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

[Brittain33]

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

[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).

[Brittain33]

Well, good for Romney. I don't know if he's going to win or not, but he needed a game changer, and this was the right way to do it.

[Brittain33]

Well, good for Romney. I don't know if he's going to win or not, but he needed a game changer, and this was the right way to do it.

Ryan is more of the same.

Yeah, there is absolutely no stretch of that phrase where I can think of this as some sort of "game changer." Paul Ryan has been the epitome of everything the Democrats have been (rightfully) accusing the Republicans of supporting since Obama took office.

Let me explain what I was thinking... "more of the same" to me was Romney pretending this election was a referendum on Obama, that if anyone was unhappy with unemployment they have to vote for him, and that he stood for generic values of free enterprise and American strength. He'd been coasting on that for a while and it wasn't working out. Picking someone like Pawlenty or Portman would have amplified the same tinny message and not made a difference.

Picking Ryan marks no change in the policies Romney would have pursued, but it gambles that putting them front and center may make a change for the better and that Ryan is charismatic or respectable enough to rejuvenate his campaign. Will it make a difference? They have to see.

[Brittain33]

Sarah Palin hasn't commented yet.

[Brittain33]

If the election were a referendum on Obama, Romney wouldn't have slid in the polls on the past month. Obama has made headway in making Romney unlikable.

[Brittain33]

If the election were a referendum on Obama, Romney wouldn't have slid in the polls on the past month. Obama has made headway in making Romney unlikable.

No and yes. Obama's best strategy is to make the referendum on Obama the man. He wins the favorability polls easily. His messaging this summer has served to keep the referendum on that point.

I don't think we share a definition of "referendum." If Obama wanted this to be a referendum on his favorability, he would be focusing on his own image. Instead, he has focused on discrediting Romney. This would be in line with his making it a choice between him and Romney, not a referendum, which is "yes or no" on the incumbent without consideration for the alternative.

[Brittain33]

Sarah Palin responded by bookending a very long criticism of Obama with mentions of Ryan's name.

https://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin/posts/10151109537628588

[Brittain33]

all the buzz has been about Biden being dropped from the ticket, what a terrible choice he is.

Um, no.

[Brittain33]

all the buzz has been about Biden being dropped from the ticket, what a terrible choice he is.

Um, no.

Ah, yes.  There is even a thread on it.

Yeah. J.J., you responding to Winfield responding to Politico on the Atlas Forum does not consititute "buzz about Joe Biden."
Of course, there is no more clear indication that something is trending in US politics than someone opening a thread about it on Atlas Forum.

Eat our dust Drudge!

[Brittain33]

Oh, and here:  http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_08/so_much_easier_to_spin_in_fact039297.php

I don't expect this to happen, but it has been the story of the week.

J.J., did you even read that link at Washington Monthly? It's completely dismissive of the story and its source and the whole phenomenon of Biden navel gazing. Go ahead, read it. They aren't talking about "the rumor of Biden being dropped", they're talking about the phenomenon of discredited Republican writers talking about bogus rumors.