The Thurston Mittens the 3rd Veep Megathread

[Phillip V]

Weird that Obama's the only Protestant on either ticket. With the Supreme Court, a definite end to WASP America.

Obama's a Muslim.

Soon an end to WHITE America.

[Razgovory]

I'll give Romney one thing, for a 65 year old he looks damn good.

A lifetime of exercise and no alcohol or caffeine will do that to you.

But Romney looked much better at age 64. He put on some facial weight over the winter and has not yet gotten rid of it.

The color of his hair is coming out of can.

[Phillip V]

The Romney sons are currently looking at Paul Ryan with great jealousy.

You think they'll start with banging him in, Pelican Bay SP Latin Kings-style, or will they just do the hyena thing and wait for him to be separated from the pack?

Here is one Romney son offstage who looks to be crying with jealousy and shame.

[Admiral Yi]

As Seedy has pointed out the choice of Ryan gives Obama a mountain of ammunition for negative ads.  It also elevates deficit reduction as a campaign issue. 

Bad choice for Romney, great choice for the US.

[CountDeMoney]

Honestly, I think he'd have been better off with Pawlenty.
Sure, a boring white dude, but at least when he speaks publicly on the stump, he actually connects with people with that folksy-aw-shucks shit that worked for Huckabee.
Pawlenty would've been a natural counterbalance to Mittens' Close-Encounters-of-the-Country-Club-Kind lack of humanity and personality.  I KNOW NASCAR TEAM OWNERS I LIKE TREES HARDWARE STUFF

The only benefit Ryan provides for Romney is if he actually wins:  as a Vice President, driving the agenda in the Congress he knows, he'd work wonders.  But not a candidate.

Personally, with picking Ryan, I think they just gift-wrapped Florida for the President.

[Sheilbh]

As Seedy has pointed out the choice of Ryan gives Obama a mountain of ammunition for negative ads.  It also elevates deficit reduction as a campaign issue. 

Bad choice for Romney, great choice for the US.

I agree with Ezra Klein, which is rare, Ryan's not a deficky hawk, he's a conservative reformer.  I also think he may be one of the best choices Romney had available.  I think it's the best move by Romney in a while.

[Admiral Yi]

I agree with Ezra Klein, which is rare, Ryan's not a deficky hawk, he's a conservative reformer.

Sounds to me like a repackaging of the old Democratic claim that deficit reduction is not "real" unless it includes tax increases.

[Sheilbh]

More that it's not real if it cuts the top rate of tax to 25% and eliminates capital gains tax entirely. But on that point no deficit reduction plan is credible without some tax increases, it's never happened.

But you're right I believe that's why he couldn't endorse Bowles-Simpson.

But it's not necessarily a negative, unless your only issue is deficit reduction.

[Phillip V]

I am confident that President Romney will raise revenue via taxes and fees.

[Neil]

I agree with Ezra Klein, which is rare, Ryan's not a deficky hawk, he's a conservative reformer.

Sounds to me like a repackaging of the old Democratic claim that deficit reduction is not "real" unless it includes tax increases.

That claim isn't exclusive to Democrats.  You shouldn't forget about independents and reasonable Republicans.

[Admiral Yi]

That claim isn't exclusive to Democrats.  You shouldn't forget about independents and reasonable Republicans.

It's spin.  The bond market doesn't give two shits whether defict reduction comes from taxes or spending. 

If you mean that it's not just Democrats that would prefer to cut the deficit through a mix, I don't disagree (although I would argue that Democrats are still more interested in kicking the can down the road).  That's not the same thing as saying Ryan's plan is not "real."  Disagreeing with something doesn't make it unreal. 

[sbr]

Let's say someone put out a plan to reduce carbon emissions by outlawing gas powered vehicles in the US.

Would that be a "real" plan?

[CountDeMoney]

Watching Mittens' doing a rally in Virginia right now.  Oh, man.  He's about as inspiring as a vending machine.

And he's still doing the Obama "if you have a business, you didn't build that" schtick.  Isn't that over two weeks old already?  Isn't the expiration date on sloganeering over once the rest of America figures it out?

[Razgovory]

Let's say someone put out a plan to reduce carbon emissions by outlawing gas powered vehicles in the US.

Would that be a "real" plan?

Presumably the Ryan plan where most of the cuts are back ended and the budget is balanced 10 years down the line.  Of course, that's not kicking the can.

[Admiral Yi]

Let's say someone put out a plan to reduce carbon emissions by outlawing gas powered vehicles in the US.

Would that be a "real" plan?

Sure.  If enacted it would achieve it's goal.

Obama wanted to cap and trade.  Politically impossible now, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a real plan.