Showing posts with label Ryan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Romney/Ryan Campaign Event...
The photo below was taken last night at a Romney/Ryan campaign event in Golden, Colorado. Impressive crowd. The full 360° panorama.
Friday, October 12, 2012
WTF Happened Last Night???
Well, that was just about the strangest political “debate” I've ever seen. I was expecting entertainment, but I got something else instead. I don't think either Ryan or Biden was the clear winner on either substance or debate style. But I do think there was a winner: everybody who watched the debate – because we learned a lot about both men.
We learned that Ryan was out of his depth, and is somewhat uncomfortable, with foreign policy issues – but despite this, he was able to hold his own with the much more experienced Biden.
We learned that Martha Raddatz was an excellent moderator, despite the right's trashing of her before the debate, and accusing her of pandering to Biden after the debate. She did no such thing – she was professional and even-handed throughout, and did a very effective job of asking questions that provoked potentially interesting answers. The candidates didn't live up to the expectations she set, but that's their fault, not hers. Kudos to Ms. Raddatz.
We learned that Biden was an uncouth, impolite, bullying jerk; full of bluster and blarney, and fond of yelling from the bar stool.
We learned (or rather, had reinforced) Ryan's strength on economic issues.
We learned how lucky we are that Obama hasn't been killed or incapacitated – because the idea of Joe Biden as president is positively terrifying (I would thing that's true even for loyal Democrats).
We learned that Ryan looks and behaves like a level-headed, grounded adult. At least from behavioral cues, it's at least not frightening to imagine him as president.
We learned (or rather, had reinforced) how effective Biden's down-home, folksy mannerisms are. Unfortunately for him, this was more than counter-balanced by his downright bizarre behaviors and constant rude interruptions of Ryan.
We learned that women find Ryan strong, comforting, and easy on the eye (despite his party affiliation), and that they find Biden kind of creepy and definitely not comforting (despite his party affiliation).
The winner? Us, hands-down. The loser, politically? Probably the Obama/Biden ticket, because they didn't get the sort of boost from this debate that they so badly needed after the first Obama/Romney debate.
Here are some thoughts from others:
Nick Gillespie, Reason: The Smirk Store Is Out of Smirks...
Michael Barone, Washington Examiner: Biden Didn't Put a Dent in Romney...
Neoneocon: Biden Was Like the Drunken Blowhard...
Peter Suderman, Reason: Very Specific Malarkey...
Less than an hour after the debate finished, the Republican National Committee had a new ad up, making extensive use of Uncle Joe's bizarre debate behavior. On nearly a daily basis something like this happens with a speed that leaves me gobsmacked. An hour?!? Before I could really even collect my thoughts, they had a polished and effective ad up on the Internet. Just amazing...
We learned that Ryan was out of his depth, and is somewhat uncomfortable, with foreign policy issues – but despite this, he was able to hold his own with the much more experienced Biden.
We learned that Martha Raddatz was an excellent moderator, despite the right's trashing of her before the debate, and accusing her of pandering to Biden after the debate. She did no such thing – she was professional and even-handed throughout, and did a very effective job of asking questions that provoked potentially interesting answers. The candidates didn't live up to the expectations she set, but that's their fault, not hers. Kudos to Ms. Raddatz.
We learned that Biden was an uncouth, impolite, bullying jerk; full of bluster and blarney, and fond of yelling from the bar stool.
We learned (or rather, had reinforced) Ryan's strength on economic issues.
We learned how lucky we are that Obama hasn't been killed or incapacitated – because the idea of Joe Biden as president is positively terrifying (I would thing that's true even for loyal Democrats).
We learned that Ryan looks and behaves like a level-headed, grounded adult. At least from behavioral cues, it's at least not frightening to imagine him as president.
We learned (or rather, had reinforced) how effective Biden's down-home, folksy mannerisms are. Unfortunately for him, this was more than counter-balanced by his downright bizarre behaviors and constant rude interruptions of Ryan.
We learned that women find Ryan strong, comforting, and easy on the eye (despite his party affiliation), and that they find Biden kind of creepy and definitely not comforting (despite his party affiliation).
The winner? Us, hands-down. The loser, politically? Probably the Obama/Biden ticket, because they didn't get the sort of boost from this debate that they so badly needed after the first Obama/Romney debate.
