, there’s a chemistry.”
Yet, just
as Palin provided zest last time, Ryan’s campaign refueling comes with distinct
downsides. This week he is being pummeled by going-rogue questions about taxes
and Medicare as Romney tells reporters, “We’ll take a look at the differences.”
Moreover,
Ryan’s own inconsistencies lead to admission he was wrong in claiming he didn’t
ask for Obama stimulus money for his district after voting against the 2009
bill. He did.
As
Democrats start rehearsing for the post-Convention debates, we learn that John Kerry will be playing Romney, a sad reminder of how stiffs are more likely than
fully rounded human beings to survive the presidential nominating process these
days.
Campaigning
in retirement villages, Romney and Ryan will no doubt paper over their
differences on a safety net for the elderly, but the VP nominee’s long record of
voting and speechifying in Congress will be a time bomb ticking away from now
until November.
Palin brought ignorance to the fore last time, Ryan may provide too much savvy. Which will be worse?
Palin brought ignorance to the fore last time, Ryan may provide too much savvy. Which will be worse?
3 comments:
I don't like how you compare Romney to my Senator John Kerry. These two men are nothing alike in terms of their character, what they have accomplished in their public life, and how much they care about people. Stop reading Maureen Dowd! LOL
I have been of the opinion that Ryan's slot on the ticket is the opening volley of Ryan 2016. But as the campaign muddles along, I begin to suspect that it means nothing at all. I doubt in another month we will be talking much about Ryan. And even if we are, I don't think he will lose the election for Romney. It wasn't Palin who lost the 2008 election for McCain--as bad as she was it was all McCain.
Things are different this time. Whereas Palin just showed bad judgement on McCain's part, Ryan intensifies the most unpopular aspects of Romney's policy positions (as much as we know what they are).
It looks like Romney thought picking Ryan would make the election about Big Ideas. As Dean Baker notes, this election is about arithmetic, not values: which campaign can add and which cannot.
PS: Thanks for using a font size I can read!
As I read it, it was demeanor rather than character being compared. Kerry as a politician is better than many but a typical backroom dealer so I liked the way the author didn't add some PC complimentary phrase.
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