patrick.net

This is fascinating regarding healthcare. Let the guy who signed RomneyCare explain why RomneyCare was good but ObamneyCare is bad, even though they're the same thing. Then let VP nominee Ryan explain why ObamneyCare is bad but he wants to impose it on seniors in place of Medicare.

For those who don't know, RyanCare is the Ryan budget plan to replace Medicare with a system like ObamneyCare, which CBO says will cost seniors more while delivering less, with the balance lost to insurance company overhead and profit.

My question: can we still call it ObamneyCare, or do we have to work Ryan's name in somehow?

The guy who champions ending medicare is now VP choice??

Ending medicare is a good thing. We should replace it with a universal healthcare system.

@Peter P

I was surprised to read that from you. I guess I underestimated you!

I've been reading different explanations of this selection, for example this from ABC:

"By putting Ryan and his deficit cutting plans, largely aimed at significantly altering some very popular entitlement programs such as Medicare, front and center, Romney seems to be demanding a new phase of the 2012 debate. It is an effort to turn the page from stories about car elevators, the Cayman Islands, and dancing horses and welcome a sharp ideological contrast with President Obama about America's fiscal future and the governing philosophies behind it."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/paul-ryan-mitt-romney-change-conversation/story?id=16983818

Campaigning on RyanCare seems crazy to me, but people thought Reagan's candidacy was crazy too, and they misunderestimated W's chances twice.

Or, maybe it just came down to hair. Ryan has great hair. Ryan may have the best hair of any major GOP figure right now. Hair is important to Romney. I think it's the hair.

Peter P says

Ending medicare is a good thing. We should replace it with a universal healthcare system.

Yeah right-in this country? Paul Ryan wants to give vouchers to seniors. So you could be 70 and have dementia and are supposed to carry your vouchers and remember where to go and what to do. Compassion overflows here.

Just heard this in Ryan's speech:
Our rights come from nature and God, not government. We promise equal opportunity, not equal outcomes.

And made a donation on Obama's website. I think their site got slammed, it took some time to log in...

curious2 says

This is fascinating regarding healthcare. Let the guy who signed RomneyCare explain why RomneyCare was good but ObamneyCare is bad, even though they're the same thing. Then let VP nominee Ryan explain why ObamneyCare is bad but he wants to impose it on seniors in place of Medicare.

For those who don't know, RyanCare is the Ryan budget plan to replace Medicare with a system like ObamneyCare, which CBO says will cost seniors more while delivering less, with the balance lost to insurance company overhead and profit.

My question: can we still call it ObamneyCare, or do we have to work Ryan's name in somehow?

What just happened here is that Romney and his people saw a need to energize their base. That means the Tea Party, and they will turn out in droves for Paul Ryan.

After Palin, now the Republicrats choose Ryan. I'm not sure what describes my reaction best - stupified, terrified, disgusted, angered or laughable! Maybe all of the above.

Last election I was half and half. McCain seemed like the idependant sort and halfway decent. Then he picked Palin and I ran for the hills.

This time , while I am not happy with Obama, but Romeny is as slimy as they come. He supports offshoring and even more jobs being shipped out. He wants even more tax cuts for the people who are creating-er shipping jobs overseas. On top of that, there is not a single position he hasn't flip flopped on. The guy has no shame. Just like Palin-in her half term as Governor-she actually raised taxes on corporations and gave a bigger check out to each Alaskan and said that the oil wealth belongs to the people and not coporations or some such. Then she is embraced by the tea party and becoems an anti tax mascot and rails about socialism????

Romney is the same-nobody knows who he is and what his position is and then he goes and picks this extremist for a VP??

rootvg says

That means the Tea Party, and they will turn out in droves for Paul Ryan.

One would think so, though I heard a tea bagger complain that though Ryan is good fellow his proposed budget though better than Obama's doesn't come to balance for 25 years. Ryan is more the darling of the William Kristol conservatives less interested in a balanced budget then in social engineering of a starve the beast(government except for defense), turn back the New Deal and what followed type of politics. While similar they are not completely in sync with the tea baggers who also have some diversity within their ranks but a balanced budget is an underlying theme for all tea baggers.

Romneys options were bad. Could a VP choice help him with independents without pissing off his base? He calculated correctly I think the answer was no, so best shore up the base hope the economy tanks or "something" happens. Given where he (Romney) is, Ryan was probably the best choice of bad alternatives (politically speaking). Do it on a Friday night/Saturday when the news cycle is slow before the convention and maybe the independents wont really notice. Calculated desperation.

rootvg says

We have had eight plus percent unemployment for YEARS.

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=9px

This graph shows how job growth (blue) in the 2001-2007 period was predicated on consumer credit take-on (red), largely the $7T mortgage credit bubble of 2002-2007.

Note how we've lost that $1T+/yr flow into the economy.

You know what has replaced it? Increased government spending -- the very thing Republicans rail against.

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=9py

Is the above chart with the elevated government spending in green.

Honest, intelligent people can understand this.

Dishonest and intellectually deficient people refuse to.

rootvg says

People like you said the exact same thing about Reagan in 1980 and it didn't matter

You are honestly comparing Reagan to Romney?? That is like comparing Dubya to Lincoln. I think it is safe to say Obama won 2012.

lostand confused says

rootvg says

People like you said the exact same thing about Reagan in 1980 and it didn't matter

You are honestly comparing Reagan to Romney?? That is like comparing Dubya to Lincoln. I think it is safe to say Obama won 2012.

He CAN'T. Don't you get it?

How does Obama run on his record? He CAN'T. The Democrats lost almost fifteen percent of the House in 2010...and you think all that pressure and level of discontent is just gonna go away, especially since the unemployment rate remains where it is?

rootvg says

He CAN'T. Don't you get it?
How does Obama run on his record? He CAN'T. The Democrats lost almost fifteen percent of the House in 2010...and you think all that pressure and level of discontent is just gonna go away, especially since the unemployment rate remains where it is?

