I am reluctant to wade into the polarized waters of politics. But there is an important point about Paul Ryan’s nomination I haven’t seen made (hard to believe, I know).
We all know the next four years will be about fiscal issues. And the sense, increasingly, is the Democrats could be forced at gunpoint to compromise on entitlement spending. There are no indications, however, that the Tea Party Republicans would be willing to come off their ideological stance against raising revenue.
So, if Obama were to get reelected, it is hard to imagine that the more ideological elements in the Republican party would suddenly have a change of heart and soften their current stance.
We know as well that compromise, eventually, is the only way out. One of Romney’s strongest selling points to moderates has been that he would have a much better chance than would Obama of cracking the log-jam of the anti-tax right. Now, by bringing on board Ryan, Romney’s odds of dragging them into a compromise just went up a lot further.
Ryan knows this group of house member well, he carries enormous credibility on fiscal matters with this group, and he knows where the political bodies are buried on all the hot-button issues. This political reason, for me, is the most compelling one for Romney to bring Ryan on board, even if I personally think the supply-side baggage and excessive faith in efficient markets that he brings with him are ill-suited for the problems we face and are about three decades past their sell-by date.