The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Rob Long ·
September 14, 2011 at 5:19pm
Here's the latest -- released this morning -- Paul Ryan YouTube video. Every one of these makes me wish he'd change his mind and run.
From the comments:
Congressman Ryan, I know you've already said no, but you must be watching the same sorry debates that the rest of us are watching. Next year is a layup if we have the right candidate. No one makes these arguments as well as you. For the good of our country, please run for president!
I know he won't. But I wish he would.
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Comments:
May '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
I wish he would point out that every tax on corporations is a tax on both its workers and its investors. A company is nothing more than a group of citizens working together for mutual profit. Should corporate taxes even exist?
At least, he pointed out that money spent on lobbying can't be spent on making a better product. But I doubt swing voters automatically associate product investment with more jobs and lower prices for consumers.
For the time being, Ryan serves us better where he is at. If he was the head of the Republican party and Obama's challenger, the media would be working harder to distort these arguments. It's easier for swing voters and on-the-fence liberals to be swayed by someone who demonstrates no interest in self-aggrandizement and doesn't have demon horns painted on him by every liberal pundit.
Mar '11
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Not a single one of the Presidential candidates has explained the issue with that amount of even-handed, level-headed clarity in so short a time.
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
When I say this, most of my friends think I just don't like Rep. Ryan, which is untrue. I really like him, actually. Indeed, while I feel like there's no one who can articulate and explicate positions on tax policy and budget policy nearly as well as Rep. Ryan can, I wonder if on a national stage he'd be able to hold his own in arguments concerning Foreign Policy and appeal to social conservatives. Yes, he is obviously very very good at what he does, but he hasn't been able to show so far (granted, he hasn't needed to) an understanding of other issues which are important to voters and to the future of this nation.
For this reason, I agree with Mr. Miller's conclusion that
although we have different reasons, it seems, for approaching this conclusion.
May '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Ryan has actually spoken on foreign relations and social issues occasionally. He's an all-round conservative, and I admire him greatly.
But he's among those who believe slow-and-steady is still a viable strategy. I'm more of a mind with Steyn.
May '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Forget all of the "I wish he were this, why won't he do that" for just a moment and focus on one thing: this guy is very, very good.
Nov '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Aaron, I agree completely with this. But I still think Rob is right. I wanted him to run so badly, I can't even bring myself to watch the debates any more.
Jun '11
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Sigh ... I'm still recovering from his announcement that he won't run, and then I see this...
Nov '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
As my daughter would say, I so agree with you. This is the year. The Republican is going to win. And there's this nearly ideal candidate just sitting there, refusing to run. If he ran, he could change the course of our politics, for the good, for decades to come.
Instead, we're going to end up choosing between one candidate who would set Republicans back for decades by pursuing moderate policies that are almost as doomed to failure as the liberal ones, and another candidate who will reinforce every negative stereotype of the Right as rural and ignorant while possibly pursuing a crony capitalism that is every bit as corrupt as the Left's.
I cannot get over my disappointment--my near despair--over this.
Aug '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Rob,
Let me ask you the following question.
Would you rather that Paul Ryan ran for President and win, or that he was the Chair of the Budget Committee when the next Republican President takes office?
If Ryan is still on the committee after the next election, he will help shape Budgetary policy for the entire nation in ways that he would be unable to where he the President. Imagine a "squish" like Romney gets in office. He's conservative on some things, but lacks vision on how to right the ship. He receives on his desk a tax reform bill crafted by Ryan and passed by both houses.
Wouldn't that be grand?
Sep '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Congressman Ryan presents something that everyone knows is a problem in an easily understood fashion. The true problem however is not the tax code, but that the tax code exists. For too long politicians have fictionalized that our representatives are well meaning intelligent people who keep doing the wrong things. I have no doubt they are intelligent which leads one to the conclusion that corruption is the problem. Oddly Ryan may be one of the few that are genuinely well meaning which probably explains why he has chosen not to run. His expertise seems to be in economics not sewer cleaning. If anyone doubts this perhaps you would like to explain how the latest financial reform act was formally named The Dodd Frank Bill and not one Republican raised an objection. Until Washington is cleaned up nothing of long lasting significance will be accomplished and thus far there are few that admit it needs cleaning. I guess it is hard to smell the stink when you enjoy swimming in the sewer.
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Rob, as you can probably guess, I am with you entirely.
Jun '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
It's like the boyfriend who breaks up with you & says "we can still be friends." All future contact is painful as you imagine what might have been. You don't want to be just friends; you want him to still be your boyfriend. I don't want Ryan as Budget Committee Chair; I want him as President!.
Nov '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
Good point. I would also add that I'm not a big fan of closing tax loopholes because it punishes property owners. I benefit from some of those loopholes, yet still pay a distressingly high amount of fed tax. If they want to take away my deductions, I need to see some serious rate reductions first.
And I need to see the 49% of Americans paying zero fed tax put some skin in the game.
Edited on September 15, 2011 at 1:27amOct '10
Re: The Heartbreak of Paul Ryan
He's a policy wonk, not a presidential contender (but ask me again 4 years from now if i change my mind...)