With Paul Ryan, GOP is now the party of change and the future.

[powderman]

With Paul Ryan on ticket, GOP is now the party of change and the future  By Michael Goodwin
Published August 20, 2012
New York Post     

•    FILE: August 17, 2012: Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. speaks during a campaign rally at Deep Run High School in Henrico county, Va. (AP)

  A political maxim holds that you can’t beat Somebody with Nobody. It largely explains why Mitt Romney was having trouble going head-to-head against President Obama.
The incumbent is a much more skillful and confident campaigner, and polls show many Americans like him, despite being unhappy with his policies and the country’s direction. Obama is definitely a Somebody and that’s an advantage.
Romney, wooden and rich, was a fat target for the White House’s vicious personal attacks. Despite the president’s economic record, Romney was proving to be a Nobody among many voters, including independents and even some Republicans. He was on a path to defeat.
But a major transformation is happening before our eyes. Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate is reframing the race and setting new terms of engagement.
Suddenly, instead of Somebody vs. Nobody, the campaign is becoming Something vs. Nothing. Because of Ryan’s substantive agenda and ability to articulate it, the GOP ticket is now the Something running against the Democrats’ Nothing.
Part of that dynamic is Ryan’s age, which, at 42, is making Republicans the party of change and the future. Meanwhile, Dems, with their burdens of incumbency and the decision to stick with failed, unpopular policies, are becoming the party of the status quo. The Obama-Biden bumper sticker says “Forward,” but their fixation on Romney’s taxes and his long-ago business career seem small and dated.
Biden especially, having morphed from gregarious and seasoned into demented and dangerous, is a vivid symbol of the tattered brand. The fact that the White House must keep insisting he remains on the ticket reflects a team on defense.
This remarkable development crystallized in just a week. The race now feels more like 2010, when the Tea Party swept out a generation of Democrats, than it does 2008, when Dems won everything.
You see the change in growing GOP crowds, which are far more enthusiastic. Fund-raising, never a problem, is even better.
Romney himself is tapping into a new level of emotion and energy. His team is setting the agenda, especially on Medicare, instead of just ducking the latest Obama incoming.
Most important for America, this is no longer a Seinfeld election — about nothing. The 2012 race is becoming about very big things.
In addition to whether Romney’s biography makes him the economic Mr. Fixit, it’s also now about deficits, debt, ObamaCare, entitlements and America’s posture in the world. Everything big is on the table.
Ryan didn’t change the dynamics singlehandedly — but almost. His selection is giving the GOP the jolt it desperately needed, and early polls show the race back to even. Some key states are leaning to Romney.
Of course, the tide could turn again. Besides external events, like a war in the Mideast, the biggest unknown is whether Republicans can sustain the energy and win the public argument over entitlements. Their initial foray looks smart: highlighting that ObamaCare gets much of its early funding by taking $716 billion from Medicare over 10 years, and contrasting that with Romney’s plan to repeal ObamaCare and not cut Medicare.
Still, the skeptics include some professional Republicans, who fear that Romney and Ryan have picked a fight they can’t win. Their view is the traditional one: Social Security and Medicare are the third rails, and he who touches them dies.
That belief, shared by both parties, explains why those programs have grown big enough to sink the country. The short-term thinking that puts winning the next election ahead of the nation’s well-being has run its course. The future has arrived.
In fact, the real question of 2012 is not whether to touch the third rails. The only choice is how to touch them. Either we change entitlements to save them, or they bankrupt America.
So far, Romney and Ryan alone recognize and accept that challenge. That makes them Something. All other things being equal, that usually beats Nothing.
To continue reading Michael Goodwin's column in the New York Post on additional topics, including Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano, click here.
Michael Goodwin is a Fox News contributor and New York Post columnist.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/20/with-paul-ryan-on-ticket-gop-is-now-party-change-and-future/#ixzz2464c5iBX

[Dee]

Of course it is. Ryan single handedly is going to do what no other man is going to do. He's goin to "reform Romney" , and the "entire Republican Party . This is a regurgitation of the same crap every election cycle. The knight, or in Palin's case knight-et, will rescue Republican voters again. Oh! Wait! They've never rescued them! EVER!   But Americans will buy into it again. Their afraid not to.

