If you want to be Vice President, then come along with me...
March 04, 2008
Posted by at March 4, 2008 09:08 AM
The trackback entry for this page is : http://www.inthehat.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1626
Playing with the Electoral College Calculator, I found several highly plausible scenarios where the election comes down to Wisconsin. It made me think that's the time is ripe for a Badger Vice President. On the Dems' side, I can't see Obama choosing Russ Feingold (although I could see Hillary picking him) as he'll need to balance his perceived inexperience with some crusty old southern war dog. McCain, however, could do worse than Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.
Why Ryan? Here are five good reasons:
- McCain is 71. He needs someone young, like the 38-year old Ryan, to appeal to the next generation of voters. The "youth" vote isn't necessarily liberal, you know.
- Ryan is unquestionably a hard-core conservative, unlike McCain. While fiscal conservatives like McCain's tight purse strings, social conservatives will flip for Ryan's pro-life and anti-gay votes
- He's good looking. Yeah, I said it. We can pretend that attributes like that don't matter, but they do.
- Choosing a young running mate will let the McCain establish an interesting narrative - Obama has to choose someone with experience to guide him on foreign affairs, etc. McCain has the luxury of being the teacher. Wouldn't we rather be led by the teacher than by the student?
- Even if McCain loses, the campaign will allow a rising star like Ryan to establish a national profile, positioning him for a run at the Presidency in 2012.
The downsides to Ryan are that he's Catholic, he's a white male and he's not from the South. Is that enough to kill the idea? I don't think so. Ryan doesn't thrill me as a candidate, but he sure would appeal to those on the Right who feel betrayed by McCain's liberal leanings.
Posted by at March 4, 2008 09:08 AM
The trackback entry for this page is : http://www.inthehat.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1626
| Trackback Entries |
Comments
| # March 4th, 2008 11:38 AM james |
| according to his profile, i agree with paul ryan on very few issues. contrary to your claim, i question that ryan is a "hard core conservative." in fact, i assert that he isn't a conservative at all.
there was a time when "conservative" meant "keep government out of my way, and keep it small." paul ryan is the exact opposite of that - his platform is "put more people in jail, make stem cell research flat out illegal, overturn roe v wade, keep those dirty immigrants out, stay in iraq forever, attack any country we deem to be an "enemy of freedom," stop people from buying prescription drugs from overseas, make same sex marriage constitutionally prohibited, etc." this is not small government, it's the very definition of fascism. if that's a modern "conservative," then color me a liberal. |
| # March 4th, 2008 12:35 PM kris |
| It's not my claim that he's a hard core conservative - that's literally how that site classifies him.
I completely agree with you that he's not at all about small government. He doesn't appeal to me, but he'd appeal to all of those Huckabee voters who might stay at home in November rather than vote for McCain - you know, the Rush Limbaugh crowd. Sadly, I don't think either party is going to reach out to anyone with libertarian leanings this year. |
| # March 4th, 2008 3:08 PM themandownthehall |
| "War mongering" Bush lost Wisconsin by about a tenth of a percent or so, did he not? Wisconsin very well may flip to the reps and help decide the thing. You're definitely on target there.
I don't think VP matters nearly as much as it used to. People are looking very harshly at the top of the ticket. That's why I think Obama is toast as is Hillary. McCain has his warts, but Hillary has screwed so many people over, she has political VD and Obama is not much better. When the real harsh questions get asked, and are answered, Obama's star will fall fast. Sadly, there don't appear to be many true conservatives anymore. It seems more and more the right is just wanting their kind of government interference rather then the left's. |
| # March 4th, 2008 9:24 PM BVBigBro |
| The vice presidential candidate cannot help the presidential candidate. No one votes for vice president. The VP can only hurt you. McCain needs to pick someone who cannot hurt him with the general electorate, not someone who will appeal to some cherished demographic group. An unknown will hurt him. A religious conservative like Huckabee will also hurt him. |
| # March 4th, 2008 9:35 PM kris |
| Any "known" candidate will offend someone with their known views. |