“Conservatives,” write the editors of the National Review announcing their support for the Ryan ticket — and offering the consensus conservative view on the selection
. . . and not just the Romney campaign and the Republican apparatus, will have to stand ready to fight back against the distortions that are sure to come — indeed, have already begun. Democrats will say that Romney-Ryan is a ticket committed to “dismantling” Medicare (by ensuring its solvency); that it would leave the poor to fend for themselves (by extending the successful principles of welfare reform); that their only interest is to comfort the rich (whose tax breaks they wish to pare back). These are debates worth winning, and they can be won.
Indeed, the attacks and distortions have already begun. As Democrats demonize Ryan, demagogue his proposed cuts and distort his plan, Republicans need bear in mind what one of Mitt Romney’s one-time rivals for the Republican presidential nomination once said. In May 2011, Jon Huntsman wrote that critics of Ryan’s “approach incur a moral responsibility to propose reforms that would ensure Medicare’s ability to meet its responsibilities to retirees without imposing an unaffordable tax burden on future generations of Americans.”
Every time, Democrats and their defenders/apologists in the legacy media attack Paul Ryan, ask them to identify their plan to cut the deficit and reform entitlements.
By selecting Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has now made this election not just a referendum on Barack Obama, but also a choice between two competing visions of governing. And the Democrats have not specified how they will pay for theirs. When they attack, we must respond not just by defending the Ryan plan, but by attacking them for failing to put forward their own.
RELATED: Calling Romney’s rollout of his vice-presidential selection a “Terrific debut by Paul Ryan“, Hugh Hewitt offers that
The theme of “the choice” is a good one, and the promise by both Governor Romney and Representative Ryan of a serious campaign of ideas contrasts very well with the politics of personal destruction coming out of Chicago.
Indeed. Read the whole thing.
UPDATE: In his thoughtful piece on the Ryan selection, Fred Barnes reminds us (as have many other conservative pundits) that Democrats will “attack [Ryan’s plan] furiously, especially its reform of Medicare. But where’s their plan? Obama doesn’t have one; instead, he pretends the country isn’t facing a fiscal and economic crisis.“
It’s a good thing Democrats are so predictable. But it’s too bad so many people don’t pay attention.
You, sir, are exactly right. Four years ago it was hard to tell how McCain would be all that different from Obama. Now we know, and now we must choose between two starkly different visions of our country’s future. This election may be every bit as game-changing as 1980 turned out to be. And if R and R win, and if they do well, Paul Ryan might well be president in four or eight years.
Wow. Just, wow.
Mitt, you stuck by your principles with that choice. I’m proud of you. Go get ’em! And God help us if you lose.
It’s unfortunate that PR isn’t first on the ticket. He ain’t worth 8 years of Romney.
Sen. Nelson (FL) likes to waive around PolitiFact when he whines about the attacks on him. But when he commented on Romney’s pick on Facebook, he didn’t hesitate to use PolitiFact’s 2011 Lie of the Year: that Romney and Ryan would “end Medicare as we know it”. Couldn’t help pointing that out in the comments.
I saw a comment from a predictable lefty on facebook who had linked to this article. Needless to say, we can expect to hear lots of whining about “fairness” if there are any suggested changes in capital gains tax rates or the tax code in general.
Obama to Kill your Mother.
That would be quite a headline. Well, that’s Obama’s m.o. so now it’s time to throw it right back at him.
I hate dishonest garbage like this but if Obama wants to go down this road, fine. Apparently, he has no interest in an adult conversation on his policies preferring instead mindless garbage, so hey, how about this:
Obama supports killing your mother via ObamaCare
Medicare. You are going to be hearing a lot from Obama and his slugs on this issue now that Paul Ryan has been chosen as Romney’s running mate.
But here are the facts that Obama lies about.
President Obama has sucked $700 BILLION from Medicare to fund ObamaCare.
But facts have never gotten in the way of President Obama. I really don’t know how the man looks himself in the mirror each morning after slashing funding for Medicare and then accusing others of doing what he did. Says something about one’s moral compass doesn’t it?
Also ask Democrats exactly what taxes will be raised. I’ll bet they cant name them (they don’t exist).
Romney/Ryan will make no attempt to pay for Obama’s wasteful programs THAT ACCOMPLISH NOTHING, and only serve as a political manuver. They will end those programs.
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“The era of Big Government is over!”
– Bill Clinton
Rachel Maddow makes an ass of herself failing to defend Obama’s $700B cuts to Medicare.