Any race is between the competetors running. This is like a race between a thoroughbred and a mule.

lostand confused says

rootvg says

He CAN'T. Don't you get it?

How does Obama run on his record? He CAN'T. The Democrats lost almost fifteen percent of the House in 2010...and you think all that pressure and level of discontent is just gonna go away, especially since the unemployment rate remains where it is?

Any race is between the competetors running. This is like a race between a thoroughbred and a mule.

Are you serious?

rootvg says

lostand confused says

rootvg says

He CAN'T. Don't you get it?

How does Obama run on his record? He CAN'T. The Democrats lost almost fifteen percent of the House in 2010...and you think all that pressure and level of discontent is just gonna go away, especially since the unemployment rate remains where it is?

Any race is between the competetors running. This is like a race between a thoroughbred and a mule.

Are you serious?

Should ask yourself that.

I figured it out. This is a McCain play.

Pick a pretty younger MILF/FILF to add some SPICE to your dull campaign. Probably they think they can nab what Coulter called "stupid single women" voters who would otherwise vote Democrat, but will puddle up over Ryan's square jaw.

Vaticanus says

14. government intrusion into private lives, including marriage

A puzzling inclusion in your list. Economic vortex due to.... what? Have you been denied your appeal to marry? Is the government agent assigned to monitor your bedroom stealing food from your fridge?

Vicente says

Have you been denied your appeal to marry?

No, but the point is nobody ought to seek government permission to marry nor should there be any benefit nor penalty for the married or unmarried granted by the government. So this is another case of government run wild. The government should not be in the business licensing, or regulating marriage. This is only puzzling to you because of your government schooling and collectivist indoctrination from birth to present. I am writing to give you and others a reasonable chance at overcoming this unfortunate disadvantage/brainwashing. Your welcome.

Vicente says

Is the government agent assigned to monitor your bedroom stealing food from your fridge?

There is a gubmint agent monitoring my bedroom? Since you know about this you must be working with them? Aside from the fact that it kinda kinky, your just another big brother commie? I knew it! Good thing I do most of my best thinking the bathroom then, and it is totally tinfoil lined of course to keep the mind rays from penetrating, that is what you collectivists think of us who believe in limited government? Sorry to disappoint you but I haven't drunk the koolaid. I fear your mind is already owned by the state, and hypnotized by the media. Can you say anything that is contributory rather than coming off as a wiseass? I surely haven't seen it and that is why I typically ignore you. Thanks for the reminder.

The problem with debt is the interest payment burden. As long as the debt exists, the interest payments suck tax dollars down a black hole.

Millions, no hundred of millions of dollars of debt payments paid out...for NOTHING.

G'Day,
Being a Vice President means you can do nothing. A V.P. has to support the President. Best to make your political enemies as your Vice President. Roosevelt made Truman his VP because it gagged him. Same with Ryan. He can't speak up and can ONLY support the President's policies with NO real input.

After eight years of Romney, Ryan won't have a hope, for a shot at the Presidency. If Romney doesn't get 'in', then Ryan will be the next candidate for the Republican Party.

At this moment, I'm most concerned in the Neo-Con baggage that comes with Romney. Let's go to war because Israel wants us to. Let Israel do what is best for Israel and let the U.S. stay out. It's not REALLY in our interest. I think like Ron Paul, Congress should decide what course the U.S. should follow because YOU can call / write / petition / protest your local congressman. Think Romney will listen?

Regards,

Omerde

omerde says

If Romney doesn't get 'in', then Ryan will be the next candidate for the Republican Party.

Yep, I would guess that is why he accepted. He expects Romney to lose which gives him a shot at the Presidency in 2016. Ryan is an ideologically driven guy he wants the big prize. I personally don't find him that smart but everyone is convinced he is sharp as a tack, he does seem pretty good on the stump.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/no-paul-ryan-is-not-courageous/2012/08/11/89a9ee56-e3ed-11e1-a25e-15067bb31849_blog.html

"First, Romney’s choice: The past few weeks have made clear that the race is slipping away from him, as President Obama’s lead has widened in state and national polls and the economic outlook has brightened slightly. The right has sensed this — see talk show host Laura Ingraham, among others — and conservatives are convinced that Romney is losing because he’s not assertive or conservative enough. So I agree with the New Republic’s Noam Scheiber when he writes this:

Ryan is the way Romney and his aides escape blame for their now-likely defeat — blame which would have vicious and unrelenting — and pin it in on conservatives instead. With only minor historical revisions, they will be able to tell a story about how Romney was keeping the race close through early August, at which point the party’s conservative darling joined the ticket and sent the poll numbers into steady decline."

Paul Ryan mocks senior citizen who wants to keep his medicare. Says "I hope he's on his blood pressure medication!" as he's dragged out of the townhall

http://www.youtube.com/embed/GBhdXfCdaA8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

bob2356 says

no one is a slave to a creditor.

bob2356 says

would say court ordered wage garnishment is pretty close to slavery.

It is certainly so.

omerde says

Let Israel do what is best for Israel and let the U.S. stay out. It's not REALLY in our interest.

That's very good. I needed a laugh today... ;-)

Israel wouldn't even EXIST if it wasn't in our interest (the business of America is business). It is a monetary beachhead established to anchor Christian Capitalism (and pipeline terminals) in the Middle East.
Did you think the Crusades ended?

"Christian capitalism"?

Wtf

kentm says

"Christian capitalism"?

Capitalism is the economic system specifically endorsed by The Bible. Jesus said we should ruthlessly exploit one-another and our natural environment.

(sarcasm...really)