Romney Makes His Choice

Presumed Republican candidate Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin Republican congressman Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate. I suspect that this choice will assure the re-election of Barack Obama. Or, it could lead to the downfall of the Republic.

Anyway, the choice is a very interesting one. Here are some quick observations:

1. Ryan might help win Wisconsin, and the Romney-Ryan ticket will surely work hard to win the state. Obama took Wisconsin in 2008, however, and is unlikely to lose the state this time around.
2. The choice of Ryan is a clear indication that Romney is not going to move to the center for the general election.
3. Ryan is known nationally primarily for his draconian budget, the hatred of which by Democrats knows no bounds. Romney has already embraced this budget. (Arguably, people know more about Ryan’s policies than Romney’s. This is odd.) This means that, perhaps for the first time in history, the VP candidate is going to make a real difference for a ticket. Tea Party types will be elated by Romney’s choice. Moderates and liberals have another strong reason not to vote for Romney.