Romney-Ryan. Dems Just Won the House. Oh yeah, and these guys get second terms.

Filed in National by on August 11, 2012

BidenObama-1

Dem operative: “We’ve spent 18 months trying to make House races about their plan for Medicare and Mitt Romney just did it for us overnight”

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  1. Delaware Dem says:

    And remember, the only way Romney could win is having this election as a referendum on Obama’s performance on the economy while offering no actual policy details of his own. And that was Romney’s strategy up until now.

    The pick of Ryan puts an end to that strategy. This is now a choice election, which is the strategy the Obama campaign wanted because that was the way Obama would win.

  2. pandora says:

    You’re correct, DD. Romney will actually have to take a policy stand. Won’t that be novel.

  3. ek says:

    When I told Mrs. Kitty, she said “Ryan – Isn’t he the guy whose retirement plan is ‘Logan’s Run’?”. LOL

  4. puck says:

    The Romney/Ryan campaign slogan: “Current retirees won’t be affected.”

    Obama’s gonna need some money. He spent a lot to get out front and define Romney before Romney could define himself; now he has to do the same for Ryan. Remember we know Ryan but most people don’t.

    I know I am going to be sick of hearing the word “entitlements” in these people’s mouths. Obama’s going to have to throw in some prominent ads and speeches educating what entitlements really are. There’s a serious terminology gap. Geezers are enthusiastic about cutting entitlements as long as you don’t touch Social Security or Medicare. Republicans want you to think of entitlements as welfare, but I prefer to think of them as the way we take care of our elderly and our poorest.

    Also, Ryan is even creepier than Romney.

  5. pandora says:

    Logan’s Run plan! LOL!

  6. auntie dem says:

    The Koch Brothers have found their puppets.

  7. Truth Teller says:

    I know the Bible thumpers down here is Sussex the land of the fat man won’t be able to put it together but we now have a Mormon and a worshiper of Ann Rand the atheists on the same ticket.This also should be fun watching the elder Teabaggers attempt to defend doing away with medicare

  8. cassandra_m says:

    It’s just before their convention and Romney is STILL trying to lock down his base. So it looks like he won’t even try to get votes from independents, right? Not a good sign for him!

    Anyone remember Sarah Silverman’s The Great Schlep in 2008 to get Jewish grandparents to vote for Obama? This year’s job for all Democrats with older relatives is to ask them how well they’d survive with $6K/year to spend on their medical care.

  9. Steve Newton says:

    @cassandra–unfortunately Sarah Silverman’s entry this year, offering lesbian “scissoring” to orgasm of a billionaire Romney supporter who’d give the money to Obama, didn’t go over half so well

  10. Election’s over. Cass is right. You run to your right flank in the Rethug primaries fully understanding that you have to move back to the center to have a shot in the General. Then, that little inconvenient taxes thingy enable the right-wingnuts, Rush and Laura, to force Robomney to deal from a position of weakness. Ryan’s their guy, and Romney’s basically HAD to pick him to stem a revolt from the true Rethug kingmakers.

    Oh, BTW, what’s Obama’s weakest demographic group? Old white guys. And he’s still winning w/o them. Wonder how old white guys are gonna like someone on the Rethug ticket who wants to eliminate Medicare and gut Social Security…betcha Joe brings that up…every day.

    I don’t even think this choice puts Wisconsin in play, but it sure as bleep takes Ohio and Pa. out of play.

    And we STILL don’t know what’s in those tax returns.

    Seriously, this is one bleeped-up campaign.

  11. Delaware Dem says:

    Look at how small the crowd is for the Announcement event. The picture on TV is deceiving, but the picture at the link is a 360 panoramic shot: http://360.io/ejX7z7

  12. jason330 says:

    Watching on CBS. Looks like it is about to rain in Virgina. That would be great.

  13. jason330 says:

    CBS says all of the Midwest is now in play. Jesus, milking the horse race at the expense of reporting the truth.

  14. Delaware Dem says:

    Another irony for evangelical Christians: Barack Obama is the only protestant in this race. LOL. #headsexplode

  15. Delaware Dem says:

    @Jason… uh, yeah, Paul Ryan has never been elected statewide in his own state. He will likely lose it this fall.

  16. jason330 says:

    The Romney logo looks llike a graph line trending downward.

