ROMNEY CHOOSES A RUNNING MATE
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine NolanThe anticipation is over. Republican Presidential Candidate, Mitt Romney, has chosen his running mate. Republican Paul Ryan of Wisconsin is the chosen Vice Presidential candidate. Some label him as ‘The Rising Star’. At the age of 42, Ryan has been elected to represent Wisconsin’s 1st District seven times.
The list of candidates was rather impressive and it was anyone’s guess as to who would be chosen. The short list included former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Ohio Senator Rob Portman and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. The announcement was made and Romney and Ryan appeared as an excited team ready to change the nation at a rally this morning on the USS Wisconsin, the 1st stop on a four-day bus tour of the key battleground states. What better place to make their announcement than on the USS Wisconsin named after Ryan’s home state.
Ryan will add a new taste on the campaign, perhaps invigorating it. The campaign is being called “America’s Comeback Team”. Ryan has been associated with being the Republican Party’s leader on fiscal and budgetary issues.
Ryan is quoted as saying, “I represent a part of America that includes inner cities, rural areas, suburbs and factory towns. Over the years, I have seen and heard from a lot of those running small businesses, and from people who are in need. But what I have heard lately, that is what troubles me most. There is something different in their voice and in their words. What I hear from them are diminished dreams, lowered expectations, uncertain futures. I hear some people say that this is just the ‘new normal’. Higher unemployment, declining incomes and crushing debt is not a new normal. It’s the result of misguided policies. And next January our economy will begin a comeback with the Romney plan for a stronger middle-class that will lead to more jobs and more take-home pay for working Americans.
Although many are giving praise to Romney for his choice, the Obama Campaign was not in agreement only pointing out that this gives a greater edge to the wealthy and supports Romney’s theory on tax cuts for the wealthy. They pointed out that Ryan proposed an additional $25,000 tax cut for millionaires and deep cuts in education from Head Start to college aid. Medicare would become a voucher system, shifting thousands of dollars in health care costs to seniors. As a member of Congress, Ryan endorsed the Bush economic policies that were part of the demise of our economy.
One of Romney’s major reasons for his choice was Ryan’s ability to work with both sides without “demoralizing his opponents”. He is respected for his character and his judgement. Ryan seems to encourage and empower the American people to become an ‘upward mobility society’ with no class division.
The current bus tours take the team to Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio to share their platform and inform the voters and get out there and meet as many Americans as possible. Ultimately in just a few short weeks they will represent their party at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida for a chance to become the new leaders in the White House come January 2013.
PHOTO CREDITS: Reuters
