Romney Picks Buzz Killington As Running Mate
He has nice eyes, we'll give him that.
…And America rejoiced, as we no longer have to witness the endless speculation that is The Veepstakes.
The first clue that Paul Ryan was going to be Romney’s VP pick? This happened to Ryan’s high school history on his Wikipedia page last night in the hours leading up to the announcement:
Removed unnecessary statement from Early Life about prom king or “Brown Noser.” This is not needed in article is not common in such brief survey sections.
But besides his fame as Joseph A. Craig High School’s 1988 Class Brown Noser, Paul Ryan is also known for setting forth his “Roadmap” budget plan, which would have eliminated taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest, and abolished the corporate income tax, estate tax, and alternative minimum tax. (So we can understand the appeal for Romney. We’re pretty sure Romney is not releasing his tax returns because he just pays too much in taxes and doesn’t want the American public to feel sorry for him.) The Roadmap, which ultimately died in the Senate, also would have privatized portions of Social Security and ”dismantl[ed] Medicare as we know it“ for a voucher program instead.
So, he’s a brown-noser; he’s married to a tax attorney (of course he is); he wants your grandmother to fend for herself in the insurance market. We’re pretty sure he hands out parking tickets in his free time — you know, just for fun. What’s not to like?
Photo: Gage Skidmore/flickr
Appellate attorney, admirer of funny people, Dolt.
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Michael Eigen
August 12, 2012 at 11:24 am
My only hope is that this "dynamic duo" can create some kind of dialog that will somehow break this Congressional gridlock by rallying the more sensible heads on both sides. While Ryan's ideas are radical (and Draconian if not self serving) there are things that need to be addressed on both sides. Luckily Romney was not electable before and this won't help. He just doesn't have the (a) personality.
Linda the Dolt
August 13, 2012 at 5:01 am
In a way I can see the thought process behind this pick. Romney wants to run as a "fiscal responsibility" candidate, and Ryan bolsters that image as someone who is going to lead us to a more disciplined approach. Not saying I agree with their ideology — I definitely don't like the idea of completely scrapping Medicare for a voucher system or providing further tax cuts for the wealthy — but I can see the Romney camp's rationale in picking him at least.
Tracey
August 13, 2012 at 7:45 am
See, I thought they just picked him because he was young and good-looking. Sort of Dan Quayle with brains.
I was reading up on him after the nomination, and found some articles speaking of him as having been a "fatherless teenager." When you read a little deeper, you find out that his father died when he was 16, in 1986 (by which time women in the workplace were routine), and his family owned a successful construction business. Um… yeah, that's not quite the background I think of when I hear "fatherless teenager."
Linda the Dolt
August 13, 2012 at 11:03 am
Ha, yeah, a little misleading. NPR did a nice little profile on Ryan's early years this morning: http://www.npr.org/2012/08/13/158679188/a-profile…
Tracey
August 14, 2012 at 7:16 am
Thanks for the link!
I'm sure it was very upsetting for him. My uncle was 16 when his father (my grandfather) died. Of course, that was a little different. It was 1955, and my grandmother had never worked a day in her life. Also, rather than finding him lying in bed, my uncle found my grandfather hanging from a beam in the basement. Then my grandmother went on an alcoholic binge and my 18-year-old father had to drop out of college and start a business so he could take care of the family in between pulling my grandmother out of bars.
So yeah, I understand that it's upsetting. But it didn't turn my father or uncle into right-wing nutjobs. In fact, my uncle worked for one of those government aid departments that Paul Ryan wants to cut.
Linda the Dolt
August 15, 2012 at 7:20 am
Oh wow, what a responsibility for your father to take on.
Ryan actually grew up fairly wealthy, and yet he wants to take away those programs. Meanwhile, your father and uncle grew up with what appears to be a lot more hardship, and yet they seem to be capable of having empathy for those who have fallen on difficult times.