Here are some thoughts from others:
Nick Gillespie, Reason: The Smirk Store Is Out of Smirks...
Michael Barone, Washington Examiner: Biden Didn't Put a Dent in Romney...
Neoneocon: Biden Was Like the Drunken Blowhard...
Peter Suderman, Reason: Very Specific Malarkey...
Less than an hour after the debate finished, the Republican National Committee had a new ad up, making extensive use of Uncle Joe's bizarre debate behavior. On nearly a daily basis something like this happens with a speed that leaves me gobsmacked. An hour?!? Before I could really even collect my thoughts, they had a polished and effective ad up on the Internet. Just amazing...
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Oh, Boy...
I can hardly wait for tonight's debate. Not for the political content; I'm not expecting much of interest there. Not because I think the debate is likely to be consequential, either – I suspect the VP debate won't mean as much to the outcome of the election as will the weather on election night. I'm looking forward to this for the pure entertainment value. Ryan vs. Biden in a vice presidential debate is kind of like F-35 vs. MiG-1 in a dogfight...
I'll be watching, with a glass of wine and a snack or two...
I'll be watching, with a glass of wine and a snack or two...
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Ryan...
I'm not sure I've ever heard a politician's speech that I liked more:
This caught me completely by surprise. I've never actually seen Paul Ryan deliver a political speech before; I've only seen him in action on the floor of the House, or in committee hearings.
I'm surprised by how completely natural he sounds (and appears) while in front of a crowd. I had the sense that I was hearing and seeing the real Paul Ryan, not his political persona. It wasn't a performance, it was him. Even Governor Awesome can't pull that off; when he's working a crowd, you know he's performing. And Romney? I've never seen him not performing. I don't know about you, but I find the idea of meeting the person (vs. the performer) quite ... refreshing.
His spontaneous and natural interactions with the audience were particularly telling. He reminds me of the very best teachers I ever had (those were, unfortunately, very few and far between). He wasn't just giving a speech, he was actually listening and reacting with his audience. He was having a conversation. An adult conversation.
His ability to reduce some of the complex ideas around the financial condition of the country to short, easy-to-digest sentences, things that anyone could understand. In that ability, he reminds me a bit of Ronald Reagan. There's another Reaganesque quality about Ryan as well: the cheerful, optimisitic disposition, and his civility. Even when he's ripping someone's argument to shreds (like the famous clip with Obama), he's smiling and friendly. Yup, Reaganesque.
Really I can't find anything to criticize about this speech. At least for this audience of one, it was everything I always hoped for in a political speech, but so seldom find: humor, drama, ideas, belief, commitment, and fire in the belly.
My estimation of Ryan as a political force is rising, and quickly. I'm starting to feel optimistic despite my best efforts to remain depressed about our future. I haven't quite risen to the heights that Rachel has obtained, though...
This caught me completely by surprise. I've never actually seen Paul Ryan deliver a political speech before; I've only seen him in action on the floor of the House, or in committee hearings.
I'm surprised by how completely natural he sounds (and appears) while in front of a crowd. I had the sense that I was hearing and seeing the real Paul Ryan, not his political persona. It wasn't a performance, it was him. Even Governor Awesome can't pull that off; when he's working a crowd, you know he's performing. And Romney? I've never seen him not performing. I don't know about you, but I find the idea of meeting the person (vs. the performer) quite ... refreshing.
His spontaneous and natural interactions with the audience were particularly telling. He reminds me of the very best teachers I ever had (those were, unfortunately, very few and far between). He wasn't just giving a speech, he was actually listening and reacting with his audience. He was having a conversation. An adult conversation.
His ability to reduce some of the complex ideas around the financial condition of the country to short, easy-to-digest sentences, things that anyone could understand. In that ability, he reminds me a bit of Ronald Reagan. There's another Reaganesque quality about Ryan as well: the cheerful, optimisitic disposition, and his civility. Even when he's ripping someone's argument to shreds (like the famous clip with Obama), he's smiling and friendly. Yup, Reaganesque.
Really I can't find anything to criticize about this speech. At least for this audience of one, it was everything I always hoped for in a political speech, but so seldom find: humor, drama, ideas, belief, commitment, and fire in the belly.
My estimation of Ryan as a political force is rising, and quickly. I'm starting to feel optimistic despite my best efforts to remain depressed about our future. I haven't quite risen to the heights that Rachel has obtained, though...
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