For Paul Ryan and the GOP, a moment to shine
Paul Ryan delivered a damn good speech last night.
You could argue with and dispute many of the points that he made, but that’s the thing about a speech: You don’t get to argue with it while it’s being delivered. A speech of that sort creates a protected reality, giving the speaker an unchallenged, extended moment in which to define himself, his party and his world. Ryan used that moment well.
(The best example of that phenomenon may have been Ryan’s predecessor, Sarah Palin, who in the same speech four years earlier created an attractive image of herself and her world that crumbled the moment she left the stage.)
Ryan, a creature of Washington for all of his adult life, knows his business and his role. As the enthusiastic response of his fellow Republicans demonstrated, last night he made their world his world, succeeding in linking speaker and audience in common outlook and purpose. The larger, more difficult question is whether he made a similar connection with millions of Americans watching from home.
In many ways he probably did. When he spoke of a tough economy — “23 million people, unemployed or underemployed. Nearly one in six Americans is living in poverty. Millions of young Americans have graduated from college during the Obama presidency, ready to use their gifts and get moving in life. Half of them can’t find the work they studied for, or any work at all” — it was an America that everybody in the convention hall and in living rooms recognized.
When he warned of our deepening national debt, and the fear that our children would live more cramped and difficult lives than we have, he echoed fears felt by any American who is paying attention to public life.
But the next morning, once the music has died, the applause has disappeared and the janitors are sweeping the floor of the previous night’s discards, things come into focus a bit more sharply.
For example, it was interesting to watch Ryan bewail the fact that this country’s credit rating had been downgraded, failing to mention that it was downgraded because he and his fellow Republicans conspired to create an artificial and completely unnecessary crisis over the debt ceiling. It went oddly unmentioned.
Ryan also noted that Obama had created a bipartisan debt commission whose report had come to nothing, yet somehow the congressman neglected to point out his own prominent role in its demise. He himself, as a member of the Simpson-Bowles commission, voted against accepting its recommendations and by doing so he made sure the report went nowhere.
Likewise, when Ryan accused Obama of “raiding” Medicare of $716 billion, he failed to note that in his House budget that made him famous, he too diverted $716 billion from Medicare. Instead of using it to extend health care to millions of uninsured Americans, he used it to finance more tax cuts for the wealthy. A difference in prioirities, I suppose.
Finally, in a speech that stressed responsibility and tough decisions, Ryan put the nation’s burgeoning debt entirely on the shoulders of one man.
“Yet by his own decisions, President Obama has added more debt than any other president before him, and more than all the troubled governments of Europe combined,” Ryan charged. “One president, one term, $5 trillion in new debt.”
Surely the chairman of the House Budget Committee, where all spending bills originate, must have played some tiny role in that process, did he not? Surely a politician committed to truth-telling on tough topics would not ignore the role that he and his own party played — budget-busting tax cuts that never produced promised economic growth; two wars, one necessary but badly led, the other a tragic misadventure, and both of them hugely expensive and unfunded; and an economic crisis unmatched in 80 years, touched off by a steady deregulation of Wall Street that he and his fellow Republicans insist even now must be deregulated even further.
Surely these too played a role, did they not?
And if nothing is being done in Washington, it is useful to ask whether a party that scorns compromise, that ejects from its membership any who dare question its holy agenda, and that pursues an extremist economic platform to the exclusion of all else just might, perhaps, maybe bear some responsibility for that state of affairs?
These are the kind of “details” that can be swept away, momentarily, in the emotion of a good speech well-delivered. But they do not go away forever. The next morning — this morning — they still stare all of us in the face.
– Jay Bookman
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440 comments Add your comment
Paul
August 30th, 2012
12:10 pm
Swami Dave
“It is laughable to see the liberals among us touting a FOXNews “article” that challenges some of Ryan’s speech. The attempt to misrepresent is yet again from LIBERALS who are pointing to an OPINION piece. ”
When that was posted, no one was commenting about the author. The point was that Fox would give time in such a way to such a strongly-worded piece.
sorry it’s not what you wanted it to be.
Morality?
