BS: Romney Chooses Ryan

11 Aug 12 - 03:22 AM (#3388620)
Subject: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

Hah. A few months ago I was sure he would choose Paul Ryan as his VP runnng mate but lately I'd thought that surely he wouldn't go that far to the right. But he did.

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11 Aug 12 - 05:52 AM (#3388651)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Joe Offer

The other day, somebody told me, "Gee, you're from Wisconsin and Paul Ryan is from Wisconsin, how cool is that?" Then he looked at my face and said, "Oh, not cool, huh?"
Sometimes it's tough, being surrounded by Republicans.

And this Ryan guy represents MY district in Wisconsin. Once upon a time, we had Les Aspin, until Clinton appointed him Secretary of Defense.

-Joe-

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11 Aug 12 - 06:20 AM (#3388664)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: gnu

A Cat'lic Packers fan eh? Can't be all that bad... eh? >;-)

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11 Aug 12 - 06:34 AM (#3388670)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Joe Offer

...he was severely criticized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for his Ayn Rand economics.

Do you think he's worn one of those silly "cheesehead" hats at Packers games?

-Joe-

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11 Aug 12 - 06:36 AM (#3388672)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: gnu

Yeah... I read that. Seems he doesn't like poor people. He oughta fit right in.

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11 Aug 12 - 07:13 AM (#3388679)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Bobert

Best choice Romney could have made as I see it... Not good for Romney, however... Yeah, it will get his base out on election day but he will get every retired or close-to-retired out to vote against them...

B~

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11 Aug 12 - 08:06 AM (#3388690)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Bat Goddess

Joe, I can't tell you how many times I shook Bill Proxmire's hand outside Milwaukee County Stadium or other places.

Well, the choice of Ryan ought to lose some votes for Romney...I certainly hope so.

Linn

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11 Aug 12 - 08:32 AM (#3388698)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Greg F.

Hard to come up with a bigger jackass than himself- but Mitt managed it.

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11 Aug 12 - 09:14 AM (#3388711)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Rapparee

Could have selected Newt Gingerich, Sarah Palin, or Rush Limbaugh....

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11 Aug 12 - 09:40 AM (#3388725)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Bobert

He did, Rap, and all rolled up into one...

B;~)

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11 Aug 12 - 09:54 AM (#3388728)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: pdq

"...In response to criticism from Catholic leaders, in 2012 Ryan distanced himself from Rand's Objectivist philosophy, telling National Review, "I reject her philosophy. It's an atheist philosophy. It reduces human interactions down to mere contracts and it is antithetical to my worldview", and noting that his views were more aligned with those of the Roman Catholic philosopher and saint, Thomas Aquinas, than Ayn Rand. "Don't give me Ayn Rand," he said in 2012." ~ Paul Ryan

Many people have read Ayn Rand. She was quite bright and her writing makes people think. She was also a raving Athiest, which fits well with modern Liberalism. Doubtful that anyone has use her teachngs as a blueprint for their life.

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11 Aug 12 - 10:06 AM (#3388731)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

"In a 2005 speech to a group of Rand devotees called the Atlas Society, Ryan said that Rand was required reading for his office staff and interns. "The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand," he told the group. "The fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism." To me he was careful to point out that he rejects Rand's atheism."


http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/08/06/120806fa_fact_lizza#ixzz23FKdmqZ8

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11 Aug 12 - 10:50 AM (#3388742)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Greg F.

Could have selected Newt Gingerich, Sarah Palin, or Rush Limbaugh....

Them is just assholes - Ryan is delusional. (Well, maybe Newt is delusional as well....)

Doubtful that anyone has use[d] her teachngs as a blueprint for their life.

Obviously Ryan has, for one, PeeDee. There's also Ron Santorum. And thousands of others.

But thanks for playing.

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11 Aug 12 - 10:57 AM (#3388745)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: dick greenhaus

At least it emphasizes the difference between the parties in the comming election.

