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The Public Policy
The Paul Ryan Choice
It will be harder for Mr. Obama to run away from the hard facts of his misrule.
Governor Mitt Romney’s choice of Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate is one of those decisions that seem obvious — if not inevitable — in retrospect, even though it was by no means obvious to most of us beforehand.
Anyone who wants to get a quick sense of who Paul Ryan is should watch a short video of a February 2010 meeting in which Congressman Ryan politely, but devastatingly, “schools” Barack Obama on the utter fraudulence of the statistics that the Obama administration was using to claim that Obamacare would reduce the deficit:
As a long-time member, and now chairman, of the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan is thoroughly familiar with both the facts and the fictions in the federal government’s budget. In recent years, the fictions have grown much bigger than the facts. But, as Congressman Ryan reminded the president, hiding spending is not the same as reducing spending.
If this year’s election is going to be decided on the basis of hard facts, the Obama administration is doomed. But the Obama campaign is well aware of that, which is why we are hearing so many distracting innuendoes and outright lies about such peripheral issues as what Mitt Romney is supposed to have done while running Bain Capital — or even what is supposed to have happened at Bain Capital, years after Mitt Romney was long gone.
The Obama campaign’s big smear, about how Romney is supposed to have caused a woman to die of cancer, has been exposed as a lie by CNN, hardly a Republican network. What smears like this show is that the Obama administration cannot run on its track record, so it has to run on distractions from the country’s real problems.
When Senator Harry Reid claims that Mitt Romney hasn’t paid his income taxes, and demands that Governor Romney disprove this unsubstantiated allegation, that raises an obvious question as to why the Internal Revenue Service has not prosecuted Romney, instead of leaving that to a partisan politician in an election year.
What makes this a farce is that Senator Reid himself has not released his own income tax records, while claiming that Romney’s release of only two years of his income tax records is not enough, even though it has been enough for other candidates in other years.
If Mitt Romney releases all his tax records going back to his childhood, it will not put a stop to this fishing expedition, much less bring an apology when those records show nothing illegal. It will just provide more material for making more distracting claims to change the subject from the track record of the Obama administration.
When Ronald Reagan ran against President Jimmy Carter back in 1980, he asked the question that should be asked of the voters when any president is seeking reelection: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Four years later, when Reagan ran for reelection, he implicitly asked and answered that same question in a campaign commercial titled “Morning in America,” which listed the ways the country was better off than it had been four years earlier. Don’t look for any “Morning in America” ads from Obama. “Mourning in America” might be more appropriate.
This election is a test, not just of the opposing candidates but of the voting public. If what they want are the hard facts about where the country is, and where it is heading, they cannot vote for more of the same for the next four years.
But, if what they want is emotionally satisfying rhetoric and a promise to give them something for nothing, to be paid for by taxing somebody else, then Obama is their man. This is not to say that the public will in fact get something for nothing or that rich people will just pay higher taxes, when it is easy for them to escape taxation by investing overseas — creating jobs overseas.
Even if most Americans do not have their own taxes raised, that means little, if they end up paying other people’s taxes in the higher prices of goods and services that pass along the higher taxes imposed on businesses.
There are no doubt voters who will vote on the basis of believing that Obama “cares” more about them. But that is a faith which passeth all understanding. The political mirage of something for nothing, from leaders who “care,” has ruined many a nation.
COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM
About the Author
Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. His website is www.tsowell.com. To find out more about Thomas Sowell and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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Aristocat| 8.14.12 @ 6:34AM
Romney/Ryan in a landslide...But please get rid of the worthless Boehner and McConnell...
Boar Hunter| 8.14.12 @ 7:05AM
Jail 'em. They are complicit in the corruption.
apnep| 8.14.12 @ 1:28PM
Boehner and McConnell... ditto!
Louis Jenkins| 8.14.12 @ 8:48AM
An excellent article Mr. Sowell. Obama goes about the nation stirring up small factions of his voters until he has a large group, all with divergent grievences. When in reality our freedom comes from nature and God, not the petty arguments of Obama's factions. Those people look to Obama for freedom, or ties whichever. These people are dissatisfied with America and want to change it for the worse. Ryan understands the origination of the word Free. I truly hope the flame does not go out.
TLP| 8.14.12 @ 10:54AM
Thomas, Thomas, Thomas.
What hath taken hold of Thine Senses, and dashed them upon the Jagged Rocks of Reality, below?
What I'm trying to say is - "What chu talkin about, Willis?"
He's gonna find it harder to run away from the Hard Facts of his Rule?
Have you heard about Fast and Furious?
