Lefty thoughts on Paul Ryan?

[franklin]

I listened to a replay of Paul Ryan on Charlie Rose. IMO, this guy is a solid moderate who caters to the conservative view--call it center-right or whatever. He gave enough ammo in this interview to piss off Glenn Beck and Keith Olberman for years. I.E. conservatives don't support safety net programs with the common sense caveat of not making them a hammock, as Ryan said, they'd cut them out all together (while avoiding Hayek). He showed he has a deep understanding of economic issues challenging the global economy, and understands both sides of the issue (ex. China currency manipulation impacts relative to reserve currency status).

This is a guy I could really get behind. I'm worried about another Ronald Reagan effect, but I think the situation would counter the excesses seen since that Political Prophet.

Thoughts? Could left leaners get behind Paul Ryan?

 

[sirkickyass]

No.

Although I might be convinceable. He was shockingly candid and seemingly flexible when it was pointed out to him that his "Roadmap" financial plan didn't add up.

 

[DeliveryBoy]

He gives traditional conservative ideas an intellectual patina, which I know many on the right are on the look out for. He is very sharp, no doubt about it. I think he's one of the conservatives that deserves his reputation for being smart-I'm still shocked that most consider Newt Gingrich an "ideas" guy, for instance.

I don't think he has anything new as far as ideas go, but he is more or less honest when it comes to what he, and most conservatives, would do if given enough power-end Medicare, Social Security, and basically any other goverment program (besides defense) as we know it.

 

[Scat]

I don't think he has anything new as far as ideas go, but he is more or less honest when it comes to what he, and most conservatives, would do if given enough power-end Medicare, Social Security, and basically any other goverment program (besides defense) as we know it.

So what you're saying is that Ryan would follow the Constitution.

 

[Nate505]

Thoughts? Could left leaners get behind Paul Ryan?

Is he a social conservative? If so, not I.

 

[Nate505]

And after looking into it, he is. So f him. He's voted against stem cell research, he's pro-life (although as a male that issue doesn't mean that much to me), against gay marriage, voted against letting gays adopt in DC, voted against medical pot in DC (which is a big deal to me), and pretty much votes against any environmental measure. He seems like a prototypical jackass righty to me, but maybe I'm wrong or that has been distorted.

https://www.ontheissues.org/House/Paul_Ryan.htm

I'm not sure why many lefties, or anyone who identifies themselves as one, would vote for him. The only issue I can think of them having common ground on is capital punishment, as he's Catholic and may be opposed to it.

 

[Scat]

And after looking into it, he is. So f him. He's voted against stem cell research, he's pro-life (although as a male that issue doesn't mean that much to me), against gay marriage, voted against letting gays adopt in DC, voted against medical pot in DC (which is a big deal to me), and pretty much votes against any environmental measure. He seems like a prototypical jackass righty to me, but maybe I'm wrong or that has been distorted.

https://www.ontheissues.org/House/Paul_Ryan.htm

I'm not sure why many lefties, or anyone who identifies themselves as one, would vote for him. The only issue I can think of them having common ground on is capital punishment, as he's Catholic and may be opposed to it.

In your world gays can marry, people can smoke dope and gays can raise kids.

This is fantastic when the US is bankrupt, China owns the US and Americans cannot make a living. You stick to your principles. They should serve you well comrade.

 

[Nate505]

In your world gays can marry, people can smoke dope and gays can raise kids.

This is fantastic when the US is bankrupt, China owns the US and Americans cannot make a living. You stick to your principles. They should serve you well comrade.

What exactly does China owning US debt and jobs have to do with any of that? Plus, in China you can't do any of that stuff...comrade. Sounds like your type of place. Not to mention more Americans actually had jobs before you guys started shipping them all overseas.

 

[franklin]

He gives traditional conservative ideas an intellectual patina, which I know many on the right are on the look out for. He is very sharp, no doubt about it. I think he's one of the conservatives that deserves his reputation for being smart-I'm still shocked that most consider Newt Gingrich an "ideas" guy, for instance.

I don't think he has anything new as far as ideas go, but he is more or less honest when it comes to what he, and most conservatives, would do if given enough power-end Medicare, Social Security, and basically any other goverment program (besides defense) as we know it.

I'm not looking at him for new ideas. It's the economic insight and ability to understand both sides of an issue that I'm most impressed with. Politicians don't like to stick their necks out like he will. If you get a chance then watch the interview. There are nuances in there that many don't care to think about. He was asked something about strong dollar-weak dollar. Most politicians have a standard answer, but I doubt few actually understand the underlying issues. Ryan gives a coherent and concise answer that demonstrates deep understanding.

