I don't mean to make too big of a deal about it, but look at this photo (below) and the story it tells.
1) It looks like a father and a son on the day of his bar mitzvah.
2) Romney has a tie and no jacket. Ryan is wearing a suit that's too big for him, and no tie. Together, what does that add up to? One big empty suit.
3) They look silly together. They don't look like equals, or partners. They look like a caricature. Not lost on me is that they are also standing in front of a warship!! And neither of them have a dot of foreign policy or military experience. Putting them in front of a warship just highlights that, and suggests -- unbelievably -- that the Romney campaign has suddenly changed course and thinks this election should be based on military issues.
4) Romney's staff knows they need someone to connect to his base. But what they just don't get -- stunningly -- is that they need someone who can connect to the base on a personal level. Like Palin. She was no intellect -- but she had heart. People loved her. Ryan is all head. He's a wonk. He is idealogical. He is precise. Full disclosure: he is also an old friend of mine, and those characteristics of his are among the reasons why I respect him. But -- this is important -- I am hardly the Republican base. Who on earth thinks that the tea party base (which doesn't even know what the tea party was) is looking for intellect, and details, and precision? They are looking for vagaries and symbols that make them feel superior, if not understood.
Romney has found a VP that makes Romney look old and out of touch. Romney, who has avoided specifics like they are the plague his entire campaign, has picked a VP with 14 years of votes to pick through, and a multi-thousand page budget that he personally wrote that even the Tea Party doesn't understand, and will not like, once they learn more about it.
I can't say what will happen in November. No race in history can serve as an example as to what will happen when billions of dollars are poured into the race from outside sources. And, of course, scandals and gaffes and mistakes can shape any election.
But what Romney's choice proves is that whoever is guiding Romney's campaign appears to have less experience and knowledge than one can find in any politics 101 course. Virtually every choice the Romney campaign is making right now is unwise.
And if you ever read this, Paul -- I'm sorry. None of this is directed at you. You are a formidable leader and a good man and you have a great future ahead of you. I would just suggest that if and when the American prosecutorial eye slams down on you and Romney, that you (metaphorically) get your own lawyer, if you know what I mean. You have your head on your shoulders. Romney and his people, at least right now, don't.
 |
 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
Ryan is a loyal friend, has a good heart, is a good father, a good husband, and he's incredible for his party. I don't think he's incredible for this nation, because I disagree with him on so many issues. But he can be a good person and not someone I agree with at the same time.
One of the largest problems that we have in our political system is the need to demonize the opposition. I'm doing my best to avoid being an example of that, and sometimes I still fail.
You conveniently "forgot" the other glaring feature of this photo; it's monochromatic backdrop, the complete absence of any people of color...
Miles "Just Sayin'" Long
When a writer begins a piece in that way, it's really all the reader needs to know. A very lame piece, but in another way, revealing. Just compare this photo with any number of Obama photos with hundreds of sign-waving supporters behind him. Or any number of photos with a halo around his head (usually the Presidential Seal.
Think that stuff is accidental? Of course not.
But when your marketing is better than your product, you're going to wind up with a lot of dissatisfied customers.
Mr. Wolfson, you could explain a fart. There's an idea for you for your next post.
But yes, I can see how this would read as critical, and I actually do feel bad about that. I have thought about this a lot, and I'm not totally comfortable about having written this article as I did. It came more from the heart than from the head. I doubt that Paul would have been excited if my mentor, Paul Wellstone, had won the nomination to be the Democrats' nominee for President when he ran in 2000. I think that Ryan would have been critical of the selection, and said so publicly, regardless of his friendship with me. But perhaps Ryan wouldn't have lashed out at me about it, and as such - I'm thinking about contacting Ryan with an apology, or writing one here.
No matter what happens in November, I think Romney has officially crowned someone the new leader of his party, and it's not him. It's Ryan. I'm happy for Ryan, because I like him; but I'm scared for the country, because I think Ryan can be a very forceful advocate for positions that are not good for this nation. Perhaps that was where I should have started, if not stopped, my article. I'll think about it. Thank you for encouraging me to do so.
Now, as a republican, I don't go around saying that all progressives like Obama because it gives them a feeling of self-validation. That's an absurd point of view. They like him because they A) like his policies and B) he's charming and a great public speaker. The same two reasons people like Ryan.
By the way, the TP knows exactly who Paul Ryan is. They LOVE him.
He's REALLY nitpicking.
No, Palin had mouth. A very large uninformed, non-intelligent one.
Ryan has a budget only the rich and ignorant can embrace...I think their betting on overwhelming ignorance on the part of the American electorate and sadly it may be a winning strategy.