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11 Aug 12 - 11:36 AM (#3388758)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Charley Noble

I always love it when the Republicans circle their wagons, and including Paul Ryan as VP should help them dig in further.

Charley Noble, still adrift in and about Chicago

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11 Aug 12 - 11:56 AM (#3388767)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

Charley, stop and ask directions. :)

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11 Aug 12 - 11:59 AM (#3388771)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Richard Bridge

This could easily be the moment the Republican party eats its own tail and vanishes. Otherwise it is the moment that any trace of civilisation in the USA does so.

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11 Aug 12 - 12:02 PM (#3388772)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: DebC

Another white guy.

But with a few exceptions, that's all that is left of the Republican Party

Deb

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11 Aug 12 - 12:14 PM (#3388775)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: GUEST,petecockermouth

just watched the clip of mitt romney introducing the next president and was struck -again - by how alien the usa is to us british. had a couple of guys appeared here, waving so furiously -yet aimlessly- before announcing 'and i'm in front of a boat!' they would never be taken seriously again. why we persist with this idea of a special relationship i have no idea, we have for more to gain (and learn)from our european neighbours and our various immigrant groups than from the states. and god's lost plates...you (republican) lot would be hilarious if you weren't so terrifying

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11 Aug 12 - 12:19 PM (#3388783)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Bill D

As a as choices go, Ryan probably IS the safest choice for Romney to not antagonize the various sub-sets of Republican wing-nuts. He speaks well, even when his "budget plan" is roundly criticized by everyone who comprehends what it implies. (He won't blunder like Palin)

Democrats are already planning to clarify what Ryan would do to Medicare.

I'm sure Romney will get a short 'bump' in the polls for awhile... but I do look forward to the time when BOTH Ryan & Romney have to be seen on the same stage with Obama & Biden, instead of just Fox News.

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11 Aug 12 - 12:57 PM (#3388798)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Bobert

Romney has made a major error here... He has opened himself up a front he really didn't need to fight and that is the privatization of Medicare, for starters... In doing so Romney will be playing defense for the rest of the campaign...

This pick will make John McCain's look good...

B~

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11 Aug 12 - 01:07 PM (#3388801)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: catspaw49

The recent gains by Obama have forced this choice and Mitt 's campaign is worried. Even when introducing his choice Mitt couldn't help but throw in at least a half dozen or so blatant lies (not just truth stretching) that have become his entire stump speeches. Ryan will give him a bump but this choice will take away even more of the middle and undecided voters.

Now if we can just overcome all of the new voting rights violations instituted by the GOP...............


Spaw

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11 Aug 12 - 01:48 PM (#3388828)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

One scary scenario is that the people who predictably look for simple answers to complex questions will accept simplistic solutions. That, imo, includes virtually every Tea Partier and a great many knee-jerk Americans. Will their number be large enough to take the election?

Read some - most - of the comments on any given political subject and one can't be too sanguine about it.

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11 Aug 12 - 02:05 PM (#3388839)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Bobert

The Dems can counter Ryan very easily, Eb, with the following ad:

"The costs to administer Medicare and Social Security is less that 2%... Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan want to jack up those costs to 15% to 20% and let their buddies run them... Who loses??? You do..."

       "I'm Barak Obama and I approve this message"

Simple response and Obama wins...

B~

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11 Aug 12 - 02:24 PM (#3388846)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

Problem is, Bob, that Democrats in this election season have not been pithy in their responses. Given the opposition, it would not be difficult to come up with effective one-liners. I don't know if the advisors are not out there or if it is just that no one is listening.

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11 Aug 12 - 02:52 PM (#3388851)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Don Firth

"Doubtful that anyone has used her teachngs as a blueprint for their life."

On the contrary, pdq, I am acquainted with several people who attempt to do just that.

I had read Ayn Rand's works early on, and when I, a guitarist and singer of folk songs, was attending the U. of Washington School of Music and encountering comments from some fellow students and even a couple of faculty members such as "When are you going to give up this cowboy music and get serious?" I found the image of Howard Roark in The Fountainhead to be very encouraging and supportive.