We need an economic leader. We're on the edge of a trade war, if not in one already. An ideologue on either side could easily push this over the cliff. Lefties would jump start it by debasing to support exports and tariff imports, and increase anti-China rhetoric. Righties would cut everything off, cause deflation, attack the Federal Reserve (hell, they're not even monetarists anymore), and offer no credible replacement alternatives. Paul Ryan doesn't tote that line. He understands the necessity of monetary stimulus when appropriate. Most of the right has no clue why.

We need a leader who can massage us through this. Obama has done a pretty good job of going after global imbalances without letting the rhetoric get out of control. However, things really heated up at the G20 and over the USA's "unilateral" QE2 (take that dose of sovereignty). I'm not sure he can unite the two parties and align with China to produce a win-win outcome.

 

[GVC]

blah blah blah

Dude, if you're not with us, you're against us. Liberty and freedom are completely inconsistent with American ideals. We need to be vigilant against everyone who doesn't fall in line...

commie.

 

[The Thriller]

I quite honestly don't understand the rush for conservative policies. Haven't we gotten drunk and puked out or brains enough?

For decades real income wages have either stagnated and declined while the super rich have seen their wealth multiply 30 fold.

If anything, we need more government (to redistribute wealth, more gov spending to stimulate the economy, and more public works) than less. IMO, the United States of America is on the cross being hammered by the super rich (living both here and abroad) that have bought off the government and wealth distribution. Endorsing conservative policies right now would be the final straw and stabbing us in the side with a spear.

Seriously, what's stopping the US from becoming a 3rd world country where the vast majority of wealth is owned by a tiny minority while everyone else is just scrapping by to try to make ends meet?
The excessive debt, more women working, more Americans worker longer, etc are all signs of the income stagnation that has taken root over the past 30 years with this cry from people like Reagan, Rush, and Bush I, II, that government is the problem. In reality, government is our (only) solution...

 

[VINYLONE]

I quite honestly don't understand the rush for conservative policies. Haven't we gotten drunk and puked out or brains enough?

For decades real income wages have either stagnated and declined while the super rich have seen their wealth multiply 30 fold.

If anything, we need more government (to redistribute wealth, more gov spending to stimulate the economy, and more public works) than less. IMO, the United States of America is on the cross being hammered by the super rich (living both here and abroad) that have bought off the government and wealth distribution. Endorsing conservative policies right now would be the final straw and stabbing us in the side with a spear.

Seriously, what's stopping the US from becoming a 3rd world country where the vast majority of wealth is owned by a tiny minority while everyone else is just scrapping by to try to make ends meet?
The excessive debt, more women working, more Americans worker longer, etc are all signs of the income stagnation that has taken root over the past 30 years with this cry from people like Reagan, Rush, and Bush I, II, that government is the problem. In reality, government is our (only) solution...

Jeezus Thriller. You can't think like that. Please remember that the Govt. "produces" nothing and those payouts have to be funded somehow. Furthermore, the reason we're in this current mess is because both parties, all the administrations from the last 4 decades have instituted policies and made fiscal decisions that have put this country in the crosshair of financial ruin.

Not one side has made the necessary decisions to allow this country to recover.

 

[The Pearl]

I quite honestly don't understand the rush for conservative policies. Haven't we gotten drunk and puked out or brains enough?

For decades real income wages have either stagnated and declined while the super rich have seen their wealth multiply 30 fold.

If anything, we need more government (to redistribute wealth, more gov spending to stimulate the economy, and more public works) than less. IMO, the United States of America is on the cross being hammered by the super rich (living both here and abroad) that have bought off the government and wealth distribution. Endorsing conservative policies right now would be the final straw and stabbing us in the side with a spear.

Seriously, what's stopping the US from becoming a 3rd world country where the vast majority of wealth is owned by a tiny minority while everyone else is just scrapping by to try to make ends meet?
The excessive debt, more women working, more Americans worker longer, etc are all signs of the income stagnation that has taken root over the past 30 years with this cry from people like Reagan, Rush, and Bush I, II, that government is the problem. In reality, government is our (only) solution...

Your entire thesis is built on the faulty use of cause and effect relationships. Correct me if I am wrong but the main thrust of your rant is that too few people own too much wealth. AS A RESULT, the rest are experiences various economic injustices which can only be rectified by acts of a third party, in this case government. Seems to be a quantum leap in extrapolation.