August 30th, 2012
12:13 pm
11:40 a.m. If the shoe fits wear it. Thank You! That’s exactly what I just said. The bonds (debt) were downgraded because of the LACK of confidence that the U.S. can: #1) repay the debt (if it was $15 instead of $15 + TRILLION there would be no lack of confidence -so common sense, lacking in brain dead zombies, says that the amount of debt is the #1 reason for the downgrade.) and #2) there is no WILL for the Prez or Congress to reduce the debt or change out of control spending. When there is doubt bonds will be repaid and there is a lack of collateral to cover the loss then bonds are downgraded. If the rating services knowingly fail to downgrade when the environment calls for a downgrade they will be in danger of massive law suits and investigations and fines from the Fed gub’ment. Ironically Obama sent in the pencil pushers to intimidate the rating services because he did not appreciate the downgrade on his watch which was very bad PR for him. Knowing that Obama would retaliate put the rating services under a lot of pressure but not acting would have left them vulnerable to being fined, sued, incarcerated and put out of business. The rating services do not take the downgrading of the U.S. lightly thus showing the seriousness of our debt situation. Doubt if dead brain zombies are knowledgeable of how the world wide market works better than me as I do have a Masters in Finance and have been investing in the market for years. Got check the market now so see youze latter.
getalife
August 30th, 2012
12:15 pm
Let me take this time to do something I rarely do.
Government did a great job dealing with this storm and had their act together.
The people did not have to wait weeks to get rescued this time and government did not repeat the same mistakes as Katrina..
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
12:15 pm
Just a thought here – If Romney/Ryan is elected, my guess is that they will not be heard saying Obama left us a mess(over and over again) like we hear Obama speak of Bush constantly. Obama mentions Bush so much, you would think he was trying to steal his wife or something? I wonder how many times we will hear BLAME BUSH at the DNC convention next week? Somebody should keep a total, just sayin.
Joe Hussein Mama
August 30th, 2012
12:16 pm
S. Ray — “…we and the banks would have been much better served if they simply gave a trillion to homeowners to continue to make mortgage payments…”
I actually suggested something very much like this on another discussion board back in 2008-2009. I thought it might work something like this:
Use the bailout money to ‘buy out’ existing risky mortgages. Require the homebuyers to to take on a new mortgage with new, favorable terms (for example, a longer term). When the buyers eventually sell, the government gets all of the appreciation (if any), but the buyers are shielded from loss (the government absorbs the downside) if they lose money on the house or go bankrupt.
Result: bad mortgages get off banks’ books and they get paid. Homebuyers don’t automatically lose their houses (though some might have anyway in the ensuing job market crash) and are insulated from loss of their investment in the home. The government gets paid back for the mortgages and gets to keep any upside in the investment.
THEN come the investigations and prosecutions of homebuyers and mortgage sellers who fudged numbers and filed false documents. With jail time, please.
Joe Hussein Mama
August 30th, 2012
12:18 pm
Peter — “Because that has been the GOP mantra..from Reagen to Cheney !”
You must have me confused with another poster. I left the GOP — probably for good — in 2003. And that was after voting GOP since 1980.
Joe Hussein Mama
August 30th, 2012
12:20 pm
“Morality” — “Doubt if dead brain zombies are knowledgeable of how the world wide market works better than me as I do have a Masters in Finance and have been investing in the market for years.”
I’m able to read what the credit rating agencies actually said, and they agree with me, not you.
And as long as we’re on a qualifications-comparing track this week, I’ll put both my Masters’ degrees up against yours, smart guy. At least I know how to read what the CRAs actually SAID rather than making up some partisan bulldada.
hiram
August 30th, 2012
12:20 pm
Has anyone considered the risk of turning over the most powerful military on the planet to two dilusional religous nuts who are prone to religious visions(brain malfunctions)?
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
August 30th, 2012
12:22 pm
…as I do have a Masters in Finance and have been investing in the market for years.
I drive for the ELF racing team on the Formula One circuit, and I will also be in the starting 11 when Chelsea takes on Atletico Madrid in the European Super Cup tomorrow in Monaco.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
SHEETS
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
12:24 pm
Getalife@12:06 – “New rules for cars and gas mileage”, now who can afford a new car these days, about $25 grand, right. I’ll tell my children and grandchildren about it though, thanks. Is there any free govt money in it for us?
Thomas
August 30th, 2012
12:26 pm
It practically lays the blame of their decision on the front step of the Tea Party
too funny- UGA tail back woes are the result of marijuana being grown. A great strategy is to continue to print more US$ and pay no attention to the terms “waste” and “expenses” v. “investment”. Hell- go with you the strategy, drink a lot, change your name to Paula Kregman and you, too, can get a Nobel Prize- I hear the bar is pretty low nowadays.
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
12:28 pm
hiram@12:20 – Good point sir, so it is better to turn over military over to a Community Organizer and the Joker?
Morality?
August 30th, 2012
12:29 pm
Mudder – I only give up on trying to explain the economy and how it works to brain dead zombies for Obama. You can’t teach common sense to the insane and brain dead. It’s like trying to teach someone in Pre -K trigonometry. BDZ’s have a total disconnect from reality. You will not even admit that $15,000,000,000,000 in debt and rising is a problem.
hiram
August 30th, 2012
12:40 pm
@Tom
I’ll trust a “community organizer” who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law, over two anachronistic religious zealots 10 times out of 10.
