Poll: Will Paul Ryan help or hurt Mitt Romney?

Will Paul Ryan help or hurt Mitt Romney?

  • Ryan will help Romney.

  • Ryan will hurt Romney.

  • Ryan won't make a difference.

  • Pie is better than cake.


Results are only viewable after voting.
Feb 10, 2000
30,029
66
91
A little from Column A, a little from Column B. Ryan will help bolster his conservative credentials, but obviously Ryan brings his own baggage. One thing is certain: if this campaign had been going Romney's way, he would have picked someone safer, like Portman or Pawlenty.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,561
4
0
I will say this. By picking Ryan it took the heat off Romney about his taxes. Now all anyone wants to talk about is how Paul Ryan wants to kill your grandmother and give more money to the super wealthy.

Boy there must something REALLY bad in those tax returns.

Genius, Mitt, genius.
 

Farang

Lifer
Jul 7, 2003
10,914
3
0
Ryan is a terrible pick. I legitimately think he's a bad pick for Romney.

I agree. I think Ryan is a skilled politician, but two things make me feel he is a bad pick:

-He undercuts a fundamental argument that Romney has had all along--that we need leaders who understand the private sector to turn around the economy. Ryan has been a politician all his life. Obama has more private sector experience.

-Obama is at his best running against a boogeyman. Until now, most of that boogeyman has had to come from attacks on Mitt Romney the person and his background. Now he can legitimately run against a fairly radical conservative plan.
 

MovingTarget

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2003
8,999
109
106
I think (and hope) that it will hurt. If there is any doubt that the GOP ticket is against the middle class, the poor, the elderly, women, Christians, etc., the pick of Ryan as his running mate should dispel anything remaining of that. The GOP will either eat itself alive, or do the same to the rest of the country if they get elected. Its our choice now. :(
 

PJABBER

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2001
4,822
0
0
Keep your hands off my pie!

obama-valerie-jarrett-piejpg-26b142fc36f46eb7.jpg
 

Charles Kozierok

Elite Member
May 14, 2012
6,762
1
0
I'm wondering why Mitt Romney would choose a sociopath as his running mate.

What a bizarre comment. You got anything to back that up?

IMO, Ryan was picked for the same reason as Palin -- Romney was not trusted by his base, and he needed to shore it up.
 

micrometers

Diamond Member
Nov 14, 2010
3,473
0
0
I agree. I think Ryan is a skilled politician, but two things make me feel he is a bad pick:

-He undercuts a fundamental argument that Romney has had all along--that we need leaders who understand the private sector to turn around the economy. Ryan has been a politician all his life. Obama has more private sector experience.

-Obama is at his best running against a boogeyman. Until now, most of that boogeyman has had to come from attacks on Mitt Romney the person and his background. Now he can legitimately run against a fairly radical conservative plan.

I think Ryan is a terrible politician and an ideologue.

He actually makes his staff read Ayn Rand. Think about that.
 

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
23,331
10,238
136
Well, at least there will be no ambiguous bullshit from Romney about what his future plans are for our economy. The lines have been drawn. Will we completely decimate and eliminate the policies created by FDR? Destroying all social safety nets.

Goodbye middle class.
 
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cybrsage

Lifer
Nov 17, 2011
13,021
0
0
Ryan is a good pick for a few reasons. He ensures the libertarians will vote for him - as it is a great many of them were going to vote third party. Now they can see this as a way of getting a third party candidate into the White House...and it sets Ryan up for a Pres run in a few years if they win this election.

Ryan also shores up the standard republican base. Many republicans have not been happy with Romney, though they are rightfully happier with Romney than Obama. This gives them a reason to vote for Romney, instead of just against Obama.

Ryan also gives the returner loonies something else to rage in impotence against. They already hate Ryan because he has been a thorn in the side of dems, so not instead of raging in impotence against something as stoopid as demanding tax returns, they can rage in impotence against Ryan - something they have practice at.

