GIVE US RYAN!

Posted on | August 4, 2012 | 119 Comments

This is an emergency post. Driving back from the AFP Defending the Dream Summit in D.C., I pulled off the freeway and logged on at a Burger King to get this online as quickly as possible: Mitt Romney must choose Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential nominee, period.

There is no time now to fully explain the emergency nature of this post, but let me quickly make three points:

My hatred of media “veepstakes” speculation is well-known. When I turn on the TV and see a bunch of pundits talking about who might get the vice-presidential nomination, I turn the channel. It’s a bunch of useless noise, and I can’t stand to watch it. Nevertheless, a sudden crisis makes it imperative that I speak out.
My first choice — and what I think was the most obvious choice — was Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. However, the word among Republican sources is that there were problems with Rubio in terms of vetting. Loath as I am to repeat this, I’ve heard talk that because Rubio is the son of immigrants, there is concern that this might cost Republicans the “Birther” vote. Crazy? Yeah. But whatever the basis for the objections, the general belief is that there is indeed some sort of vetting issue. And so the smart money says that, although Rubio is still officially on the “short list,” he’s unlikely to be the final choice.
The emergency? Two words: Tim Pawlenty.

Friday night, I was talking to some top activists at the AFP summit and one of them assured me that the word among Minnesota Republicans is that T-Paw is at the top of Romney’s VP list, all but guaranteed to be the running mate. Do I have to explain why this shocked me?

So shocked was I, in fact, that I refused to believe it. Certainly, the smart guys at Team Mitt could see the obvious arguments against T-Paw. But then Saturday, I talked to some well-informed D.C.-based operatives and they, too, said they’d heard that Pawlenty was top of the list.

Now I was truly concerned. Dear God, not T-Paw!

Driving home, this worry weighed heavily on my thoughts, and so I called a well-connected and experienced conservative journalist to talk about it — and he’d heard the same basic thing: Pawlenty might already have the VP spot locked up, said my friend, who happens to be a supporter of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. According to my friend, the word is that T-Paw is at the top of the list, with Ohio Sen. Rob Portman the nearest rival. And this is even worse news. While I like Portman OK, he’s a Bush guy, and we don’t need any ghosts of the Bush administration haunting the GOP in 2012.

So if Rubio has been more or less eliminated from consideration, as my sources suggest, we’ve got to do something to stop this crazy talk about a Romney-Pawlenty ticket. You can’t beat somebody with nobody, and of the remaining guys on the short list, Paul Ryan is the obvious pick.

He’s an Irish Catholic from the Midwest, a hero of deficit hawks, young and handsome, and pre-approved by Bill Kristol, who deems Ryan “the Republican party’s intellectual leader.”

This is, I repeat, an emergency, because Kristol says Mitt’s VP pick could be announced as early as Wednesday, or more likely Aug. 13-15. So if conservatives are going to push back against an ill-advised choice of Pawlenty, we’ve got to start pushing now, and pushing hard as hell.

Ali Akbar started a hashtag, #GiveUsRyan, so you can tell @MittRomney you want @RepPaulRyan as VP. Make it happen!

UPDATE: Wow! Bobby Jindal, himself a short-list candidate for VP, praises Paul Ryan at the Red State Gathering. Momentum!

UPDATE II: Twitchy has more from the Red State Gathering:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, himself often mentioned as a top-tier candidate for vice president, today recommended Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan for the job.
Speaking this afternoon at RedState Gathering 2012 in Jacksonville, Fla., Jindal’s message of responsible spending and education reform had plenty of attendees sold on him as the vice presidential candidate. . . .
Asked by Breitbart’s Larry O’Connor his pick for vice president, though, Jindal named Ryan as his favorite of “a lot of great choices.” “Paul Ryan has been specific, bold and courageous in his budget plans,” said Jindal.

Linked by Jackie Wellfonder and the Daley Gator — thanks!

