Category
Blogs FeedElection Watch Weekly: Ryan joins the race
16 August 2012
(Chris Weyant / The Hill, Politicalcartoons.com
News
The wait is over. Mitt Romney selected Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate. It's a pick that fires up the conservative base but is not without risk. Ryan is the author of the Republican's controversial budget proposal which is not especially popular amongst independents.
Want to learn more about the Wisconsin Congressman? Here's a few places to start.
Ryan Lizza's extensive profile in the New Yorker.
"To envisage what Republicans would do if they win in November, the person to understand is not necessarily Romney, who has been a policy cipher all his public life. The person to understand is Paul Ryan."
William Saletan is a big fan of Paul Ryan:
"Screw the polls. Republicans will be on the right side of the spending debate. They’ll be on the right side of the substance debate, too. Instead of bickering about Romney’s tax returns and repeating the obvious but unhelpful observation that the unemployment rate sucks, we’ll actually have to debate serious problems and solutions. That’s great for the country."
And Jonathan Chait's not so flattering take.
"In fact, with the possible exception of anti-tax activist/Bond villain Grover Norquist, nobody has done more in recent years to prevent the passage of a bipartisan debt agreement than Paul Ryan. And yet, incredibly, Ryan has managed to position himself as the nation’s foremost spokesman for the cause of bipartisan deficit reduction."
And what does this mean for the election? James Fallows says Ryan is a good choice but not a serious one, Erik Erickson likes the pick, Kevin Drum is unsure if it will change much, and Jamelle Bouie thinks it makes an Obama landslide more likely.
Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson will be the GOP nominee for the state's open senate seat. Thompson bucked several Tea Party opponents thanks in part to a late endorsement from Paul Ryan. The win gives Republicans a better chance of picking up the seat.
Around the Web
Nate silver updates his Senate forecast.
Jason Brennan thinks a lot of people shouldn't be voting.
Erin Mcpike wonders how the Ryan pick will play in Florida?
Looking Ahead
The conventions are fast approaching. RNC runs from the 27-30th of August and DNC from 3-6 September.
Trivia: Who was the first president to fly in an airplane while in office?
Answer to Last Week's Triva: James Madison
Fun Fact: Harry S. Truman was the last US president not to graduate from college.
Have your say
Next: Paul Ryan and Congress
