REPUBLICAN DUO. US presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his selected running mate Paul Ryan are seeking to provide a stronger leadership in America that would replace the incumbent government under Barack Obama. Photo by Justin Sullivan for Getty Images.
MITT ROMNEY, the nominee of the Republican Party for the 2012 American presidential election, announced last August 11 that he has selected Paul Ryan, the representative of Wisconsin’s first congressional district, to be his vice presidential running mate for the upcoming polls.
A lightning rod decision
Seen as a bold and risky maneuver, Ryan’s nomination has energized both the conservatives and their opponents. It echoed the Republicans’ key decisions during the 2008 elections, when Sarah Palin was nominated to run alongside presidential candidate John McCain. Like the Palin move, Ryan’s selection is a tactical decision that can define Romney’s presidential campaign.
With this development, the upcoming United State presidential election attained a new point of contention, allowing for no rest between the incumbent Barack Obama and the Republican Romney.
The Republican “it boy”
Paul Ryan, a Republican who leans far more to the right in the political spectrum than the more moderate Romney, is a young up-and-comer well known among the Republicans, Democrats and certain sectors in the American populace.
At a young and sprightly age of just 42 years old, Ryan has already become one of the rising stars in the Republican Party, being among its foremost experts in terms of fiscal and budgetary concerns.
Many political analysts saw his selection as a sort of appeasement and compromise by the Romney campaign, especially as Romney still did not have the support of many conservative Republicans.
Ryan’s selection earned praise from prominent Republicans such as Rick Santorum, Romney’s strongest competitor during the race to become the Republican Party’s nominee, and other officials, such as Steve Forbes and Bobby Jindal.
However, some see his appointment as merely a reactionary move, especially as Romney lagged behind Obama in the polls.
“I believe that the selection of Ryan was a necessary reactionary move by the Republicans,” said sophomore Maricris Herrera, an American studying legal management in the Ateneo. “It allows the Republicans to go on the offensive.”
A change in battlegrounds
Furthermore, Ryan’s participation in the election has ensured deeper philosophical battles about how the US economy should go forward.
“An appointment such as [Ryan] means that the economy’s performance will definitely be a major point of discussion between the two candidates,” said Ernesto Escaler, a management information systems sophomore and also an American studying in the Ateneo.
Ryan is the Chairman of the United States House Committee on the Budget. In addition, he has been responsible for the creation of several budget proposals that have also been lightning rods among the populace. Among others, he spearheaded the proposal called “The Path to Prosperity” for the fiscal year 2012.
In fact, Ryan’s deep involvement led to the proposal being termed the “Ryan Budget,” which proposed severe spending cuts mainly on Obama’s healthcare reform policy. This plan proposed to end the current Medicare program and replace it with a voucher-based system. However, his suggestion to reduce such social services raised some eyebrows and was voted out in the Senate.
Revving up their engines
The stage has long been set for the upcoming elections. Both presidential candidates are campaigning intensively in order to raise interest and support.
While a risky move like Palin’s nomination, the selection of Ryan arguably allows and provides Romney a stronger chance to grab the presidency. Such a move is seen as crucial, especially if Romney needs to get on top.
Ryan’s bid for the vice presidency is allowing for a greater discussion about America’s future, especially as budgetary and fiscal concerns will remain significant issues both in the short- and long-run.