Category: Election 2012, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Wisconsin

Comments

119 Responses to “GIVE US RYAN!”

Karina_Girl2012
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:00 am

Pawlenty would be the most uninspiring pick EVER! He is boring as hell, moderate at best and will make you fall asleep with his speeches. Leave it to Mitt to f**k up the VP pick.
Karina_Girl2012
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:06 am

Spot On!! Paul Ryan is the obvious and BEST choice all around, but it looks like Mitt is going to screw this up like I had feared.

I cannot think of a worse choice than Pawlenty.
higgins1990
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:08 am

Romney/Huntsman 2012, because the GOP can’t be stupid enough!
Emergency Call: Give Us Ryan! | Roderic Deane
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:17 am

[…] Other McCain has some substantive information that team Romney is on the verge of selecting Tim Pawlenty as his running mate. Good […]
crosspatch
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:36 am

Keep in mind that VP is basically the death knell for a political career. Since 1900 the only time a VP goes on to be elected President is when they had previously taken over for a sitting President. The only two exceptions are Richard Nixon and George HW Bush. In every other case where the VP did not assume office during the Presidency, the VP was never heard from again.

Having Jindal or Ryan as VP would be an EXTREME waste of talen. The VP does absolutely nothing and has no authority to do anything at all except represent the US at funerals.

Taking Ryan out of Congress where he can have an influence on policy and putting him as VP where he has absolutely no influence on policy is stupid.

Taking Jindal out of Louisiana where he could take Mary Landreiu’s seat in the Senate in 2014 is also stupid.

Folks, the best VP would be someone who would help in a swing state but would not actually REDUCE the effectiveness of the Republican Party. Running Ryan or Jindal, no matter how much you like them, is a strategic dumb move.
crosspatch
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:40 am

” Romney is Establishmentarian”

I see you are buying into that conventional wisdom but I vigorously disagree. All most people know about Romney is how things transpired when he had an 85% Democrat legislature. I would suggest you read his books. If Romney has both a Republican Senate and House, I think you are going to be surprised.
Finrod Felagund
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:47 am

The GOP went second in 2008 so the Palin announcement was right after the Dem convention, and not long before the start of the GOP convention.
Finrod Felagund
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:49 am

Personally I’m still hoping for Herman Cain or Condoleeza Rice.
crosspatch
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:53 am

It doesn’t matter who is VP because VP does absolutely nothing when it comes to policy. Romney/Huntsman or Romney/Jindal would result in *exactly* the same policy … Romney’s. VP doesn’t matter except in an emotional sense.
crosspatch
August 5th, 2012 @ 3:02 am

Put me down as one of the few that believes that if you have to pick a politician as VP, Portman is actually a good strategic choice. My first pick would be Carly Fiorina and for pragmatic reasons, not political reasons.

Romney is going to take a major knife to government departments. He needs someone who can kick a$$ and take names and not have a “political career” at stake and not owe favors to too many people that can be called in to back off the blood letting. She has a record of making difficult decisions in turnaround situations that paid off in the long run even though she took a lot of heat in doing it. Romney would be well-served with a VP who plays a role like a corporate executive VP. Someone to manage the overall restructuring of the various government departments while Romney focuses on the larger picture. I am not sure Ryan or Jindal are up to the task, they have never restructured an organization as large as the executive branch of the federal govt. but Fiorina has.
Adjoran
August 5th, 2012 @ 4:10 am

Exactly. Compare what Romney got done with 85% Dem legislature to what others have accomplished even with a split or GOP control. No, he didn’t turn Massachusetts into New Reagan and make the capital Hayek City. But the other GOP former governors of Massachusetts agree he’s the most conservative in over half a century.

Mitt’s never going to be the guy who articulates the vision like Reagan, or even like Ryan. But he is the guy who goes into messed-up, money-bleeding situations and straightens them out. He did it dozens of times with Bain, he did it with the Olympics when people said it couldn’t be done, he did it with Massachusetts.