  17. pandora says:

    I am stunned. Romney just flipped his entire campaign strategy – which was to avoid policy discussions at all costs.

  18. jason330 says:

    Look at mitts undershirt. Is it magic? It was oddly visible when he was coming down the stairs.

  19. pandora says:

    Paul Ryan appeals to out better angels????

  20. jason330 says:

    Romney just blew the intro and announced The Next President of the United States , Paul Ryan.

  21. pandora says:

    LOL! Just heard that!

    Also… Romney says “we will preserve and protect medicare and social security.” Has he met his running mate?

  22. cassandra_m says:

    Love how dKos has already branded these two — The Committee to End Medicare.

    Also love how the Ryan pick also gives the Obama Team a quick venue to campaign against a Do Nothing Congress. Since presumably their wiz kid here has been part of the problem.

  23. cassandra_m says:

    @Steve — apparently not, since I never even heard that. Yikes.

  24. cassandra_m says:

    How many years of tax returns do you think Ryan had to submit for vetting? More than two?

  25. Announced AFTER the Friday news dump and presented BEFORE most people even wake up.

    Either it’s more campaign ineptitude or they want to make sure that NOBODY watches the Rethug Convention.

    Usually, when something is this so obviously breathtakingly bad, I assume that they must know something that I don’t.

    This time, I don’t think so. It’s just a breathtakingly bad campaign.

  26. pandora says:

    Notice also how both Romney and Ryan are using evil teleprompters.

    BTW, has Ryan ever held a job outside of politics? I’ve heard that’s very important.

  27. cassandra_m says:

    @ El Som, it also sounds like they announced before their much touted app sent the news. A botch all around.

  28. There is no other way to interpret this: Romney allowed Limbaugh and the Pirate Queen to select his nominee.

    To think otherwise would be to think that Romney, of his own volition, chose the living embodiment of the most reviled Congress in history to be his running-mate.

    For the first time, I’m starting to think that the D’s have a chance to take back the House. How would YOU like to be a first-term R trying to defend Ryan’s plan to kill Medicare, gut Medicaid, and privatize Social Security to your constituents? At some point, they’re either gonna have to cut links with the national ticket, or they’re gonna lose.

    For the D’s, I don’t think Romney could have picked a better target than Ryan.

  29. cassandra_m says:

    Statement from Team Obama Campaign:

    CHICAGO – Obama for America Campaign Manager Jim Messina released the following statement in response to Mitt Romney picking Congressman Paul Ryan to be his presumptive nominee for vice president:
    “In naming Congressman Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy. The architect of the radical Republican House budget, Ryan, like Romney, proposed an additional $250,000 tax cut for millionaires, and deep cuts in education from Head Start to college aid. His plan also would end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher system, shifting thousands of dollars in health care costs to seniors. As a member of Congress, Ryan rubber-stamped the reckless Bush economic policies that exploded our deficit and crashed our economy. Now the Romney-Ryan ticket would take us back by repeating the same, catastrophic mistakes.”

  30. Brangelina says:

    What did Kenny Loggins say?

  31. socalistic ben says:

    Might as well start calling it the Ryan-Romney ticket. Looks like Ol’ CEO mitt is being told what to do by his shareholders (Kochs)

  32. Geezer says:

    “Romney allowed Limbaugh and the Pirate Queen to select his nominee.”

    The guy stumping hardest for Ryan was Bill Kristol, the guy who pushed so hard to get Sarah Palin on the McCain ticket. That worked out fabulously well, so you can see why they’d listen to him again this time.

    Cass: Someone has dubbed the ticket “Thurston Howell/Eddie Munster 2012.”

  33. Rob Portman says:

    Fuck this bullshit. I mean, great choice.

  34. cassandra_m says:

    @Geezer, that was someone on Twitter and that is very clever indeed.

  35. pandora says:

    Oh my… looks like Romney is no longer on board with the Ryan plan.

    Questions and Answers About The Romney/Ryan Ticket:

    1) Does this mean Mitt Romney is adopting the Paul Ryan plan?

    · Gov. Romney applauds Paul Ryan for going in the right direction with his budget, and as president he will be putting together his own plan for cutting the deficit and putting the budget on a path to balance.

    Does he really intend to distance himself from the Ryan plan while naming Ryan as his VP?

  36. Liberal Elite says:

    @P “I am stunned. Romney just flipped his entire campaign strategy – which was to avoid policy discussions at all costs.”

