The Ryan Effect

Only in the increasingly conventionally wise world of Ross Douthat could the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man of the GOP's coming apocalypse be described as "a formidable political talent."

Paul Ryan is the oblivious face of the Whig Party II, and unless the more traditional Whigs wake up, reorganize and disgorge their internal pathogens, such as Ryan, they'll go the way of the Whig Party I. That's not a mere prediction and it's certainly not wishful thinking--the Democratic Party needs a strong, healthy two-party system to maintain its own vitality and sharpness. It is, rather, an inexorability.

Neither does Ryan's utterly reprehensible politics taint, in a sour grapes way, my opinion of his political skills. I'm perfectly willing to acknowledge "political talent" in even the most despicable of talented politicians: e.g. W., Gingrich, Nixon, even Joe McCarthy. Paul Ryan, however, is simply not of this class. His is the face of party collapse and catastrophe--and either the party will rid itself of its Ryans, or the Ryans will rid the country of the party.

I suppose one could call that "talent," for self-destruction anyway. But it's not my idea of political formidability. Paul Ryan is a walking, blithering time bomb.

Comments

[Robert Lipscomb]

I learned of the pending VP announcement over my first cup of very much needed coffee. Even in that haze, I thought to flip over to Fox News.

Even a third of those talking heads were literally warning, "Be careful of what you wish for." the other two-thirds, led by Charles Krauthammer, readily acknowledged that it was critical to spend the 16 days framing Ryan's proposal for Medicare.

First of all, that is an explicit confession that is a ticking time bomb. Secondly, their strategy of spending 16 days explaining his position ensures a full 16 days highlighting the issue in a defensive posture.

As they say, explaining is losing in politics.

[Robert Lipscomb]

Sorry, one more comment.

In the past, I have equated presidential elections to heavy-weight boxing matches. this one just finished the tenth round of a fifteen round match.

Romney's right eye has been punched so much that it is swollen shut. This is the point in the movie where the trainer begs the boxer to throw in the towel, but the boxer screams, "Cut me, Louie! Cut me!"

So the trainer cuts the eye to drain the blood and reduce the swelling. The problem in a boxing match and this election is that a cut eye is an actual open wound that the other boxer attacks like a pit bull dog.

Ding1 Ding!

[Robert Lipscomb]

Don't forget that the Ryan plan cuts Medicaid by a third. Many seniors are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. i lifted the following from the internet:

www.medicaid.gov/Medicaid-CHIP-Program-Information/By-P...

In total, 8.3 million people are “dually eligible” and enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare, composing more than 17% of all Medicaid enrollees.

[AnneJ]

Robert,

If the republicans are going to have to spend 16 days explaining the Ryan budget does that not give Obama and democrats 16 more days to attack it? I hope so.

[Frankly Curious]

I tend to think that Ryan *does* have great political skills. How do we otherwise explain his conservative wet dream of a policy list being widely accepted in the MSM as a Serious Policy Proposal? Yes, the MSM is filled to the brim with idiots, but this is the same for all pols.

I think we underestimate him at our peril.

[Robert Lipscomb]

@AnneJ: Precisely! If we now know anyting about Obama and his campaign staff, it is that they are ready, willing and able to get in a street fight with Republicans.