America doesn’t need a brilliant orator who can educate the public on free enterprise and limited government right now. We need somebody who can stop the ship of state from taking on water in the form of red ink and get her righted again. A manager who isn’t shy about handing out the pink slips where warranted.
Teeing it up: A Round at the LINKs (Informed voter edition) | SENTRY JOURNAL
August 5th, 2012 @ 4:12 am

[…] THE OTHER McCAIN: GIVE US RYAN! […]
Adjoran
August 5th, 2012 @ 4:15 am

Kasich would be good, although he hasn’t been Governor for a full term. Would it tip Ohio? Some say his popularity went down sharply after losing the union referendum.

He certainly can handle the media and enunciate the message.
Adjoran
August 5th, 2012 @ 4:16 am

Well, OR if the Prez dies or resigns, it gets kinda important.
Adjoran
August 5th, 2012 @ 4:19 am

Agreed, but by your theory Pawlenty is the perfect choice since he is out of office and wouldn’t cost us a seat anywhere. All the others are secure officeholders whose seats might be at risk if they leave. Except for Rice or Cain, but they aren’t getting the nod.
Adjoran
August 5th, 2012 @ 4:38 am

I’ve been a big Carly fan ever since she set the HP homeboys a-whinin’. But any time I mention it, my conservative friends start calling me a wino or something.

But I think she is iffy at best on life issues, maybe even full-blown pro-abortion. Romney’s not going to name someone who is going to alienate the base.
Quartermaster
August 5th, 2012 @ 7:24 am

Saying “…
the most conservative in over half a century,” isn’t saying much. I seriously doubt we will be surprised by Mittens.
Quartermaster
August 5th, 2012 @ 7:31 am

We’re already there with Mittens. T-Paw would make it even worse.
Quartermaster
August 5th, 2012 @ 7:34 am

The “some say” in this case are quite right. Kasich is also RINOish too. If you like the GOP establishment, then Ohio is the place to get their people.
Mike G.
August 5th, 2012 @ 8:50 am

I’m talking about the nickname itself…and I agree, but if you don’t think the Dems haven’t thought about it already, well…
Shawn Gillogly
August 5th, 2012 @ 9:34 am

TPaw would be confirmation this election is not about changing the direction of the country, but simply whose establishment has control of the apparatus for 4 years. Mittens and TPaw are two peas in a pod. Both Big Gov’t GOP statists. That choice would essentially be showing the finger to every conservative.
Conservatives' Clamor for Paul Ryan VP Pick on Twitter
August 5th, 2012 @ 9:34 am

[…] a plea for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to select either Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin or Senator Marco Rubio from Florida as his running mate with the corresponding […]
Dai Alanye
August 5th, 2012 @ 9:38 am

Kasich? Sure — nothing like another RINO to give the ticket spark.

Oh, and a global warmenologist as well.
Dai Alanye
August 5th, 2012 @ 9:40 am

Ran a weak campaign for gov, in addition.
Dai Alanye
August 5th, 2012 @ 9:47 am

Sure, Pawlenty is about as inspiring as a dead possum, but let’s remember that Romney bought and paid for him right at the start of the primaries. So from the campaign’s fiscal point of view, Tim-Paw would be the prudent choice.
Obilisk18
August 5th, 2012 @ 10:04 am

Right. Except, what fraction of non-VP’s became President? .1%? And that’s just including Senators and Governors. What percentage of Congressman ever became President? Excluding the people like Johnson and Nixon who later went on to higher office, we have like two in the last 150 years. And one of them- Gerald Ford- was (you guessed it!) Vice President at the time. Being VP is overwhelmingly the best path to the Presidency. The only arguable alternative is being the Supreme Commander during a major war (Washington, Grant, and Eisenhower) and no one has much control over that.
richard mcenroe
August 5th, 2012 @ 10:13 am

No it’s three guys who’ll have to work for a living, at least by DC standards.
crosspatch
August 5th, 2012 @ 10:46 am

Doesn’t matter what her position is on those issues, VP doesn’t make policy, doesn’t have any say whatsoever.
crosspatch
August 5th, 2012 @ 10:48 am

Only 2 VPs have become President that didn’t take over for one since 1900. That’s all.