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
12:46 pm
hiram – Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law, I thought his college records were sealed for some reason? I’m sorry, I just thought CO’s should be working in recreation centers not the White House. Do you really need a Law Degree to say BLAME BUSH, hundreds of times?
Jamvet
August 30th, 2012
12:49 pm
Tom, yes, you would love to excise the (W)orst Ever’s name for the lexicon.
And as Jay has mocked you Bushbots – He Who Shall Not be Named.
You can run from your record, but you cannot hide…
Are you kiddin me?!
August 30th, 2012
12:52 pm
Does anybody remeber a man by the name of George W. Bush? It amazes me how the Republicans critisize President Obama about unemployment, and yet they would outsource our jobs to other countries to maximize their own profits. They want to decrease taxes for the wealthy and increase taxes on the middle-class who are, and always have been the backbone of this society. If you want 4 more years of George W. Bush, go right ahead, but don’t complain when you get the tip of the boot in the backside!
The tongue can be the most wicked weapon on earth
August 30th, 2012
12:52 pm
Things Paul Ryan Didn’t Say:
The Ryan Plan
40 million people will be thrown off of medicaid (poor, elderly,
disabled, children)
1.4 trillion dollar cut
Raise the age to 67 for SS
The rich will give up nothing and they will get
a 1.4 trillion dollar tax cut
The tongue can be the most wicked weapon on earth
August 30th, 2012
12:57 pm
The effects of the Romney Ryan Plan
IF you are elderly, poor, disabled, a child BE AFRAID BE VERY AFRAID.
IF you are 55 or younger BE AFRAID BE VERY AFRAID.
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
12:59 pm
Jamvet – So when Bush dies and is long gone, are you Dems going to still be saying Blame Bush over and over again? I guess dying is the only answer. If Romney wins somehow, I do not want him or Ryan to ever say it is Obama’s mess or fault! If you want the job, take it and handle it and blame no one else if you do not get the results you want!!
hiram
August 30th, 2012
1:05 pm
Tom
You’re choice of words reveals that you are a loyal devotee of the fat, sweaty, drug addicted pied piper, and his dictums represent the exent of your political knowledge.
The tongue can be the most wicked weapon on earth
August 30th, 2012
1:30 pm
IF you don’t REJECT the Ryan Plan…………..
“YOU” could be a VICTIM.
Can you AFFORD IT?
The Ryan Plan
40 million people will be thrown off of medicaid (poor, elderly,
disabled, children)
1.4 trillion dollar cut
Raise the age to 67 for SS
The rich will give up nothing and they will get
a 1.4 trillion dollar tax cut
Jamvet
August 30th, 2012
1:30 pm
Jamvet – So when Bush dies and is long gone, are you Dems going to still be saying Blame Bush over and over again?
An infinitely more intelligent and ethical question is will you Bush devotees ever acknowledge the gawd awful, cataclysmic, across the board, epic, serial disasters that he left us to fix?
Of course not!
Thousands of dead GIs, all KIA’d needlessly. Tens of thousands more maimed and broken. Countless American families ruined so the chickenhawks could feel good about themselves.
Trillions of dollars “missing” and wasted in that botched invasion and occupation based on lies, deceit and shameless self-serving Halliburton interests. Using the Us Constitution to wipe his ass. (Ask all of the Republican lawyers in the ABA about it. Or don’t.)
The disgrace of getting the United States of America added to the list of countries that torture. For the first time ever.
Illegal spying on American citizens.
Throwing away the single most sacred American liberty ever devised – habeus corpus.
And then of course there was that itsy bitsy little problem in September 2008. $10,000,000,000,000.00 “disappeared”. Basically overnight. By the sleaziest, most unapologetic criminals in the nation’s long history. Economic devastation and despair not seen in this country in nearly a hundred years. MASSIVE unemployment and underemploymet. RECORD bankruptcies and foreclosures. Entire industries shipped overseas. Rising poverty and fear.
And though, you desperately want to sweep ALL of it under the nearest rug you can find forever, tough t*tties, I will never let you.
And even worse. You are so stubborn and foolish that you Party First, America Second boys are dead set upon trying to get George Willard Bush right back into office so that the horrifically incompetent and immoral neocons can do it all over again.
Ain’t no way in hell.
So own it.
You voted for the (W)orst Ever. Twice.
Bernie
August 30th, 2012
1:39 pm
Sarah Palin was Better….. at least she was entertaining!
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
1:58 pm
Hiram – I am just a regular person, apparently not rocket-science material like Jamvet and yourself! Just a little guy, without a college degree, who served in military and law enforcement for over 40 years. But all my children have college degrees, including two with masters. Guess I grew up in fairly hard times. I earned what I got in life and never wanted the govt to provide for me. Guess I’m not as elequent as you two with words but I’ll learn to live with it!!!!!!
