Romney Picks Paul Ryan as VP, Shifting Race Back to the Economy

Conservatives rejoice! In selecting his vice presidential running mate, Mitt Romney did not go meek, and he could have gone a lot safer…Instead, he went conservative! It was a move that caught the press completely by surprise.

Romney himself said it best. "I've been known to make a mistake every now and then. I did not make a mistake with this guy!"

More experienced that Rubio, more conservative than Christie, and more popular and well known than Pawlenty and Portman, Congressman Paul Ryan is a bold choice. He had the courage to take on the entitlement system, even when more cowardly members of his own party wanted him to drop it, fearing for their own seats.

It’s Romney/Ryan, which is exactly what the GOP wanted: a little R&R. (Groan)

It’s a clear sign that Mitt Romney is not going to let the White House or the mainstream media dictate whom he would choose or how he would play out the rest of his campaign. Some people may write off Congressman Ryan as a safe pick. Others may jeer with charges of ‘boring white man’ again. Wrong. This is the boldest pick he could have made, short of a few potential outliers, such as Rep. Allen West.

Ryan is not just a bold pick. He’s a practical yet ideological pick, a sign that more than ever, this election will be a selection between two completely different ideologies. There is now more than ever a big distinction between the two sides. 

It’s also a clear indication that Romney is going full stream ahead, tacking to the right. 

Ryan is accomplished. He’s the only person in D.C. that’s been able to get a budget through congress in years. Two people with a specialty in numbers and the economy, it puts Obama in the tough position of having to defend the direction he’s been taking the United States in, a direction that many Americans are not happy with.

Romney knew he wouldn’t be able to please everyone, but at least he was able to please Republicans and conservatives, and that’s enough for now. Ryan is the perfect choice for a VP. After the release of the Ryan Budget (which Romney endorsed) Ryan became used to media scrutiny. Republicans were very wary of the selection of another nominee that was not hardened to the national stage.

A hard-boiled egg is tough to beat, and Ryan is certainly used to taking a beating. Everyone remembers the infamous ad that showed a Ryan look-alike throwing granny off a cliff. Now, the only thing that will resemble Ryan throwing granny off a cliff will be the upcoming VP debate.

The mainstream media and Democrats have a few general lines of attack for prominent Republicans. They call them crazy, they call them stupid and they call them loose cannons. You can’t call Ryan crazy, you can’t call him stupid, and he is definitely not a loose cannon. While he does come off as another nice guy, he will be able to serve fulfill the ‘attack dog’ well. Some may remember when he completely deconstructed Obama and Obamacare in less than 6 minutes. A former speechwriter for Jack Kemp, he has a way with words that is unmatched in Congress.

(Click here for ten facts about Paul Ryan.)

Paul Ryan has won his own district seven consecutive times with over 60% of the vote six times. This is significant because of the reason that Ryan does not represent a solidly red district. It’s a purple district. Ryan knows how to appeal to Independents, and while Romney has been leading with certain groups of independents for months, he will need to solidify his hold in order to win. Ryan is a great communicator, and can articulate policy with incredible easy in a way that makes sense to both wonks and laymen alike.

He is one of the few people in Washington D.C. that is known for being true to his principles while at the same time being willing to work with anyone on either side of the aisle that is serious about deficit reduction.

Those that may be worrying about the Democrats beating the Ryan budget over the head of the GOP ticket shouldn’t. They're going to do it anyways. This gives Ryan an opportunity to tell people that one of the core elements of his plan is that Medicare is not going anywhere. Unlike the Democrats, they have a plan besides raising taxes. Unlike the Democrats, they are willing to take electoral risks by trying to get the massive deficit down.

The fact that they’ve decided to go forward in an un-apologizing and unflinching manner is awesome for Republicans. It means that Mitt Romney is serious about winning. Buckle up America. The nastiness you’ve seen in the campaign so far? Romney and the GOP just dared the Democrats to go ahead and do their worst.

While this ticket may not be every conservative’s cup of tea, at least it is a ticket that will be willing to take on the massive spending and debt that is slowly bleeding America dry. This ticket will fight, and that’s a welcome change for conservatives that are sick of leaders that are constantly backing down.

Romney/Ryan 2012!