Romney/Ryan 2012: The Comeback Team? [Election 2012]

August 16, 2012 4:30 pm     Posted in Homepage Exclusive, News, Reality, Rotating Marquee  Ashley Brooks g+ page

 


By Ashley Brooks

This past Saturday, Mitt Romney named Paul Ryan his running mate. As a college girl who prefers to follow political news instead of celebrity gossip, I will admit that I was a little more than excited to finally hear the announcement. For me, this news was probably the equivalent of most girls my age finding out what Jay-Z and Beyoncé named their baby.

Before I tell you how I feel about this decision, I think it’s important for you to first know a bit about our potential vice president. Here are the facts:

Paul Ryan, 42, was born and raised in Janesville, Wisconsin. He earned his B.A. in economics and political science from Miami University in Ohio. After graduation, Ryan began his political career as a legislative director on Capitol Hill. Just a few years later, at the youthful age of 28, he was elected to the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 1st District. Now, at only 42 years of age, he is in his 7th term as Congressman, is the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget, and may potentially be our next vice president.

While Paul Ryan has certainly accomplished a lot in the last 15 years, he is most well known for his commitment to strengthening our economy through budget and tax cuts. While I could give you an entire lesson in macroeconomics (I’ve been learning about it all summer in an online class), I’ll spare you the torture and briefly explain the “Ryan Budget.” Explained as concisely as possible, the Ryan Budget favors massive cuts in government spending, a solution that is certainly supported by the basic principles of macroeconomics. However, the Ryan Budget, which also favors massive Medicare and Medicaid reforms, has been criticized as too extreme. Despite its controversial background, a policy favoring extreme budget cuts may be the very solution we need to fix our weakening economy.

Now that you know a bit more about Paul Ryan, let me tell you why I think Mitt Romney made a smart choice:

1. Paul Ryan is charismatic

Mitt Romney is most often criticized for his detachment from the American people. He appears stiff when he speaks and being a part of the “1%” certainly has not helped. Paul Ryan, on the other hand, is charismatic, good-looking, and, in my opinion, a great speaker. When Ryan speaks he seems passionate and excited, two qualities that people complain Romney lacks.

As Romney’s running mate, Ryan is essentially an extension of Romney. In this way, Paul Ryan makes Mitt Romney seem less disconnected from voters. While Mitt Romney may not appear to have a strong connection to the troubles of the American people, his running mate certainly does which is a huge plus.

2. Paul Ryan is dedicated to restoring America back to economic prosperity

Right now, one of the biggest issues facing our country is the economy. We are facing massive unemployment, huge budget deficits, and an ever-increasing debt that is only getting worse with time. I know I’m not alone when I say that I am frightened for the day I graduate college and must begin the job search. With the way things are looking now, it’s not going to be easy.

That being said, I think it’s fair to say that a president/vice president with a plan to fix our economy is an attractive choice for voters these days. In fact, for some people it is the single deciding factor when it comes to their presidential choice. It is for this reason that Paul Ryan only further helps Mitt Romney’s chances. The Ryan Budget symbolizes a very real solution for this country’s weak economy, something many Americans are desperate for.

Regardless of your politics or your feelings about Mitt Romney, I think we all can agree that it is going to be an exciting next few months. While I may not believe in all of Mitt Romney’s policies, I do believe that choosing Paul Ryan was an excellent decision that could very well lead to a brighter future for our country.

Disagree with anything I have to say? Tell me in the comments!

[Lead image via NationalReview.com]

30 Comments on "Romney/Ryan 2012: The Comeback Team? [Election 2012]"

  1. Brittany says:
    Thu, 16th Aug 20127:32 pm 

    I'm really excited to see CC writing articles that praise Conservatives instead of mocking them or tearing them down. Thank you =)

  2. Molly - UNL says:
    Thu, 16th Aug 20127:43 pm 

    I love this. I feel like I'm one of the only people in the media industry that is a Conservative. And you did it without bashing the other side. Sharing with my dad/family/friends. :)

  3. Ella says:
    Thu, 16th Aug 20128:01 pm 

    I'm always disgusted when women support a candidate that wants to strip away their rights and get rid of medicare, and when students support a candidate that wants to get rid of Pell grants. Where do you go to school, Liberty University? Bob Hope? Or are your parents just millionaires?

  4. Emily says:
    Thu, 16th Aug 20128:06 pm 

    what has ryan gotten done in the past 15 years? he's gotten exactly TWO pieces of legislature passed during his 13 years in congress, one of which was about how archery supplies were taxed.

  5. L. Lynn says:
    Thu, 16th Aug 20128:09 pm 

    So well said. Couldn't agree more!! It's time for real change. No more blood sucking big government that saps away all creativity, motivation and drive to accomplish anything. Time to get back to what makes America great.

