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[Nmaro Makari]

So I looked on bbc news this morning to find that Rep. Paul Ryan has been selected as Romney's running mate.

Now admittedly, I'm not American so there are things I probably won't quite get, but am I the only one who thinks its a poor tactical choice?

As I understand it, running mate are supposed to "balance the ticket" filling in where the the Presidential nominee is lacking. Palin, for instance, young, female, socially conservative (in polite terms) with McCain, older, male and more of a fiscal conservative.

Not gonna lie, first reaction to a picture of Ryan and Romney was "Mini-me?"

Doubtless though, budgets and money are Ryan's thing, as Romney as least says he is. But still, so far the presidential race seems to be hanging on winning the swing voters. I'm finding it hard to see how Ryan Romney ticket attracts anything other than people who were already conservative.

But then again, I'm here looking for perspective, talking about it with a couple of coursemates and I think it's actually important to find out what Americans think

Any thoughts?

[Casiella]

Neutral analysis
The conservative base (hard-core ideological voters) have always had significant doubts about Governor Romney. Selecting Representative Ryan as his VP candidate means he's playing to that base, because Ryan's budget proposals (the area for which he's chiefly known here) have always been quite popular with that group.

My opinion
Romney just lost the election. I support Obama over Romney (actually Obama is too conservative for me in many ways), but my vote won't matter much because of where I live. However, in swing states, Ryan's proposals will not go over well with the portion of the voting public that isn't ideologically tied to either direction. I don't think this is going to do for Romney what he wants it to do.

We'll know in a few months, I guess.

[Ken]

I don't mind Ryan.  He's got a straightforward style and at least seems to have a cause that he believes in (US fiscal solvency) and the intelligence to actually advance his agenda.  Basically, Ryan strikes me as a leader rather than a strawman or figurehead.  But I wasn't going to vote for Romney and this won't change that.

Not gonna lie, first reaction to a picture of Ryan and Romney was "Mini-me?"

Physical appearance aside, Romney doesn't have even half of Ryan's charisma.  And Ryan is a numbers guy.  So what does that tell you?

[Morwen Lagann]

So what does that tell you?

Four more years? Yes we can! \o/

I should probably get the fuck out of this thread before I say something incredibly offensive to the logic-less half of the country, though. (Oh, wait, shit...)

[orange]

Doubtless though, budgets and money are Ryan's thing, as Romney as least says he is. But still, so far the presidential race seems to be hanging on winning the swing voters.

1) Romney is still the presumptive nominee.  Granted it is unlikely that he doesn't get the nomination, but it would be awesome if Paul got it for a whole variety of reasons.  Biggest is that he actually holds different views to the President concerning National policy and it would make the debates more interesting.

2) Balancing the US Budget is desperately needed.  If balancing the budget and how the candidate intends to do it is not a huge part of debate, it is a failure of the US media and people to ask the right questions. 

Ask military commanders what the greatest threat to the United States is and they routinely answer "the debt."   But when the military starts making cuts and trimming what it believes is fat from its budgets, Congress gives programs the military wants to cancel millions of dollars.  I have said elsewhere that I support trimming the US military budget down, but we have to accept some implied changes in strategy.

3) I am probably voting for Gary Johnson.   There are things I simply do not think need to be handled or discussed at a Federal level.  I would prefer to push governance down to the local levels and have towns and neighborhoods make informed decisions about their needs and wants.

[Casiella]

I'm voting for President Obama but not because I think there will be a major economic change one way or the other from either candidate. I have always believed that the POTUS gets too much [blame|credit] for the economy.

But I fear having a Republican president beholden to the more extreme ideologues of his party for social reasons. I believe that the health-care reform didn't go far enough, and the President's now vocal support for same-sex marriage also mattered tremendously to me. There are a lot of things I dislike about President Obama, but I mostly dislike exactly the same things about Governor Romney.

(Also Biden > Ryan )

[orange]

I have always believed that the POTUS gets too much [blame|credit] for the economy.

POTUS doesn't pass laws, but ensures their execution.  Congress passes laws

I would much prefer if we changed out everyone in Congress.  2/3 of the Senate gets to stay (some for 2 years, some for 4 years), but they all need to be fired ASAP.  The turnover rate is too low.  Vote them all out.

