Romney picks Paul Ryan as his running mate **official thread**

[All Along The Watchtower]

The thing a lot of people don't understand, is that the GOP is growing more desperate and more out of control. The many contradictions within the GOP coalition were revealed during the 2012 primaries, and the endless stream of "Not Romneys", all of whom failed, some in spectacular fashion, lead the party to reluctantly settle on the one guy the "base" desperately didn't want.

With Romney slipping further and further behind in the polls, and the generally clumsy way his campaign has handled controversy so far, it was time for a "bold" pick. Why Ryan? Because the hope is that the will shift the frames of the debate in American discourse back to deficits, spending, and the scope of government, rather than jobs, health care, social issues, and growing economic inequality and a shrinking middle class.

[Phony Moderate]

Congrats to everyone who called it long ago....RogueBeaver springs to mind because he's had it as his screen name for a long time.

[retromike22]

yesssssssssssssss

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

So much for my Romney/Newt dream huh lol 

[retromike22]

I cannot wait for the Biden vs. Ryan debate

[SteveRogers]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57491416/romney-to-announce-running-mate-saturday-in-va?tag=breakingnews

This is either the real deal or a massive intentional fake-out by the Romney team.

[tmthforu94]

If anyone has doubts, if you go to "www.romneyryan.com", it redirects to Romney's campaign page.

[SteveRogers]

If anyone has doubts, if you go to "www.romneyryan.com", it redirects to Romney's campaign page.

And romneypawlenty.com leads to:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Lol, poor T-Paw.

[Vern]

The only thing that leads me to think its not Ryan is, Mitt's VP app hasn't been changed. The people who have that is suppose to know first who his VP is. In 2008 when Obama was going to text who his VP once  rumors came out they sent the text saying who it was.

[TJ in Oregon]

http://romneyportman.com/ works too

[Psychic Octopus]

The only thing that leads me to think it not Ryan is Mitt's VP app hasn't been changed. The people who have that is suppose to know first who his VP is. In 2008 when Obama was going to text who his VP was ones rumors came out they sent the text saying who it was.

I signed up for the text. Biden had already been confirmed as the VP pick before the text was sent out. I remember because I got the text at like 3:30 in the morning, and was annoyed it woke me up. It's just a gimmick.

[Vern]

The only thing that leads me to think it not Ryan is Mitt's VP app hasn't been changed. The people who have that is suppose to know first who his VP is. In 2008 when Obama was going to text who his VP was ones rumors came out they sent the text saying who it was.

I signed up for the text. Biden had already been confirmed as the VP pick before the text was sent out. I remember because I got the text at like 3:30 in the morning, and was annoyed it woke me up. It's just a gimmick.

That's the point Im making... Ryan has bee confirmed by the news but yet the app is the same.

[California8429]

The only thing that leads me to think its not Ryan is, Mitt's VP app hasn't been changed. The people who have that is suppose to know first who his VP is. In 2008 when Obama was going to text who his VP once  rumors came out they sent the text saying who it was.

The people who have that are supposed to be sucked into the Romney social media outreach program, not necessarily know first. Officially yes, unofficially no.

[SteveRogers]

The only thing that leads me to think it not Ryan is Mitt's VP app hasn't been changed. The people who have that is suppose to know first who his VP is. In 2008 when Obama was going to text who his VP was ones rumors came out they sent the text saying who it was.

I signed up for the text. Biden had already been confirmed as the VP pick before the text was sent out. I remember because I got the text at like 3:30 in the morning, and was annoyed it woke me up. It's just a gimmick.

That's the point Im making... Ryan has bee confirmed by the news but yet the app is the same.

Yes, it seems Mitt's pointless and terrible app shall forever remain pointless and terrible.

[Averroës Nix]

An amazing pick in several respects, but what I find most notable is that it's hard to imagine this pick taking place unless A) Romney is feeling bearish about his odds of winning or B) Romney is more worried about protecting his right flank than he is about appealing to undecideds.

[Mr. Morden]

Gore-Lieberman-Edwards-Biden...4 most recent Dem. VP picks were all sitting US Senators.
Kemp-Cheney-Palin-Ryan...4 most recent GOP VP picks....none of them were current or former US Senators.

[Lief 🗽]

Three of them were or had been members of the House though.

[RI]

No one is possibly wondering this, but there haven't been very many alliterative major parties tickets in US history. In fact, there fact been only two such previous tickets:

1952: Stevenson-Sparkman (D) - Lost
1856: Buchanan-Breckinridge (D) - Won

It has never happened for the Republicans. It would be an R trifecta, though, with a Republican ticket of Romney-Ryan.

[Nichlemn]

Ryan could run for VP and House seat

Do you think he does?

[Brittain33]

Is Saturday timing normal? Seems weird for any other kind of news, but I don't know, maybe for VP it's different.

[Mr. Morden]

Is Saturday timing normal? Seems weird for any other kind of news, but I don't know, maybe for VP it's different.

Obama announced the choice of Biden on a Saturday.  Of course, it was the Saturday before the convention.  I think at least one of the two of Cheney and Lieberman was also on a Saturday (can't remember which), but again, that was just two days before the convention.

Also, still nothing posted on Romney's campaign website.....though the fact that romneyryan.com redirects to his website is pretty definitive proof IMHO.  I imagine that those bootleg Romney/Ryan bumper stickers will do some business in the hours before the campaign provides official versions.  E.g.:



or:

http://www.zazzle.com.au/romney_ryan_2012_bumper_sticker-128758266343869604

[Lief 🗽]

Announcing it on the Saturday of the last weekend of the Olympics seems pretty stupid to me, but I guess that's why I'm not in charge of Republican presidential campaigns.

[Brittain33]

Announcing it on the Saturday of the last weekend of the Olympics seems pretty stupid to me, but I guess that's why I'm not in charge of Republican presidential campaigns.

Given how badly trapped Romney is right now I'm sure announcing his VP quickly was the right move instead of waiting for the Olympics to end and having several more horrible days talking about Harry Reid's allegation or if he secrets supports Romneycare (which of course he does).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Did I not predict that Mutt Rhymney's running mate would be a 'sociopath in a bad suit'? I believe that I did. All hail my predicterating skills of brilliance and skillfulness.

[Mr. Morden]

CNN reports that the Romney VP app has now announced Ryan as his choice for running mate.