[guzzijohn]

Well, at least Ryan appears to have some personality. I have rocks at my house that display more personality that Mitt does.
GuzziJohn

[Doublebass73]

Just what we need, another believer in bank bailouts. That's some change for ya!

[clum sum]

Isn't it aginst the law or at lest aginst policy to use a Gov. owned ficility for campaign use? This was a tax payer owned school?  Not picking on anyone,but I am going to call county Code enforcement about all the camaign signs on the road right of way. And I don't care who or what party they are IT IS WRONGE.

[billy_56081]

Another thing about Mr. Ryan is that he is a devotee of Ayn Rand,  the charming soviet commie cast off socialist type most known for writng the narcisstic Atlas Shrugged tome.  In fact, he makes everyone on his staff read this melarchy called Atlas Shrugged.  This indicates the debt of his personal knowledge and spiritual development...
.
 Here's old time real intellectual conservative, Wm Buckley, classifying Atlas Shrugged as essentially worthless self worshipping narcissim with single "absence of goodness" of any book:
.
[embed=425,349]http://youtu.be/5KmPLkiqnO8[/embed]
.
.
It should be known that commie cast off Rand actually supports 'collectivism' and governmnet support strategies as long as it feeds and supports her 'producer' elite class...... ...who ever the he!! they are..
.
.
.
....TM7

BWAHAHAHAHAHA TM! Obviously you have never read the book. I guess you are just spouting talking points that fit your agenda. Commie cast off now that is funny!

[rio grande]

Republican Party. the party of 'change and the future'.
Yeah, right.

These so-called elections are simply a shell game. 4 years ago the libs were duped by 'hope and change'.  Now we are supposed to be fooled by 'change and the future'.

You know, if Romney and Obama did not have different skin colors how would you tell them apart?


The famous '40 reasons' why they are the same candidate....
1. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both supported the renewal of the Patriot Act.
2. Barack Obama has not closed Guantanamo Bay like he promised to do, and Mitt Romney actually wants to double the number of prisoners held there
3. Mitt Romney says that Barack Obama’s bailout of the auto industry was actually his idea.
4. They both accuse each other of shipping jobs out of the country and both of them are right.
5. They both believe in big government and they both have a track record of being big spenders while in office.
6. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both fully support the Federal Reserve.
7. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are both on record as saying that the president should not question the “independence” of the Federal Reserve.
8. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have both said that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke did a good job during the last financial crisis.
9. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both felt that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke deserved to be renominated to a second term.
10. Both candidates oppose a full audit of the Federal Reserve.
11. Both candidates are on record as saying that U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has done a good job.
12. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have both been big promoters of universal health care.
13. Mitt Romney was the one who developed the plan that Obamacare was later based upon.
14. Wall Street absolutely showers both candidates with campaign contributions.
15. Neither candidate wants to eliminate the income tax or the IRS.
16. Both candidates want to keep personal income tax rates at the exact same levels for the vast majority of Americans.
17. Both candidates are “open” to the idea of imposing a Value Added Tax on the American people.
18. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both believe that the TSA is doing a great job.
19. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both supported the NDAA.
20. Both are heavily influenced by Corporate lobbyists, not by the American People.
21. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both believe that the federal government should be able to indefinitely detain American citizens that are considered to be terrorists.
22. Both candidates believe that American citizens suspected of being terrorists can be killed by the president without a trial.
23. .Mitt Romney supported Barack Obama’s “economic stimulus” packages. Both Support TARP.
24. Both candidates support the practice of “extraordinary rendition”.
25. They both support the job-killing “free trade” agenda of the global elite.
26. Neither candidate supports immediately balancing the federal budget.
27. Both candidates are extremely soft on illegal immigration.
28. Neither candidate has any military experience.  This is the first time that this has happened in a U.S. election since 1944.
29. Both candidates earned a degree from Harvard University.
30. They both believe in the theory of man-made global warming.
31. Mitt Romney has said that he will support a “cap and trade” carbon tax scheme (like the one Barack Obama wants) as long as the entire globe goes along with it.
32. Both candidates have a very long record of supporting strict gun control measures.
33. Both candidates have been pro-abortion most of their careers.  Mitt Romney’s “conversion” to the pro-life cause has been questioned by many.  In fact, Mitt Romney has made millions on Bain Capital’s investment in a company called “Stericycle” that incinerated aborted babies collected from family planning clinics.
34. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both believe that the Boy Scout ban on openly gay troop leaders is wrong.
35. They both believe that a “two state solution” will bring lasting peace between the Palestinians and Israel.
36. Both candidates have a history of nominating extremely liberal judges.
37. Like Barack Obama, Mitt Romney also plans to add “signing statements” to bills when he signs them into law.
38. They both have a horrible record when it comes to job creation.
39. Both candidates believe that the president has the power to take the country to war without getting the approval of the U.S. Congress.
40. Both candidates plan to continue running up more government debt even though the U.S. government is already 16 trillion dollars in debt.

