Ryan Heads Straight For Colorado (With Baggage)

FOX 31′s Eli Stokols:

Newly-minted GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan will be in Colorado for a fundraiser Monday night and rally Tuesday morning in Lakewood, FOX31 Denver has learned.

After being introduced as Mitt Romney’s running mate Saturday morning in Virginia and barnstorming across that state and rallying voters in his home state of Wisconsin on Sunday, Ryan is parting ways with Romney, who’s heading to Florida Monday.

Click here to get your tickets for Ryan’s speech at Lakewood High School tomorrow–doors open at 9:00AM for this 11:00AM event, so bring a book (or a tablet–you can live Tweet the speech).

A new USA TODAY/Gallup poll out this morning suggests that Rep. Paul Ryan has his work cut out for him–not just here in Colorado, but across the country as well.

Americans don’t believe GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney hit a home run with his choice of Paul Ryan as a running mate, a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, with more of the public giving him lower marks than high ones.

Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, is seen as only a “fair” or “poor” choice by 42% of Americans vs. 39% who think he is an “excellent” or “pretty good” vice presidential choice.

USA TODAY/Gallup Polls of registered voters after the announcements of running mates since Dick Cheney in 2000 all showed more positive reactions. Only Dan Quayle in a 1988 Harris Poll of likely voters was viewed less positively than Ryan, with 52% rating Quayle as a “fair” or “poor” vice presidential choice. The Ryan poll includes all adults, not just registered voters.

We would guess that Rep. Ryan does not appreciate comparisons to Dan Quayle. But there does seem to be something troublingly Quayle-like in the reception of Ryan by the public so far, underscored by the results of this latest poll. Ryan is viewed enthusiastically by Republicans, who say they are more likely to vote for Mitt Romney as a result–this is significant after polls have persistently shown a lack of enthusiasm among Republicans for Romney.

For everyone else, there’s Ryan’s record. Politico:

Last spring when Ryan unveiled his budget proposal, which proposed changing Medicare to a private program with government subsidies, pollsters jumped to see what Americans thought.

A flurry of polls showed a majority or at least a plurality of voters didn’t like Ryan’s idea. Among the elderly, it was wildly unpopular…

And something for Lakewood soccer moms, Washington Post:

Ryan is a co-sponsor of the Sanctity of Human Life Act, which defines a fertilized egg as a human being – similar to recent “personhood” efforts in a handful of states. He also won his seat in 1998 by running to his opponent’s right on abortion and emphasizing no exceptions.

Read this weekend’s post from NARAL Pro Choice Colorado for more on Ryan and “Personhood.” As you can see, Ryan’s addition to this race adds an interesting dynamic, particularly with regard to issues and campaigns already taking shape in Colorado.

But there’s little sign yet it’s a winning dynamic.


Full story: Ryan Heads Straight For Colorado (With Baggage)

27 Community Comments, Facebook Comments

  1. Barron X says:

    .

    If not, has Romney assigned him a “minder ?”  

  2. Gray in Mountains says:

    will of course get a very good bup in polls with Ryan pick. Can be overcome, but the budget is way too complex to explain all the issues to voters in the time remaining. Both sides will simplify, it is always easier to say “We’re spending too much” Not sure how to combat that with an equally simplisitc sound bite.

    • Diogenesdemar says:

      ‘wee’re spending too much’ let’s stop feeding the kids” — might not be that hard to explain to anyone who’s ever been part of a family?

      Now, “the Willards of this country have been enjoying untold advantage while using every trick in the book to avoid paying even a small portion of their fair share” — that’s a slightly more nuanced position that will require a bit of explanation.  How about this, “it’s time our freeloading billionaire ‘job creators got off the dole and paid their way like average Americans”?

      I’ve got no problem with a little class warfare — it’s time for the masses to win one.  

    • BlueCat says:

      economic issues in play with Ryan. Buck up Gray. I think Dems can and will take advantage.

    • DavidThi808DavidThi808 says:

      The trick is not to get into the budget details but instead speak to the end result. If you can get across reduced taxes for millionaires, reduced services for everyone else – that will resonate.

  3. harrydobyharrydoby says:

    It’s right there in his budget plan:

    Steal $700 Billion from Medicare — Wash blood off hands

    Just ask Reince Priebus if you don’t believe me.

    • ArapaGOPArapaGOP says:

      Right after Obama says what he plans to do with the $500 bill he stole from Medicare.

      Medicare must be reformed. Paul Ryan is about to take this issue off the table. I can’t wait to see Ryan destroy Biden.

      • harrydobyharrydoby says:

        We’re both referring to the same thing.

        Had you bothered to follow the link, you would have gotten a chuckle over the fact that the money Priebus accuses Obama of stealing from Medicare, Ryan explicitly cut (ie. “stole”) in his budget too.  The same budget voted on and overwhelmingly approved by the GOP-controlled House.  Guess you guys don’t actually read the bill.

        But never fear, turns out no harm, no foul:

        Incidentally, the cuts were supported by the very organizations that are affected — in return for vastly expanding their market (and revenue).

           None of these reductions were financed by cuts to Medicare enrollees’ eligibility or benefits; benefits were improved in the ACA. Cuts were focused on hospitals, health insurers, home health, and other providers. Except for insurers, all the affected groups publicly supported the reductions to help finance the ACA’s expansion in health insurance to about 32 million uninsured Americans.

        • ParkHill says:

          Schooling ArapaGOP on how insurance works. Like little duckies at a carnival:

          The medicare savings in Obamacare occurs because more people have insurance. Right now, there is a large amount of cost shifting from the uninsured to the insured and the hospitals, doctors, etc. The ACA can move $700 from medicare due to this savings.

          The huge difference is that Ryan cuts medicare payments directly and takes the $700 to give (super) rich people a tax break. Obama uses it to fund insurance for people who can’t afford it.

          Ryan doesn’t want universal insurance, therefore, expenses due to cost-shifting remain with the hospitals, doctors and insurance plans.

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