    Well, his other strategy wasn’t working… nor did it look like it would start working. If you want to stop the Dems from talking about your tax returns, force them to go to policy.

    But the Dems will make sure that the Ryan plan is front and center. Now that strategy has legs. I do think this will backfire for all of the Republicans running for any federal office. I’ll be you that there are plenty of them cursing at Romney this morning as they kick their refrigerators.

  37. pandora says:

    Hey LE… another Romney flip-flop. 🙂

    And the taxes aren’t going away.

  38. X Stryker says:

    “What did Kenny Loggins say?”

    That Romney’s on a highway to the danger zone? Actually, maybe he should rewrite Footloose…

    Screw loose! Screw loose! Romney is gonna lose!
    He’s, a sleaze! Obama’s gonna win with ease!
    Hack, on crack! Compassion’s what they lack!
    Use, this news! Every wingnut’s gotta screw loose!

  39. cassandra_m says:

    And Dems don’t have to go too far to talk about Medicare policy — there have been recent House Republicans criticizing the Ryan plan this cycle.

  40. Rockland says:

    Finally we have two adults in the room. Both these guys are intelligent, capable and accomplished. It is a strong serious ticket. I pray that our electorate is as competent. If not, we can say good bye USA. I hate to say that.

  41. Jason330 says:

    I feel Rocky’s pain. I really do. I spent the Bush years completely befuddled by events. How was it that everyone couldn’t see what I could see so clearly?

    We are all prisoners of our experience, and teabags like Rocky, are not merely prisoners, but utterly lacking in critical thinking skills – they are slaves to their wingnut media masters.

    I am 100% sure that he has never had the thought, “Why do I think this?”

  42. cassandra_m says:

    Isn’t it interesting that Rocky here would count someone who has spent the majority of his life working for government — as in never having a real job — as *competent*?

    🙄

    But then Jason just got finished talking about the teajadi lack of critical thinking skills.

  43. Dominique says:

    This post and thread smell of sweet desperation.

    Today is the best day EVER! I seriously can’t stop smiling about this as I’ve had a political crush on Paul Ryan since he released his Roadmap for America. I seriously swoon when he’s being interviewed.

    Your point of view about Ryan will be shared by every other leftie zealot who was never going to vote for anyone but Obama. What you’re conveniently forgetting is his appeal to Independents and swing voters – you know, NORMAL people who spend time thinking of things other than politics like you freaks do 24/7. He’s articulate, intelligent, charming and genuine. And he’s easy on the eyes.

    Good luck with your pathetic little Mediscare campaign. Fear has gotten Dems into office since the beginning of time. Maybe it’ll work for you again this time. You better hope so since your idol has nothing else to run on but a list of horrible economic indicators and miserable failures. Oh, wait! He did kill Obama with his bare hands (or something like that). Haha! Good luck! 🙂

  44. pandora says:

    Idol? Like the way you idolized Hillary? And after she didn’t get the nomination you went against every single principle/issue/policy Hillary believed in and fought for. What were you supporting four years ago? Sorry, I have more respect for David Anderson.

  45. The Man says:

    Actually, this VP choice rocks! I can’t wait until the VP Debate, assuming Joe agrees. He’ll get destroyed.

  46. socalistic ben says:

    Rocky, does that mean you’ll move to a more right-wing friendly country when Obama wins? maybe Saudi-Arabia, or Iran.

  47. Geezer says:

    Actually, it’s the choice and the timing that drip flopsweat.

    One election in this country was run on the Ryan Medicare “plan,” and in it a Democrat won his district for the first time since the Civil War.

    This choice didn’t just finish off Mitt. It puts the House in play for the Democrats. That conservatives are happy shows just how little they understand the reality-based world. Joe Biden might not be good for much, but he remains a great public speaker. Paul Ryan, unfortunately for the GOP, is none of the things Dominque claims, and is especially not a good public speaker or debater. Joe will mop the floor with him.

  48. Geezer says:

    “I seriously swoon when he’s being interviewed.”

    TMI.

  49. Another Mike says:

    “I pray that our electorate is as competent. If not, we can say good bye USA. I hate to say that.”

    No, you love to say that. I know you love it because this is what I hear from the haters more than anything. “Goodbye USA.” “There go our freedoms.” “No longer the America I knew.” “He’s a commie bastard.”