[rio grande]

Social Security is not an 'entitlement'. It is a debt, an obligation the U.S. government owes to those who paid into it.


"...stolen SS funds are now approaching 3 trillion.  That is 3 trillion dollars of FICA taxes gleaned from generations of workers for a specific purpose that the federal government stole and then sold special treasury notes on.   This is a debt owed by the federal government (USA Corp) to the investors (all you workers) that they never had any intention of paying back and is why it is referred to as an “unfunded liability”.  It is a massive cash liability for a debt owed to generations of working Americans.  As the amount stolen from the investments of workers grows so does the unfunded liability incurred." 

Powderman, you write "Either we change entitlements to save them, or they bankrupt America."
I say, either we end these disastrous foreign wars and military spending, or they will bankrupt America.
Romney and Ryan want it all - lower taxes on rich folk like themselves, and more spending on wars.  Financed by cuts to and privatization of social programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Let the rich pay for the wars if they are so determined to wage them. They can reinstate the draft - then see the protests! Or maybe they can fight these aggressive wars themselves, them and their kids.

http://ppjg.me/2011/02/17/social-security-is-not-an-entitlement-program/

[Needles]

More like the party of change it back to the past and let it all go bad again...

[jimster]

Well if ya keep what ya got your doomed, if you take what they (republicans) are offering you your doomed, I'd say forget the election for president, try to concentrate on congress where the power is, concentrate on your own state and local governments and beef that up.  Relax and have a beer or glass of wine more often, there is not a lot you can do other than vote. Don't let it eat you up too much, things are already crashed to the point where if government does what it has to do (shrink) there will be lots of pain, if they don't there will be lots more pain, might as well enjoy your families and hobbies and make the best of it, because there is going to be some pain no matter what happens. I've resigned talking politics to other people, I think I'm going to be more quiet on here from now on and just listen, otherwise I get too carried away with this stuff sometimes.

[rio grande]

Well if ya keep what ya got your doomed, if you take what they (republicans) are offering you your doomed, I'd say forget the election for president, try to concentrate on congress where the power is, concentrate on your own state and local governments and beef that up.  Relax and have a beer or glass of wine more often, there is not a lot you can do other than vote. Don't let it eat you up too much, things are already crashed to the point where if government does what it has to do (shrink) there will be lots of pain, if they don't there will be lots more pain, might as well enjoy your families and hobbies and make the best of it, because there is going to be some pain no matter what happens. I've resigned talking politics to other people, I think I'm going to be more quiet on here from now on and just listen, otherwise I get too carried away with this stuff sometimes.

Good advice, if we could follow it.
Emotions run high here.
Something to remember - we are all brothers and sisters here, all of us who care about America and our loved ones. This is a place of freedom, where all can speak.
Something else not to forget..."Love your neighbor as yourself", and our 'neighbors' are found all over the world, in every nation, every religion (or lack of), and every ethnic group.

[magooch]

Well if you left wingers are so convinced that Romney and Ryan are so much a copy of Obama, you shouldn't have any problem voting for them.  What is the truth here is that Obama has proven himself to be unable to make things better and he is really incompetent.  Oh, and he is a communist.