[Seriphyn]

As a non-US resident, listening to what some of Ron Paul has said on live debates on YouTube etc, he seems the only other candidate who actually makes sense IMO. Just the fact he makes annoyed exasperations at some of the daft questions he is fully aware of being asked, rather than trying to pander to an answer.

[Z.Sinraali]

The political science literature tends to suggest that VP choices do almost nothing, unless they're a total mess. As to whether it's a good choice or not, who knows. It's certainly riskier. But then, Mr. Romney's chances were already not so hot.

[Victoria Stecker]

The issue is that this election is no longer about Romney. For the last several months, it has been, because we've been trying to figure out who Romney is and what he stands for, because he says one thing here and another thing over there, etc. His trip to israel was fun ( http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/mitt-romney-israel-health-care.php?ref=fpblg ).

Now he's picked as his running mate someone who has actual solid positions that can't easily be bent or twisted to dodge incoming criticism. While he had the wisdom not to take a dynamic candidate that would completely overshadow him (Rubio, Christie) he still picked someone who is more charismatic anyways. But he just gave up his ability to dodge incoming attacks - he's no longer a squishy, moving target. His failure to lay down his own strong positions on anything means that whatever they are, they've just been superseded by Ryan's. And they are going to get attacked. A lot.

Most of the time, I find the disenfranchisement caused by living in a non-swing state to be frustrating, but the reduction in campaign advertising I have to deal with might make it worth it this time around. Those poor people in VA and FL....

Now we get to find out if the Paul Ryan budget floats - it's hung around Romney's neck now, we'll see if it's enough to drown him.

[hellgremlin]

I was most concerned that Rmoney would choose someone like Condi Rice for his running mate. I am glad this has not happened, as it was Rmoney's only chance of winning.

[Casiella]

Secretary Rice has been stating fairly unequivocally that she has no interest in returning to politics. All the better for her, I say!

[Khloe]

Ugh, I can't stand any of them. Romney isn't going to win, regardless of his vp choice.

[Nmaro Makari]

I don't mind Ryan.  He's got a straightforward style and at least seems to have a cause that he believes in (US fiscal solvency) and the intelligence to actually advance his agenda.  Basically, Ryan strikes me as a leader rather than a strawman or figurehead.  But I wasn't going to vote for Romney and this won't change that.

Not gonna lie, first reaction to a picture of Ryan and Romney was "Mini-me?"

Physical appearance aside, Romney doesn't have even half of Ryan's charisma.  And Ryan is a numbers guy.  So what does that tell you?

True, more making an apperance connection but alongside the fact they're both marketing themselves as fiscal conservatives, though I dont have the best idea about how and to what degree.

[Syylara/Yaansu]

In the post-Citizens United era, as we look at a national campaign cycle poised to spend $6-10 billion (with a larger share of it through anonymous means than ever before) I've really gotten to a point where I don't care any more.  That doesn't even include state and local elections which it seems in the last few cycles have become quite powerful in their own right (especially in swing states and the financial power centers).  Both parties are beholden to the same interests and won't bite the hand that feeds them.  You can't mount a campaign without the donations, the donations don't come in if you aren't doing what is in their interests.

It is legalized bribery, graft and corruption.

Quid pro quo.

The U.S. has largely avoided implementing an austerity plan like the rest of the industrialized world mostly because of the election cycle.  I fully expect no matter who wins that a huge swath of social programs and infrastructure spending will get gutted and somehow, despite all the hand-wringing over deficit concerns, we'll find some piles of money (borrowed at interest) to shovel into the gaping, insatiable maws of banks and corporations (that we just borrowed it from) who are already sitting on reserves higher than ever before with profit margins higher than any other time in history.

Until we deal with:
1) Commercial and investment banking under the same roof
2) Money as a form of free speech
3) Corporations having the same rights as human beings (without the responsibilities or accountability)
4) Unlimited influence on elections from anonymous sources
5) Our currency being controlled by a private entity outside of the government
Then politics, to me, is nothing but a vapid popularity contest to decide which smiling face is going to implement the same regressive policies on us.

It is a two-headed snake, two puppets with the same puppeteer.

Obamney/Ryden 2012!