Point is, wasting Ryan on the VP slot, pulling him out of Congress and basically benching him, is a bad idea. Democrats would LOVE to see Ryan pulled out of Congress and stuck in the position of VP which does NOTHING.
Tennwriter
August 5th, 2012 @ 11:23 am

I’ll be surprised if he’s not a flaming RINO.
Tennwriter
August 5th, 2012 @ 11:28 am

That’s already been done.
DaveO
August 5th, 2012 @ 12:16 pm

Romney’s defining behavioral characteristic is his ability to make a deal in the present. In business, in politics, in religion, and by extension his philosophy as stated in his spoken and written words, Romney has demonstrated the ability to make a deal (see also, “Compromise”).

Your premise depends on the makeup of the Republicans. If it’s mostly TEA Partiers, or filled with the Jerry Lewises and John McCains of the Party. With conservatives, Romney will make deals that could have lasting, positive impacts.

If it’s Establishmentarians, the rape of the economy will continue apace as Romney makes deals that allow for massive pork barrel spending to cement GOP seats without regard to fiscal cliff jumping. Amnesty, and large, taxing parts of Obamacare will remain in place.

Based upon the established behavioral patterns of Romney and key members of the GOP and Democrat Party, the outcome is predictable to the point of assured.
Mike G.
August 5th, 2012 @ 1:12 pm

Need to get rid of the “T-Paw” moniker. Considering the recent events, that nickname can only bring trouble down the road. The Dems already have a strategy worked out if Pawlenty is the pick and I guarantee it won’t be pretty.

Consider the Harry Reid as pederast meme that’s been going around.
Tracy Coyle
August 5th, 2012 @ 1:23 pm

Ryan would certainly be a REPUBLICAN pick, certainly not a CONSERVATIVE pick – but we know Mitt hates the TP and is NOT a conservative, so…well, I guess that makes you a Republican too. No surprise I guess. Ryan supports a VAT, his health plan is functionally no different than Mitt’s MA plan…talk about a ticket that is Dem-Like…
crosspatch
August 5th, 2012 @ 1:32 pm

The angle I am trying to go for here is that someone who owes political favors or who might be reluctant to gore some political sacred cows might not be a good choice. If someone has future political aspirations, they might be more interested in building bridges than in burning them.

In the larger view, I don’t see how removing Ryan from Congress does us much good. Who would replace him and does his potential replacement have the same drive, influence, and charisma that Ryan has? Ryan would be a good Presidential candidate after Romney. Serving another Senate term rather than parking at the Naval Observatory might be a better career path for him.

People are looking at this situation from a conventional politics point of view and while that is understandable, one has to look at the current reality. Romney is not a career politician. He is not going to have the sort of administration that a conventional politician would have.

Look at what Romney has already stated he would do. He has said he would greatly cut back the size of the various departments of the executive branch and transfer more control to the state governments. That is going to take a huge amount of work. It is going to result in the termination of a lot of federal programs, some of which have been in place for decades. It is going to need a coordinator to act as a liaison between the White House, the departments, and Congress. I believe he will use his VP for that purpose. That position will require some of the same skills Romney has and they are going to need to speak the same language in this restructuring.

But all that said, Romney might acquiesce to the politicians, appoint some token to the position, leave it as a do-nothing job and appoint some sort of “czar” in that role of director of executive branch blood-letting.
If T-Paw Is Picked, We Need To Make Peace With It | Right Wing News
August 5th, 2012 @ 1:55 pm

[…] right are pushing hard for Paul Ryan. After AFPF’s Defending the American Dream Summit, Robert Stacy McCain actually pulled over to a local Burger King to declare his support for Ryan as M…: There is no time now to fully explain the emergency nature of this post, but let me quickly make […]
crosspatch
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:20 pm

True. But is it worth pulling a force like Ryan out of Congress for something that is a rare event? It has happened 8 times in the history of our country.
AlecJ
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:35 pm

Romney is already on thin ice with me, and many conservatives i know, if he wants to be a McCain type candidate who gets our votes but not our money or enthusiasm, pick Pawlenty.