  6. ashleybrooks2 says:
    Thu, 16th Aug 201210:27 pm 

    Hi Ella,

    1. "I'm always disgusted when women support a candidate that wants to strip away their rights…"
    Like I said, I do not agree with every single one of Romney's policies but I'll save the topic of women's rights for another time.

    2. "…and get rid of medicare, and when students support a candidate that wants to get rid of Pell Grants."
    If you can find a video or direct quote in which Mitt Romney says he wants to get rid of Medicare or Pell Grants, I would love to see it. I'm always looking to educate myself a bit more :) If you mean that Romney plans to cut Medicare funds, my response is, so does Obama (see the Affordable Care Act).

    I want you to know that even though I may not agree with you, I value your opinion and am not "disgusted" in any way. I appreciate that you took the time to read my article!

    Thank you,
    Ashley

  7. Ella says:
    Thu, 16th Aug 201211:39 pm 

    oh and no problem! conservative women's logic fascinates me.

  8. Ella says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:01 am 

    i keep trying to explain myself but the moderators won't let me. maybe it's the link.

  9. ashleybrooks2 says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:05 am 

    Yeah I am able to see your comments as notifications but for some reason they are not posting here!

  10. El La says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:09 am 

    hold on i'm trying from a diff computer

  11. El La says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:11 am 

    are you at least able to read them?

  12. El La says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:13 am 

    1) i'd say women having access to family planning is not something ANYONE should sacrifice on by picking a candidate that sees us as nothing but objects. romney wants to get rid of planned parenthood. he's literally said "planned parenthood–we'll get rid of that". he also wants a federal ban on gay marriage–just saying.

    2) you are correct in that the affordable care act does in fact make cuts to medicare but it does so because with the new provisions like the preexisting conditions clause, medicare doesn't need as much money. the difference is that romney said recently that he fully adopts paul ryan's plan, which clearly states that he wants to turn it into a VOUCHER system. the point of medicare is that it's there for all seniors who need it when they need it, and making it a voucher system completely destroys that aspect. what conservatives don't understand is that when you turn everything over to the private sector, you make everything inaccessible to the poor and middle class.

    here's a link but i have plenty more: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/16/3765970/ryan…

  13. El La says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:15 am 

    ugh well at least the first half went up

  14. El La says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:16 am 

    i'm a boston girl. i've spent all 19 years of my existence in the boston area. i've lived through mitt's reign as governor, and it was a living nightmare. many of my friends' parents lost their jobs because mitt outsourced everything! especially my friends whose parents worked in computers–the majority of those jobs were sent to india and china. my friend chloe's dad was a software developer for a very successful company before he lost his job right at the beginning of the romney years and almost a decade later, he's still unemployed. looking at the statistics, my state dropped from #2 in job creation to #48 during the years romney was governor–that's a huge drop and i definitely felt the effect.

    you are not alone in your fear regarding the job search following graduation. but by voting for romney, you're ensuring that it will be that much worse.

  15. Elaaaaaaa says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:22 am 

    i respect your opinion as well–i just hate to see people voting against their own rights.

    i'm a boston girl. i've spent all 19 years of my existence in the boston area. i've lived through mitt's reign as governor and it was a living nightmare. many of my friends' parents lost their jobs because mitt outsourced everything. especially people whose parents worked in computers because those jobs were quickly sent off to china and india–my friend's dad was a software developer before he lost his job during the early mitt years and almost a decade later he's still unemployed. according to statistics, we dropped from second in job creation to number 48, and we all definitely felt the blow.

    you are definitely not alone in your fear regarding the job search following graduation–but by voting for mitt romney you are ensuring that it will be worse than you could imagine.

  16. ellaaaa says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:28 am 

    i just made a gmail account. ellauser6393. if you send me something i'll reply with the rest of my comment because clearly college candy admins like to censor. i didn't even swear or say anything mean so i don't know what the issue is here but whatever, i really wish i could say the rest of my comment.

  17. ashleybrooks2 says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:29 am 

    Yes I am able to read your comments and I find everything you said intriguing. Thank you for taking the time to write back to me!

  18. Ella says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:33 am 

    oh! i am so glad. and no problem whatsoever! thank you so much for reading them. as a massachusetts girl, it's really important to me that people find out the truth about mitt and his jobs record.

  19. Ella says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:39 am 

    oh and check out this link, it's pretty jaw dropping. http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/08/11/6771…

  20. Sandy says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201210:29 am 

    You make it sound like Obama isn't committed to restoring the economy. Ryan's plan is tax cuts for the rich and trickle down economics. It's been tried and it doesn't work. You also failed to mention his desire to destroy women's access to birth control and destroy any social safety network for the sick and poor.