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
2:00 pm
Jamvet – Blame Obama, Blame Obama, Blame Obama, now doesn’t that sound stupid, even if it is true??
Reagans ghost
August 30th, 2012
2:19 pm
Tom, if you are new here, this is hard left territory. Facts and proof are scoffed at here daily. The truth when presented is rebuked.
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
2:25 pm
Thanks, ghost!!
Woofy
August 30th, 2012
2:28 pm
I’m an independent voter, and I cast a leery eye to the extremes of both sides. I also remain undecided about who to vote for in November. With that said, Paul Ryan is a very attractive, young and, no doubt, energetic voice for the republican party. He is held in relatively high esteem by the conservative movement as a deficit hawk and someone with a grand plan to solve our nation’s fiscal ills. The problem with Mr. Ryan is that when he was sworn into Congress in January 1999, he came into a fiscal surplus. Since Mr. Ryan has been in office, he has voted for the Bush tax cuts without any offsetting spending reductions; he voted for an unfunded ware in Afghanistan; he voted for an unfunded war in Iraq; he voted for an unfunded prescription plan; he voted for TARP. Each of these votes has contributed to most of the deficit we are experiencing today, yet I have not heard Mr. Ryan acknowledge his responsibility for contributing to our current state, nor have I heard any conservative point out Mr. Ryan’s role with the current deficit. Everyone seems to think he has a brilliant plan to fix it. I’m just not convinced. I may end up voting for Romney/Ryan, but I may not either. Are we growing our economy as much as I would like to see now? No! But we are in a better place now then we were four years ago. The stock market is nearly double where it was at its worst; we are growing jobs, meager as it may be, but a hell of a lot better than losing 800,000 jobs a month under Bush. Is that enough for me to vote for Obama? I am still thinking it over. But none of us should idly allow Mr. Ryan to come across as some budget savior. He isn’t!
Reagans ghost
August 30th, 2012
2:48 pm
Woofy, in baseball in the 8th inning when the pitcher is giving up home run after home run, the smart managers usually go to the bullpen. It’s been 4 years. We need to go to the bull pen. Think about it.
Fred ™
August 30th, 2012
2:54 pm
Ewrin’s cat
August 30th, 2012
10:11 am
Fred – You obviously don’t know me because I don’t play that racial BS
then why did you look for it in the first place and then feel compelled to report your findings?
+++++++++++++++
I answered that question in the same post you cherry picked that quote out of.
Woofy
August 30th, 2012
2:57 pm
Reagans ghost—Just reminder Reagan raised taxes several times during his eight years and significantly increased the deficit. He was a great orator that made you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, but in reality, he wasn’t all that great.
Joseph
August 30th, 2012
4:22 pm
It is truly amazing that dems just can’t face facts…..
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/30/fact-check-paul-ryan-convention-address/
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
4:43 pm
Jamvet@1:30 – You are truly someone I would enjoy meeting and speaking with face to face someday. But I seriously doubt that will happen? If you ever come out to Gwinnett County, feel free to contact me. Have a nice day!! PS – My guess is a number of others would like to meet you also, you are such a popular person behind that PC.
Fred ™
August 30th, 2012
5:03 pm
Yo Tom. I’m your huckleberry. I’ll be more than happy to meet up with you and discuss whatever you want to discuss any time you want to discuss it. I was just up in Gwinnett County today. had I known I could have dropped by.
The tongue can be the most wicked weapon on earth
August 30th, 2012
5:37 pm
Joseph
August 30th, 2012
4:22 pm
It is truly amazing that dems just can’t face facts…..
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/30/fact-check-paul-ryan-convention-address
*************************************************************************************************************
And the CONS are on a FACT DIET.
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
5:37 pm
Fred – Are you Jamvet’s big brother?
Tom(Independent Viet Vet,USAF)
August 30th, 2012
5:42 pm
Fred – Oh, by the way I did see that Wyatt Earp movie, when Doc Holiday said the huckleberry line.
georgette
August 30th, 2012
5:49 pm
Hi Jay!
Doesn’t Paul Ryan look like Eddie from the Munsters??
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
August 30th, 2012
6:05 pm
And what do have to look forward to when the supreme leader steps to the mike? He will not need a teleprompter for this one – “I have blown everything up, but that Romney is a bad guy, so vote for me.”
Then they will have the tribute to all 57 states by N. Pelosi, a personal finance seminar by C. Rangel, the Obama Energy Plan Symposium and tire gauge demonstration, the “Free Gov. Blagoyovich ” rally, and finally stupid pet tricks by J. Biden. Can’t wait.