Pawlenty sucks. There i said it. He is everything i hate about the GOP. He is gutless, a RINO, and absolutely not a leader. He is Romney without the few positives Mitt can boast.

I will vote for Romney no matter what but picking Pawlenty turns me into a cringe voter.

Please get word to anyone near the Romney camp that he is handicapping himself BIG TIME by choosing Pawlenty. Remember Ted Cruz….Scott Walker…..there is enthusiasm out there to tap into…..but Pawlenty will hurt his chance of taking advandage of it.

Its time for boldness, not stale and weak, also rans like Pawlenty.
AlecJ
August 5th, 2012 @ 2:41 pm

Pawlenty is our Al Gore…..even if Romney won 2 terms and was successful, a VP Pawlenty would still lose a Presidential race. He is a losing loser who loses….a dark cloud which makes me want to punch the GOP in the face just for considering him viable.
K-Bob
August 5th, 2012 @ 3:21 pm

Maybe. I think you are much better at prose than he is. He does OK with the prose, though.

True story: A long time ago, I bought a book on memory by Harry Lorayne because I had trouble remembering stuff. I bought it as I was boarding an airplane.

When I got home, I realized I’d left it on the plane.
K-Bob
August 5th, 2012 @ 3:28 pm

I really do love the role these guys have in the House. Ryan has changed the conversation on financial reform, and West has shamed the entire Black Caucus for being so tied to the ideology his Father fought against as a soldier. So I agree with you there.

I’d really love to see Romney do something daring and pick a conservative VP, though.

With our luck, he’d pick Huck.
K-Bob
August 5th, 2012 @ 4:51 pm

Come one man, Joe Biden is a lock, a LOCK, I tell ya, for the 2017 Elections.

Wait. What do you mean there won’t be any?
Bob Belvedere
August 5th, 2012 @ 5:19 pm

We need Rep. West in the House so he can lead the coup against Boehner.
Bob Belvedere
August 5th, 2012 @ 5:25 pm

Kleenix would like that.

Actually, that may be a good idea if Reps. West and Bachmann are willing to run for the leadership – much less blood would be spilled on the House Floor.
Bob Belvedere
August 5th, 2012 @ 5:27 pm

Adj: it was not Romney who fixed-up the fiscal situation in The Commonwealth, but Speaker Tom ‘The Felon’ Finneran, who was the most fiscally conservative Speaker in decades.
Bob Belvedere
August 5th, 2012 @ 5:32 pm

Maybe we should be touting some articulate conservative who (1) could take over – God forbid – the Presidency and (2) who would be too old to run in eight years.
Bob Belvedere
August 5th, 2012 @ 5:35 pm

Ryan should stay in the House a few more terms and then run for Governor so he can obtain some executive experience. If it turns out he has none, I’d rather he failed in one state rather than across the whole of the nation.

Also, if he fails at Governor, he could run again for the House, where he had shown himself to be aa good Legislator.
Bob Belvedere
August 5th, 2012 @ 5:35 pm

And it would insure that Willard would not be assassinated!
Bob Belvedere
August 5th, 2012 @ 5:37 pm

It’s people like Kasich who need to be strongly discouraged from running for any higher office – he’s part of the problem, a Joe Scarborough type.
Bob Belvedere
August 5th, 2012 @ 5:41 pm

I say give the nod to Jindal. There are enough people on the Right who like him despite his hysterical actions after Hurricane Katrina when he joined the Left is bashing President Bush.

Make him VP and, as the stats that have been cited above show, his chances of becoming President lessen.