Have you heard abouth the Black Panthers, in Philadelphia? The Black Panthers, and The Nation of Islam, doing whatever they feel like doing, down in Sanford, Florida?
What about his Handing over of GM and Chrysler, to his Union Pals, over the dead bodies of the Bondholders and Legal Contracts?
What about his use of $900 Billion Large, of Taxpayer Money, to keep his PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SUPPORTERS on the Payrolls, and making Dues Payments/Democrat Campaign Contributions?
His Illegal Drilling Moratorium?
His LIES that the The Most Looked At Pipeline in the History of Pipelines, and had already been APPROVED by his own State Department "Needs to be looked at more"?
His Illegal Recess Appointments?
His "Pick and Choose Method" of Enforcing the Laws on the books?
His non stop end arounds of Congress?
Now, add to that, a Sickeningly Slavish Media, who would do anything for him, if he would just use their Mouths for a Toilet, one time, before they die, and tell me whom, exactly, is gonna REPORT on anything that might hurt their Lover.
Capiche?
Houdini| 8.14.12 @ 12:21PM
I feel your pain and your concern. I know quite a few folks that voted for the "village idiot" in 08 that have stated that they will not be voting for him again. Not very scientific, but my polling says he will lose at least 5% of his votes from 08. The so called MSM is losing market share to Fox and the internet...he doesn't have the same advantages (although they are still considerable) as he did the last time out.
Von Mises Jr| 8.14.12 @ 11:12AM
The 2008 Obama campaign ran on "Hope and Change." This year they are running on
Fear and Despair."
cicero| 8.14.12 @ 11:47AM
Ryan ws a great choice. He not only understands that the main threat to this country is the outrageous spending and unsustainable debt, but he can articulate the facts of it, and the remedies needed. I think that the majority of this country, collectively, is wise enough to understand what we are facing. If they are not, they deserve whatever they get. It is, as always, the middle class that will have to pay the bills. The rich will remain rich. The poor will always be with us. The middle class will be left to eat their children,
John Navratil| 8.14.12 @ 2:23PM
cicero,
I agree. Ryan was a great choice! Ryan knows the budget, the budget process, and the people in the committee. He will be able to present a credible budget proposal to the House and work with them in crafting a bill. I don't think we'll see a Tip O'Neill declaring a Ryan budget "dead on arrival."
While on the topic, I know that many are disappointed that Rubio was not selected. Rubio has, I think, Presidential aspirations and a position as V.P. is not necessarily a good launch pad, but more than that, he is needed in the Senate. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to hear the Party had lobbied to keep him there.
cicero| 8.14.12 @ 4:22PM
John - When they first started talking about veep picks, and were mentioning Rubio, Christie, Cantor, Ryan, etc, it was my opinion that these young stalwarts should be left on the firing line, and that the party should pick one of the old bulls, with proven ability for the position. My choice would have been Gingrich. The only drawback to him would have the problem ofkeeping him on message, However, I did not see that as too big of a deal, as he had a proven record of being able to push an agenda.
However, now that Ryan has been anointed, I see no real problems with the pick. Romney and Ryan should be very strong on the campaign trail, as both are smart, they know what they are talking about, and will be able to think and talk without a prompter. It slhould be interesting. My only fear is that the Dems will throw Biden under the bus, and repace him with someone less prone to foot in mouth desease.
Occam's Tool| 8.14.12 @ 5:20PM
Nope---it's gonna be Obama/Biden again. Why not? It's about Obama, not the VEEP.
David| 8.14.12 @ 6:56PM
I have very mixed feelings about Ryan as the VP choice. If he can help win the election, I am all for it. But, if he is a lightning rod to scare the crap out of seniors and single moms, then the choice of him may hand the election to Bam Bam.
Ryan is the author of the Republicans budget to get our fiscal house in order. It is very detailed and even addresses entitlement reform. The dems with the MSM on their side can depict specific Ryan proposals as hurting seniors and children and even poorer and middle class folks.
It may scare the crap out of people to know that after 8 years of Romney they may get another 8 with Ryan.
Again, I hope I am wrong, but I believe Ryan is one big lightning rod.
Santorum would have been the better pick.
David| 8.14.12 @ 8:16PM
Cicero, I still think there is a great chance that Bam Bam is going to make a switch with Hillary and Biden. Biden has always wanted to be sec of state and we know Hilly still has presidential aspirations - despite her claim that her career is over after this election.
If Bam Bam does that, look for a dem landslide in the presidential election, but the repubs will take the Senate and build their lead in the House. The MSM will go ape shit over that move - it will be billed as the most brilliant political move in American history - heck, in world history.