Why Paul Ryan is a good choice for Romney.

I am sure that I was not the only person surprised by Romney's VP pick. Everything led to a softer, safer choice. So the news that Paul Ryan was the running mate was a little shocking. Many bloggers and TV pundits will be examining why Romney chose someone who will outshine him, but I will just give a quick thought on that and then move on to how Ryan is good for Romney.

 Romney is reluctant to come out strong on any issue, this is damaging to his bid for the white house, so he needed someone who had a strong stance.

Ryan's place on the house budget committee, coupled with his budget, will tie Tea Party supporters even more tightly to the Romney ticket. Those Tea Party members who would have decided to not vote rather than vote Romney, will now come out and vote for Ryan. This election is now, not Romney v Obama, for many people it is now Obama v Ryan. Like GW Bush, Romney now has a strong running mate that gives his candidacy life and personality.

Ryan will bring vigor and life to this campaign. He is extremely popular among young Republicans, he even excites those college students who find themselves drawn to selfishness and blind ambition. Those who see college, not as a chance to challenge the vies of their parents and find their own way to think, but as a stepping stone to the life of self propelled success. 

Ryan is popular with a large number of independent voters as well. He will bring voters to the polls in November. What the Republicans might lose in older voters, they will more than make up for in younger voters. This election could be won the same way that the '08 election was, by energized young voters who will vote for an ideal larger than themselves.

That ideal is a drastic departure from that held by Obama supporters, but it is being embraced all the same.

CNN Republican debate

It is 8:00 MST, I have just finished watching the live Republican debate.
so lets get right to it.
What I liked
1. I liked that Herman Cain said that states should decide the gay marriage issue. He was the only person among a seven member panel, who all say they are for more states' rights, to actually stand up for states rights. His comment proves that he is willing to stand on his principles even if it means that states do something that to his mind is not right.
2. I liked that Ron Paul took a strong stance on ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What I didn't like
Well I was not surprised by anything, except the statements above.
1. Pawlenty didn't stand by his "Google test". When a question was asked about NASA Pawlenty, and all of the others, wanted to save it in some form. Does he not know about Virgin airlines?

I am not going to write a whole lot more, except to say the following.
These candidates are essentially the same person. There is nothing for anyone to get excited about. There is plenty for independent, and moderate Republican voters to be concerned about. Without exception the entire panel (if you'll pardon my language) masturbated the radical right, and the Tea Party. They were unwilling to depart from the die hard lines that have been drawn for them .
As I watched, I could not help but think of the line from Dante. "Abandon all hope ye who enter here."

Republican candidates

Ron Paul

1 says that he would do away with the ADA, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid,

2 believes that a business owner can choose to discriminate against any kind of person he does not like.

3 believes that public schools should be closed. School is a privilege not a right.

Newt Gingrich

Same as above with a few exceptions

1 if you hold public office, having an affair is "Patriotic"

2 As far as I can gather he believes in public schools.

Mitt Romney

1. Passed health care reform that is exactly the same as the affordable care act. He says that it was a good idea for his state, but the rest of the country doesn't need insurance. Did not mention his reform when he rolled out his new website.

2. Believes that giving money to small businesses is the same as socialism.

3. After saying that the auto bailout worked, he said that Obama was "the worst president".

Tim Pawlenty

1.Wants to eliminate ethanol subsidies while keeping them for big oil.

2. Wants Medicare doctors to be paid not just by volume but based on patient outcome. I like this idea actually. Those of us who have Medicare, or Medicaid know that quality of care is sometimes non existent. This idea at least tries to tackle the problem of fraud in the system.

Michelle Bachman

1. Repeal the affordable care act.

2. Amend the constitution so that it defines marriage as one man one woman.

3. Create jobs. (I guess)

4. De fund planned parenthood

Herman Cain

1. End all social programs, so that churches can take care of the poor.

2. Repeal the affordable care act.

3. End regulation of businesses, they will make the air and working conditions safer on their own.

Rick Santorum

1. End all regulation.

2. Repeal the affordable care act.

So there you have it. God help die hard Republicans if they don't field a better set of candidates than this.

All of these candidates are Tea Party suck ups. Where is the real Republican.