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Otherwords / Op-Ed
Published: Tuesday 21 August 2012
If they were honest with voters, their bumper sticker would read: “Ryan-Romney 2012.”
Romney Runs Away From His Running Mate
Poor Paul Ryan — he successfully rammed a budget bill through the U.S. House of Representatives that gutted Medicare, thus earning him the undying adulation of the far-right Republican fringe, whose unrestrained enthusiasm for him compelled Mitt Romney to name the Wisconsin Republican as his vice presidential nominee.
So far, so good — but, wham! — the Romney-Ryan ticket had barely debuted before Mitt started dumping on his newly anointed running mate's budget. Curiously, that's the exact same budget that Romney had gushed about during the Republican primary this spring, calling it a “bold and exciting effort” that is “very much needed.”
But that was when Mitt was trolling for votes in the shallow waters of the fringe. Now, however, Ryan's budget, the very bauble that got him to the GOP's No. 2 political slot, turns out to be so widely and wildly unpopular with voters in the deeper waters of the general election that it's already been trashed by the GOP's No. 1. "I have my own budget plan," Romney backpedaled the day after he knighted Sir Ryan, "and that's the budget plan we're going to run on."
It's kind of strange (and a bit unsettling) to see a candidate for president of the U.S. of A. straining to explain that he's the one in charge, not the young ideologue. Romney even went on national TV to tell us that, while Ryan would certainly be consulted, "I have to make the final call in important decisions." Sure, Mitt — you da man! But was he trying to convince us…or himself? Or Ryan?
Indeed, at the staged event where Romney introduced his choice for veep, he bungled his line, presenting Ryan as "the next President of the United States." Was that just another Romney gaffe? A Freudian slip? Or an eerie moment of candor?
If they were honest with voters, their bumper sticker would read: "Ryan-Romney 2012."
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ABOUT Jim Hightower
National radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the book, Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow, Jim Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
7 comments on "Romney Runs Away From His Running Mate"
August 21, 2012 8:24pm
Well, at least between the two of them, they should be able to come up with an IQ above 61.
August 21, 2012 6:06pm
Willard's "budget plan"...
Send all of the extra money to Swiss banks and the Cayman's...
Then bug out?
August 21, 2012 4:54pm
Actually mittie and paulie are both flip-floppers. Chris Hayes has unearthed a video from about 2002 when paulie was pleading for the repugnants in the House to pass the 3rd of gwb's stimulus plans. He stated that empirical evidence proved that stimulus's (or are they stimuli?) worked. He voted for every gwb spending bill. Now, he is a BUDGET HAWK. He is more of a Budgie if you know what I mean. So, mittie can be flippie and paulie can be floppie, especially with those car doors on the side of his head.
August 21, 2012 5:54pm
And Obama never flip flops.
August 21, 2012 3:02pm
Lol, this ticket is a ringer for 2008. These clown shoes thought they could hold the economy down completely for 4 years, but Adam Smith cannot be beaten, and certainly not by a schlep like Milton Friedman. Besides, they REALLY DON'T want to be holding the bag when the monster Dimon and his buddies on Wall Street have waiting for us is unleashed; 2008 will look like a pebble next to a mountain in comparison.
August 21, 2012 1:07pm
Listen carefully.....flip....flop.
August 21, 2012 9:24am
Somehow I picture Willard wetting his index finger and then holding it up in the air, to see if he can find out which way the wind is blowing.
He thought mandated health care was a great idea when he signed the law in Mass., but the same kind of plan by Obama is something he'll "repeal" when he moves into the White House.
He thought getting multi-yeared tax returns was a great idea when he was vetting for VPs in the past, but a terrible idea when it applies to him.
He praised Ryan's budget and said it was in accord with his ideas, but now that it's proven to be unpopular, he says, "I have my own budget plan." (Of course, he's keeping it close to his chest, so no one can criticize him about it.)
"Empty suit" surely applies to Mitt. All he seems to care about is winning the presidency, but he wants to keep voters in the dark about exactly what he'd do as president.
Would he be directing his own actions, or would the billionaire supporters be pulling the strings? Tune in next January and find out.
Better still, don't take the chance. Not on your life.