But later, I read Atlas Shrugged when it came out, and met a lot of other people were also. I wound up taking a course of lectures from Nathaniel Brandon, a disciple of Ayn Rand's, on "Objectivism," the philosophy—complete with political and economic implications—of Ayn Rand. I also read her non-fiction, such as Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal and The Virtue of Selfishness (!!) along with a group of other people who were taking the same course.

It was reading the two non-fiction books that cured me of my illusions about Ayn Rand and her beliefs.

I grew up fast!

But most of the others DID NOT. And they're still out there!

There are, indeed, people who try to use Ayn Rand's teachings as a blueprint for their lives.

It is said that Paul Ryan "distanced" himself from the philosophy of Ayn Rand. He repudiates her atheism, which would alienate him from many conservative voters in this country—and raises the question: did he really? Or is he saying that because it's politically expedient?.

BUT—he still embraces her economics and politics.

If people who harbor these beliefs get elected to important national office, something akin to fascism, or the feudal system, or a combination of the two will not be far behind!

Don Firth

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11 Aug 12 - 05:49 PM (#3388903)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Greg F.

This could easily be the moment the Republican party eats its own tail and vanishes.

Not a chance. The boobocracy is alive and well & flexing its muscles.

You need to have more faith in abject stupidity - bet on it & you'll never lose your money.

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11 Aug 12 - 08:08 PM (#3388933)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Rapparee

Interesting that Romney would chose a good Roman Catholic, a parishioner of St. John Vianney parish who's a follower of Ayn Rand. Oh, wait, no he's not!

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11 Aug 12 - 08:53 PM (#3388947)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: dick greenhaus

I don't quite understnd the necessity of continually pandering to one's political base. The Tea Partiers are going to vote for Romney (reluctantly) just because he isn't Obama. The Progressives and labor are going to vote for Obama, because he's a Democrat. The question is how to get votes from the uncommitted 12-13%.

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11 Aug 12 - 09:02 PM (#3388950)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: michaelr

Hilariously, Romney introduced Ryan as "the next President of the United States". http://stream.wsj.com/story/campaign-2012-continuous-coverage/SS-2-9156/SS-2-44665/

For a smart guy, Romney sure spouts a lot of stupid shit.

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11 Aug 12 - 09:04 PM (#3388951)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: GUEST,999

Señor Greenhaus is correct.

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11 Aug 12 - 09:08 PM (#3388953)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: GUEST,999

'Hilariously, Romney introduced Ryan as "the next President of the United States".'

Let's hope he's not channeling Jeanne Dixon.

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11 Aug 12 - 09:36 PM (#3388961)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

In fairness, Barack Obama stumbled over the same sentence in introducing Joe Biden.

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11 Aug 12 - 11:05 PM (#3388992)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: mg

I think it is an odd choice..Ryan is not the favorite of a lot of people and the nuns are against him and he will get entangled in that mess with our Cardinal Tamanny Hall..I would have thought he would have picked a moderate person, and I thought a woman perhaps...mg

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12 Aug 12 - 12:21 AM (#3389010)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

From Romney's viewpoint I can see the logic. Sure, I expect he will lose some heretofor fence-sitters but Ryan will bring a great many Teapubs in.

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12 Aug 12 - 12:58 AM (#3389019)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Don Firth

All the more reason to work our little behinds off to make sure Obama is re-elected.

True, I've been disappointed in what Obama has accomplished so far, but I don't think that's his fault. He's had an obstreperous and obstructionist Congress to deal with. I'd like to see Obama get back in, plus replace a bunch of the Republicans in Congress with liberals and progressives.

The alternative is too ghastly to contemplate--so let's contemplate it and let it scare us into action!

Don Firth

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12 Aug 12 - 10:13 AM (#3389123)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Rapparee

Politically, I think Condoleza Rice would have been a better choice.

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12 Aug 12 - 10:29 AM (#3389128)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Richard Bridge

I think Rice would have been a lot more dangerous - but hey, she's female and black and that would confuse many T-potty adherents who probably think she is uppity and should get back in the kitchen or have more babies or both.

