So now we have it; Paul Ryan is the Republican nominee for VP. Dems, progressives, and liberals have had some fun with this choice. That’s perfectly fine. However, we should not become complacent over this pick. Certainly, on paper Paul Ryan figuratively and literally (The Ryan Plan) is the complete antithesis of everything progressives believe in.
You could argue that the choice of Ryan should help us with seniors and older skewing states like Florida due to his voucher/coupon program for Medicare. He voted against Lily Ledbetter and for personhood, which should widen the gender gap. He does nothing for Romney with minorities. Hell, he probably doesn’t even put his own state in play. However, if you assume that Ryan has no political skills you do so at your peril. Ryan is a true believer in his philosophy, however wrong-headed it may be. People respond to that sort of sincerity, even when it does them no good. If you’ve noticed, people have been voting against their interests for years. Here’s the thing about Ryan; he sincerely believes he is Jimmy Stewart in Mr Smith Goes To Washington.