    Seriously, name one freedom you’ve lost since Obama took office. I’ll wait. You could point out policy failures, or economic woes, or any of a thousand reasons why you won’t vote for Obama. They are legit. But I just don’t get this lost freedom thing. I lost more freedoms under the previous administration than anything you could come up with.

    Examples? Warrantless wiretapping. Monitoring of religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity. Monitoring of jailhouse conversations between attorneys and clients. Indefinite detention.

    Oh, wait, that’s right. I am now being forced to buy medical insurance, robbing me of the freedom to be a freeloader at the St. Francis ER and shifting all the costs on to the rest of you suckers. Silly me.

  50. puck says:

    Why is it they are calling Ryan intellectual? I don’t get that. Maybe Republicans only get one intellectual, which used to be Newt until he was exposed?

  51. puck says:

    It’s not over; there’s still a campaign to be fought, and a lot more campaign money on the GOP side. The chances that Ryan’s message catches on with voters are slim, but if it does happen the consequences are grave.

    Ryan’s schtick is long-term deficits – that’s his particular way to justify handing the economy over to corporations and the wealthy while shrinking the middle class.

    I expect to see a lot of charts showing some huge projected deficit in 2050. And then more charts showing a balanced budget in 2050 if we voucherize all benefits, cut taxes for the rich, and swallow a whole bunch of unrealistic supply-side growth predictions.

    The long-term Medicare financing charts are indeed scary. But the best response is one Obama won’t give: national health care.

    A lot will be said about Social Security going bankrupt or “not being there.” But Democrats haven’t said this enough – the worst-case scenarios for Social Security have it continuing to pay out 75% of benefits. That’s a gap that can be prevented by less drastic tweaks now, not privatization.

  52. puck says:

    In Ryan’s vision of economic freedom, rich and poor alike have the liberty to sleep under a bridge.

  53. Jason330 says:

    Under the Romney/Ryan budget, Romney’s effective tax rate would be less than 1%. The economic vision being advocated by the GOP ticket is so extreme that people don’t believe that it is their actual plan when polled.

  54. Geezer says:

    Last time conservatives were this happy was when Sarah Palin was added to the McCain ticket. Just sayin’.

  55. Geezer says:

    No open thread yet, so just thought I’d give Rob Tornoe fans a heads-up — his cartoon is currently the lead item on Daily Kos.

  56. traveler says:

    The Romney-Ryan ticket will end the White House insanity. I’m sure that Obama and Blowhard Biden will blame it all on Bush.
    This campaign will prove the Republicans will keep the House and win the Senate, while sending Obama and Biden packing back to private life.
    I’m sure that Obama will have no problems for the rest of his life. He has probably set aside his own stimulus package in the Cayman Islands.

  57. jason330 says:

    Travy, If you had even a little bit of data to back up your unhinged teabag jibber-jabber it would feel a little less like unhinged teabag jibber-jabber.

  58. pandora says:

    LOL! Cayman Islands is all Mitt.

  59. Prup (aka Jim Benton) says:

    But travy is merely earning his Koch Brothers Green Stamps. (He isn’t quite intelligent enough to reach the second level of the Pyramid and earn free waffle fries for every post along with the stamps.)

    His mention of the Caymans, though, should remind us how relativelt scandal-free the Obama Administration has been, and what it was like, the period of the Bush years where a new petty scandal was showing up every day (the ‘male model’ posing as a reporter, the aide who was running a ‘gift return’ scam, the various people caught distributing or keeping ‘inappropriate images’ — either pornographic or racist, the ‘science advisor’ who never completed even his Bachelor’s Degree).

    Now the worst the Conservatives can find — outside of Corsi-Farah fantasies — is complaining that a Congressman — and Senatorial Candidate — voted to save her state’s only hospital for kidney diseases because — oh, HORRORS! — her husband is a specialist in kidney diseases. (The patients who continued to go to the hospital, I’m sure, regret saving their own lives because of her ‘corrupt vote. — If you are wondering, the Congressman is Shelley Berkeley from Nevada, and she has a good enough chance at defeating Dean Heller that she deserves some support.)

    But don’t worry, if Romney gets elected — slightly more probable than an invasion from another solar system this year, I guess — this is another way in which he’ll bring back the Good Old Days of the Bush Administration.