As Bobert nearly said - this prick would make McCain look good.

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12 Aug 12 - 12:13 PM (#3389167)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: redhorse

I seem to be missing something here.
Was there a risk of the Tea Partiers voting for Obama if Romney hadn't selected a right-wing vp candidate?

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12 Aug 12 - 12:20 PM (#3389171)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: GUEST,999

This all reminds me of an election for the Mayoralty of Montreal. Jean Drapeau (a kinda mayor for life) said in one of his election campaigns that "if you like me, put a big X beside my name, and if you don't like me put a small x."

Romney's choice is very wise which is mostly why I'm surprised he did it. The Republican Party is in a shambles. They have scads of cash but not the ability to spend it wisely. They will spend tons of money to win this election, but they won't win. Ryan will bring good spin to the campaign, and we know that for Republicans it's all about spin.

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12 Aug 12 - 12:39 PM (#3389182)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Bill D

Most of the half-way 'decent' candidates, including Condoleza Rice, declined to be considered... just as they decided to let the strange ones battle for the top job. They are betting that Obama WILL win, and they are already making plans for 2016.

2016 will be battle royal on both sides.

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12 Aug 12 - 01:35 PM (#3389203)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: pdq

Condoleezza Rice is a brilliant intellect, plays Chopin like Horowitz, speaks French and has a PhD.

That means her constituent group consists of close friends and relatives.

The Republicans will be choosimg VP candidates from the Hispanic community in the future, but Marco Rubio, Brian Sandoval (Nevada governor), and the governor of New Mexico (can't recall her name) are all inexperienced, all serving their first terms in elective office.

Paul Davis Ryan is Roman Catholic, of Irish-American stock, and can be a scrappy street fighter if called upon to do so.

Mitt Romney is like Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush. He is a hopelessly nice guy and just can't muster the nastiness it usually takes to win important elections in the US. Ryan should help here.

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12 Aug 12 - 03:51 PM (#3389248)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Greg F.

He is a hopelessly nice guy...

Ya know PeeDee, I would bet the thousands of people whose jobs he cut & whose lives he destroyed as well as those people who have heard him lie repeatedly and at length out of both sides of his mouth would have a different perspective on this "nice guy" of yours.

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12 Aug 12 - 04:01 PM (#3389256)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Greg F.

But I DO agree that he is hopeless.

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12 Aug 12 - 05:03 PM (#3389284)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

I know it's early days but has anyone else noted the body language of the two men when they are together? Methinks that Ryan will be the dominant one.

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12 Aug 12 - 05:28 PM (#3389297)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Greg F.

More like Tweedle Dumbshit and Tweedle Fuckwit.

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12 Aug 12 - 08:20 PM (#3389381)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Ebbie

I participated in a survey where I was in the distinct minority. To the question: Which would you vote for if the election were today, more than two-thirds of the respondents said, Romney. The same for the next four or five questions. The last question was: Should Medicare monies be reduced; almost 2/3 voted NO. Good luck with that-if the money for 'entitlements' is cut, Medicare too will be gutted.

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12 Aug 12 - 08:29 PM (#3389383)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Bobert

The Medicare issue is going to sink Romney.... Bush tried it with Social Security and had to back away... Neither Romney nor Ryan are smart enough to back away... They will double down over and over and lose...

B~

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13 Aug 12 - 07:37 AM (#3389530)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Sawzaw

"Condoleezza Rice is a brilliant intellect, plays Chopin like Horowitz, speaks French and has a PhD."

Bobert 20 Feb 05
I don't consider Condi a "token Negro" but very much a "house Negro", much like the black folk who lived in massa's house and did massa's biddin'... These folks were the cruelest folks on the plantations... Yeah, some of you may remember them as "overseers" and that is what they were called in those days. They were probably good people who were turned bad... I don't know... But they were no friend of the slaves, that much is fir certain...