Ryan is also smart...and this is where he diverges from Palin. Palin energized the base, etc., but she turned out to not be smart enough to stand the attacks against women in general the media and dems hit her with. Ryan will destroy Biden in a debate, if the dems are foolish enough to pit the two against each other.
 

Bitek

Lifer
Aug 2, 2001
10,647
5,220
136
What is with Republicans these days? How you you F up the Veep pick two elections in a row?

This should be a no-brainer, pick someone competent enough, but dull enough to not attract ridicule. That's all the VP can bring.

This is a hail mary by Romney
 

berzerker60

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2012
1,233
1
0
Ryan also gives the returner loonies something else to rage in impotence against. They already hate Ryan because he has been a thorn in the side of dems, so not instead of raging in impotence against something as stoopid as demanding tax returns, they can rage in impotence against Ryan - something they have practice at.
What in the world does this even mean? That he's an easy target for attack ads that will draw attention from attack ads aimed at Romney's taxes? Why in the world do you assume attacks ads are 'impotent' when objectively they work? And how is that a positive?
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
33,382
7,445
136
Ryan is a good pick for a few reasons. He ensures the libertarians will vote for him - as it is a great many of them were going to vote third party. Now they can see this as a way of getting a third party candidate into the White House...and it sets Ryan up for a Pres run in a few years if they win this election.
...

I'm concerned this invalidates Ryan as anything 'third party'.
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
33,382
7,445
136
What is with Republicans these days? How you you F up the Veep pick two elections in a row?

The Presidential nominee has been f'ed up many DECADES in a row. It's just that Bush made the moderate GOP (Neocon) brand toxic and the next men in line have had to run away from that position by choosing conservative VPs. Angry conservatives are the Bush legacy, the GOP is trying to quell us.
 
Oct 16, 1999
10,490
4
0
Overall I can't see how this pick helps Romney. He brings a lot of issues Democrats want to campaign against front and center. They are going to have even more solid messaging attacking Ryan and his budget proposals. I really have a hard time believing this was Romney's first choice, and whoever that was didn't want to board a sinking ship and risk getting marginalized before a 2016 run.
 

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
24,998
3,327
126
Ryan will give Romney a temporary poll boost, but it'll fade far before the election. But, the VP choice never had much of a boost for anyone. Ryan's approval ratings in his home state are in the 30s%. That is not what 40s% approval Romney needed. Ultimately Ryan would bring in the strongest conservatives, but those were the ones voting Romney anyways.

Rubio would have been the better choice. Get the Hispanic vote that went for Bush and Romney would be able to get just enough to win some key swing states. As is, I don't see Ryan helping Romney in the swing states at all because independents are pretty sour against Ryan.

Plus this gives Obama a clear line of attack. Romney just handed Obama an offensive campaign approach on a silver plate.
 
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micrometers

Diamond Member
Nov 14, 2010
3,473
0
0
Ryan will give Romney a temporary poll boost, but it'll fade far before the election. But, the VP choice never had much of a boost for anyone. Ryan's approval ratings in his home state are in the 30s%. That is not what 40s% approval Romney needed. Ultimately Ryan would bring in the strongest conservatives, but those were the ones voting Romney anyways.

Rubio would have been the better choice. Get the Hispanic vote that went for Bush and Romney would be able to get just enough to win some key swing states. As is, I don't see Ryan helping Romney in the swing states at all because independents are pretty sour against Ryan.

Plus this gives Obama a clear line of attack. Romney just handed Obama an offensive campaign approach on a silver plate.

he's not going to get a temporary poll boost. Ryan is not likable at all.
 

Pens1566

Lifer
Oct 11, 2005
11,480
7,886
136
Hurts. Panders to the GOP base, while alienating independents/moderates. Brings issues up that help sway what should be Romney demographics over to Obama. Namely, seniors. He just lost Florida.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,561
4
0
Romney should have read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Don't Panic