Serious Question about Paul Ryan

[Tracy_in_NC]

There have been news leaks about Ryan's bright future in the Republican party and I haven't seen anyone in the media disputing that. He is strikingly similar to Sarah Palin--a fresh young face chosen to excite the base, who regularly drew bigger crowds than the top of the ticket. We all know that Palin hurt McCain more than she helped and it seems that Ryan (and his budget) has been more of a drag on Romney than a positive. As Bill Maher points out, Palin and Ryan share the SAME crazy beliefs, meaning he is not the intellectual heavyweight the Right claims he is. So my question is...do you think Ryan does have a political future or will he be a footnote in history by the 2016 election? Please, no wishful thinking; I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this since the media isn't talking about it. Thanks!

[WeekendWarrior]

1. Footnote

I think every politician who thinks like Ryan will be a footnote, because Americans are finally waking up to what nut jobs they really are. They will do everything they can to hang on, but will fade into obscurity over the next few years.

[Jennicut]

2. He never came off as all that likable.

And his ideas on Medicare never were embraced by Romney as they are not all that popular. And why has he even chosen if you had to hide him most of the time? He was not a good VP pick. A mistake.

I think he may go back to Congress and try to take on President Obama there but he is still just a Congressman with a bad idea. I don't see much in his future.

[2pooped2pop]

3. I think he has a better chance at apolitical career than Palin

He has played by the rules they gave him while she went rogue. She was also almost unknown prior to her run. He has some actual friends in politics.

I think though that he will end up on fox nooze, perhaps pushing her off the stage.

If he loses his seat in Wisconsin, it may be an uphill battle for him to get back in and he may have to put on his dancing shoes for a spot on dancing with the has beens.

[joesdaughter]

4. Good Question

I believe that the Republican Party will be in disarray after this election. If they lose some of the tea party congressional and senate seats, they will have to do some soul searching. Certainly they will have to do a cost analysis of the efficacy of the Citizens United money fest. I think Ryan was unmasked as an ideologue with overstated intellectual credentials. He may retain his house seat- but he will be on the hot seat. The Social Security and Medicare rescue and retention will go full steam in the next two years.

[exboyfil]

5. The next candidate is going to have to be more liberal on social issues

My two daughters will be voting in 2016, and I know their peers are far more liberal than their parents. They are completely open on gay and bi, and they both attend evangelical churches regularly. They just don't talk about it with the church youth leaders etc. Since I am so open about my beliefs in the area (I came to my conclusion based on fairness), they are willing to talk with me about it.

I think (at least) I hope the trend will be less spending on military. I would hope that Obama goes to are most economically powerful allies and tells them it is time to step up. We all should be spending no more than 3% GDP on military.

I think ACA will morph into some sort of government negotiated rates that will include insurance companies to reduce the cost of healthcare for all. Drug companies will start getting squeezed but hopefully they will stop with the obnoxious and expensive direct advertising campaigns. We may have fewer choices and longer lines, but getting the savings is essential for competitiveness.

We will need some sort of comprehensive trade policy that keeps an eye on social costs of unemployment while not necessarily igniting a trade war. Obama's plan to bring several related agencies under one roof is a good one. We need a consistent policy going forward.

If Obama gets his tax increase and the economy still recovers, the Republicans will be hurting on what to run on in 2016. I hope that the Democrat will do a better job of explaining that you run surpluses in good times and deficits in lean times. Starting out at a $300B deficit when the crash happened is a big part of the problem.

[GallopingGhost]

6. I don't think he's ever going

to be a political star. He'll have too much election baggage after this, and the GOP wants a candidate who can play the moderate to the masses.

Ryan's record is too extreme, and he doesn't have that *likeability* factor that is important. He's not even carrying his home state.

Just my cent and a half.

[flamingdem]

7. Therein lies the problem: he is an IDIOT who wants to destroy the safety net a

Randian and NO ONE in the media should take him seriously, only a teenager buys the Ayn Rand bs

This really frustrates me, Obama and Biden put him in his place and the media still pumps him.

Let him fade into the past like Palin

[Tracy_in_NC]

8. Great discussion

I appreciate your thoughtful posts. I'm very curious to see what will become of the Republican party after the election. If it's a decisive loss (EV + PV), who will be blamed? Yes, Sandy will be the face-saving excuse but internally, there will have to be some soul-searching. Romney was obviously a weak candidate and Ryan didn't help much. Are the tea partiers going to re-energize and rally toward Santorum? Will the sane republicans try to take the party back from the nuts? If so, who would be their (relatively) moderate candidate?

[MissMarple]

10. Maybe Mitch Daniels. Someone like that.

And I think Ryan will be around for a while, unless he loses his House race. Then it will be faux and talk shows like Palin and Gingrich.

[Bake]

9. I think he's tarnished with The Stench.

But four years is an eternity in politics.

He cannot change his personal lack of likeability, however. He's every bit as smarmy as Rmoney. And he has shown his lack of character by lying every time he opens his mouth.

Character matters. He has none.

Bake