I consider Condi squarely in the "house Negro" category. No racism here... Just fact... Condi Rice would be no safer in some of the nieghborhoods I know down in D.C. than Bush, Boss Hog or George Wallace, fir that matter...

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13 Aug 12 - 08:13 AM (#3389541)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Greg F.

more than two-thirds of the respondents said, Romney....Should Medicare monies be reduced; almost 2/3 voted NO.

But Ebbie, the Boobocracy sees no connection between the two. I take it you've forgotten the "Keep your government hands off my medicare" signs at TeaPublican rallies?

Oh, ye nation of morons.

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13 Aug 12 - 08:26 AM (#3389546)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: GUEST,999

'"Condoleezza Rice is a brilliant intellect, plays Chopin like Horowitz, speaks French and has a PhD."'

Yes, the cultural side of the Bush regime.

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13 Aug 12 - 08:28 AM (#3389547)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: catspaw49

The one thing that Ryan has supplied for Romney is a spine. Someone said that Romney sees Paul Ryan as himself, or more like how HE believes he is (but isn't). Initially this has been a huge bump ahead for Romney but we'll see how it all looks in a week.


Spaw

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13 Aug 12 - 09:08 AM (#3389563)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Greg F.

Bruce, I don't think there WAS a cultural side to the Bush regime - Ms. Rice notwithstanding.

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13 Aug 12 - 01:13 PM (#3389672)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: GUEST,JTT

Rice makes people think? I'd have said her writings do the opposite.

I've read that she ended her life as a beneficiary of Medicaid... Medicare... sorry, I don't know the American terminologies - anyway, of the social security she had denounced. Is this true?

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13 Aug 12 - 01:20 PM (#3389681)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: pdq

Rice makes great pilaf. Don't know if that makes people think.

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13 Aug 12 - 04:12 PM (#3389766)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Wesley S

I can't imagine how Ryan is going to help Romney. Ryan isn't going to pull over any of the "undecideds" from the middle of the spectrum. His appeal is to the tea party types and folks from the far right. The conservatives were going to vote for Romney anyway for the simple reason that he's not Barack Obama. I don't think it adds anything to the ticket.

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13 Aug 12 - 07:42 PM (#3389827)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Don Firth

Paul Ryan's admiration for the philosphy of Ayn Rand is going to suck in the Libertarian Party, which was started by a bunch of Ayn Rand's disciples in the first place. But then, unless they're fielding a candidate of their own, they vote Republican anyway.

Ryan has lately tried to distance himself from Ayn Rand, but I'm sure it's because Rand was the kind of hard-charging atheist who has showers of sparks spraying out of her ears. And someone who admires her philosophical position is not going to go over at all well with the Religious Right.

So the fact that, in times past, Paul Ryan insisted that his staff read Atlas Shrugged--and if people in general understand what really Rand is saying in that book (the 50 page speech by John Galt) might just prove to be his--and Romney's--Achilles heel.

Don Firth

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13 Aug 12 - 08:46 PM (#3389846)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: dick greenhaus

Don- That miht make sense if the Liebrtarians were seriously running a candidate. As it is, they're all going to vote Republican, no mtter who's running.

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02 Sep 12 - 04:44 PM (#3399159)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Sawzaw

"And just as we must transform our unemployment system, so must we also revolutionize our welfare system.
It doesn't work; it defies our values as a nation. If we value work, we can't justify a system that makes welfare
more attractive than work if people are worried about losing their health care.
If we value responsibility, we can't ignore the $34 billion in child support absent parents out to be paying to
millions of parents who are taking care of their children â€" . If we value strong families, we can't perpetuate a
system that actually penalizes those who stay together. Can you believe that a child who has a child gets more
money from the government for leaving home than for staying home with a parent or a grandparent? That's
not just bad policy, it's wrong and we ought to change it."

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03 Sep 12 - 04:54 PM (#3399614)
Subject: RE: BS: Romney Chooses Ryan
From: Stringsinger

We now have a VP candidate who tells lies as speeches.

"Lyin' Ryan" they calls 'im.

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