Romney Goes Long With His V.P. Pick
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In picking Paul Ryan as his running-mate, Mitt Romney shows that not only he thinks he can win but he wants to do something when he gets into the White House
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Mitt Romney’s announcement of his selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate today is a game-changer but not how many would think. By picking someone who is otherwise known as a policy wonk, Mr. Romney has done several things, all to his advantage.
First, he has ensured that no matter how much Democrats try to change the subject to trite issues like Mr. Romney’s personal tax returns or the bad bean burrito he ate at a 7-Eleven late one night when in college, the discussion will focus on issues that affect this country, present and future. Matters like the massive budget deficits and the structural infirmity of Medicare and Social Security will be front and center, as they should be, every time Mr. Ryan speaks in public. This works to Republicans’ advantage as these are problems that must be addressed but which Democrats natively are averse to making tough decisions on and thus try to change the subject when mentioned.
Second, ponder what the vice-presidential debates will look like with an otherwise well-informed and articulate Paul Ryan squaring off against Vice-President Joe Biden. Mr. Ryan only need allow Mr. Biden to rhetorically self-immolate and come in after the laughter has subsided and score some substantive points to show how the Romney position is better than Obama’s.
Which gets to the fact that Mr. Romney picked someone who has intellectual and policy heft, which was clearly lacking in John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin in 2008. Yes, the downside is that Paul Ryan is more susceptible to attack than Mrs. Palin was especially after he unveiled his budget this year which was predictably attacked by Democrats as one of the many Republican wars against the middle class, if not humanity at large. But by raising Mr. Ryan’s positions, it inevitably requires Democrats to enunciate their own policies, which either they don’t have or have failed in the past 3 1/2 years.
Given Mr. Ryan’s heavy-weight status, Mr. Romney has showed that he’s not afraid to surround himself with people who are his equal or better. That’s the sign of a good leader, although we won’t hold Mr. Biden against President Obama as that would be cruel and unusual. Those of us who saw a potential re-incarnation of George Herbert Walker “Un-Dukakis” who picked the relative lightweight Dan Quayle as a running mate can take comfort that Mr. Romney is secure in himself to run his administration and to get things done with talented people like Congressman Ryan without feeling the threat of being overshadowed by his subordinates.
Which gets us to the long-game strategy that Mr. Romney appears to be playing. He could have chosen someone who (arguably) would have helped more in winning the election but he chose to look past November and to his potential administration. Our read is that this is not because he is misled enough to believe he has won the election but it does show his confidence in himself and his message, perhaps a new-found wind to his campaign sails. This is a welcome sign, but clearly he must go on the offensive especially with this new piece of field artillery he has in his political arsenal. Still, this pick indicates an emboldened candidate who will not be as tentative and lackluster as John McCain was in 2008, Bob Dole in 1996 or George H.W. Bush was in 1992.
If there is one possible weakness that Democrats might try to exploit, it is the relative lack of foreign policy experience that both men have. Yet Mr. Obama had none entering the White House and this current administration has had, to put it charitably, a less than stellar foreign policy record since it came into office. So such criticism can be swept aside, especially if Mr. Romney assembles a strong team of foreign policy advisers.
Finally, it can never be forgotten that a vice-presidential pick usually has little or no effect on the prospects of a Presidential campaign. If it did, George H.W. Bush would have started his retirement in 1989 and not 1993.
Still, for what many people call the first Presidential decision made by those who win the White House, Mr. Romney has not only done himself but the overall campaign a good thing by picking Paul Ryan.
-I.M. Windee