  21. Lily Lefty says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:16 pm 

    Hey CC, it's great that you are presenting on both sides, but at least present the whole side. Ryan is not dedicated to restoring America, unless that means completely fucking over the middle class and women's rights. Then yes, he's very dedicated to restoring America. Ryan is a strong candidate by the fact that he isn't flip flopping his decision on everything like Romney.

  22. Disappointed says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 201212:22 pm 

    As a woman and frequent CollegeCandy reader, I'm incredibly disappointed to see this article here. It's one thing to show the conservative side of the issue, it's another to completely ignore Ryan's stance on women's right. Sure, we can agree to disagree on Ryan's financial plan.

    But you can't tout him as a promising candidate on a college site without talking about his views on abortion, birth control and personhood. Based on all the sex/relationship articles on this site, I'm guessing a lot of readers use birth control. Do you know Ryan believes in personhood — a concept that outlaws certain types of birth control as well as fertility treatments.

    Do you know that Ryan believes in being pro-life (until the baby is born, then fuck 'em) in cases of rape and incest. So if you're raped, he believes you should have the baby.

    Yes, this is a touchy topic, one most sites prefer to avoid. But it's a real topic and I think publishing this article without mentioning his views on personhood at all is bizarre. Especially on a site written for and by women — sex, birth control and abortion are topics that effect women.

  23. Kasey says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 20123:28 pm 

    Am I the only one that realizes that this article isn't meant to favor Republicans over Democrats but, instead, explain why choosing Paul Ryan was a SMART POLITICAL MOVE? It's not like she's sitting there saying Ryan is going to save the country. She's just saying why choosing Paul Ryan was a smart choice by Mitt Romney.

    It's the READERS' comments that are making this a debate between Republicans and Democrats.

  24. Ella says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 20125:08 pm 

    thank you!!

  25. Sima Agayeva says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 20127:35 pm 

    Paul Ryan says he is pro-life, even in cases of rape or incest. He wants to defund Planned Parenthood. He is Roman Catholic and will definitely let and has let his religion influence his political decisions. I am against him because he continues to encourage the war on women. Any woman, regardless of whether she utilizes Planned Parenthood's services, would be mistaken to vote for Romney/Ryan. This is 2012, and they want to go back instead of moving forward.

  26. solid Gold says:
    Fri, 17th Aug 20129:06 pm 

    Wow, typical Lefties start swearing and carrying on about all kinds of lies and threats, funny as hell. Bottom line we are broke and going farther into the hole there is no one out there that can dispute this.

  27. Mel says:
    Tue, 21st Aug 201212:30 pm 

    Hey CC, I have a request! And I'm not trying to be sarcastic or cause a debate or anything, I swear. Can you make an article giving basic descriptions of each candidates platform (preferably with no bias present; just the facts–post some sort of bibliography if you must) so that folks can make an informed decision? I feel like there are a lot of younger readers who have never voted before and the beginning of the article made a valid point: not many folks of our generation care to follow politics.
    :D

  28. SarahD says:
    Wed, 22nd Aug 20123:01 pm 

    I could not agree more about your first point. Ryan is very well spoken and I believe he will do quite well in the coming debates. However, I completely disagree with the content of what he has to say, including the Ryan budget that you outline as your second point. Ryan advocates massive spending cuts, as you outline, that cut out services for those who need it most, leaving the superwealthy relatively unscathed. Romney/Ryan 2012 also proposes an aditional $10.7 trillion in tax cuts over the next 10 years, with 33 percent of that money directed towards the top one-tenth of 1 percent. The fine print calls for a reduction in both individual and corporate tax rates, as well as the complete elimination of the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax. The net result is that those who enjoy an income in the vicinity of $3 million annually would keep an additional $250,000. According to the Urban Institute- Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center, the cost will likely exceed $9 trillion in lost revenue in the coming decate. Though I'm sure all polititians (Ryan and Obama included) want to restore America to economic prosperity, the Ryan plan and the current stated economic stance of Romney/Ryan 2012 does not mathematically compute to do so.
    Not to mention his regressive stance on women's rights…

  29. Kitty says:
    Sun, 2nd Sep 20128:56 am 

    if Obama was really dedicated to fixing the economy, maybe the government would have actually passed a budget since he came in to office…

  30. Francisca says:
    Thu, 6th Sep 20122:25 pm 

    It’s going to be finish of mine day, but before ending I am reading this enormous paragraph to increase my knowledge.

    My website – schwangerschaftsstreifen entfernen

Tell us what you're thinking...