The main economic argument between the two political movements regarding the use of the buzz word "middle class" is the idea to attempt to close the gap between people like Warren Buffett and the average idiot. The first question to be answered is should it be attempted in the first place. Secondly, is it possible, and thirdly, what is the best way to go about it?

There is a sound argument to be made that the answer to the first two is no, thereby making the third question irrelevant. Even if you buy the redistribution argument fully, tax Buffett more substantially, how are you going to pass through those receipts to the treasury to the middle class? Hence the idiotic logic behind the fallacy that raising rates to some x number on some x individual will automatically improve the "middle class" struggle. Ain't going to happen unless you suddenly make a whole new group of people available for government entitlements.

The average American doesn't have an income problem, he/she has a "money behavior" problem.

 

[VINYLONE]

The average American doesn't have an income problem, he/she has a "money behavior" problem.

I can agree with this completely. Though, the same problems exists with corporations in this country as well as the government. Furthermore, while all the parties can get in trouble financially, it's the populace that is denied the tools to manage those situations.

 

[The Pearl]

I can agree with this completely. Though, the same problems exists with corporations in this country as well as the government. Furthermore, while all the parties can get in trouble financially, it's the populace that is denied the tools to manage those situations.

I would be interested in expanding your thoughts on this.

Research shows that people/familes etc that make under 60K are very unhappy. Happiness increases up to about 100k. Above 100K, there is virtually no marginal increase of happiness with each extra dollar accumulated. Also, most people would rather make more than their neighbors on a relative basis than make less than their neighbors even if it meant they were the lowest paid in the neighborhood. For instance most people would rather make 80K if their neighbors made on ave. 60K than make 100K if their neighbors make on ave. 120k. The average person, due how our brains are wired, has a very dysfunctional relationship with money.

 

[The Pearl]

Case in point:

https://jamesaltucher.com/2010/11/getting-by-on-1000000-a-year/

 

[Archie Moses]

I'm voting for Becky Rusher. lol

I am running for president of the US in 2012. My name is Becky Rusher, I am 35 and a US Citizen. Never been out of the country. Lived in several areas up and down the east coast went out to CA for a week, if you do that I don't recommend LA lol. Not the place for a country kid.
Lived in Baton Rouge for a year, and Ohio for a year. I have wide variety of backgrounds I have been exposed to, we moved a lot when I was a kid. I have continued that since Ive been an adult.
I decided to run because I'm tired. I'm tired of putting up with being told everything about my day. I'm tired of being told how I should look, what I should eat, how to protect myself, and now they are trying to tell us how to spend the little money we have.
I found out you are not allowed to have an actual petition for most states until April 2012. So what this petition is for, is for you to sign up to be notified when I can start that petition. All I need is names and email addresses. When the time comes that I can have the real petitions then I will email everyone, and ask for you to sign to put me on the ballot. So please mark to have your email address available to petition author.
I do not have the money to spend, $500 OR MORE PER STATE, to be put on the presidential ballot. So I have to go the way of petitions.
Please visit my website, beckyrusher4president.webs.com, for more information. I also have a Facebook page Becky Rusher 4 President 2012, and Becky Rusher. I'm the one with the funky looking picture lol. Got it from windows media player. Thank you for your time and have a good day.

From her website. https://beckyrusher4president.webs.com/

I will make my first promise here, I promise I will never say one thing and mean another. I promise I will never say something just to make someone care about what I care about. There two promises. If you don’t like me I do not have a problem with that.

This is her facebook page. She has 5 likes. lol

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Becky-Rusher-for-President-2012/103340286368618

Please check out my website and facebook personal page. And settle in for a fun ride.
Mission:
I know i wont win, but I will be able to get my views on subjects out there for everyone to see. I will get heard and ruffle their feathers along the way. I hope to make the politicians remember just why they decided to go into politics in the first place, to be a voice for the people. Because somewhere along the way 99% of them turned into idiots and forgot about the people and are now just out for more personal gain.
Products:
Just Me. I will not sugar coat things. I call people idiots when they are being so. I will not change how I talk or what I look like for some stupid public image. I do not hold back the truth even if it might sting a bit. I will never make a promise I wont be able to keep.

Calling people idiots isn't very nice, Becky.

 

[VINYLONE]

I would be interested in expanding your thoughts on this.

Leverage.

It's the same across the board. Though when the banks, corporations, etc. get in trouble, they have off balance sheet maneuvers as well as bailouts to fall on. The populace not so lucky.

 

[DeliveryBoy]

Not one side has made the necessary decisions to allow this country to recover.

I still have no idea what we're supposed to be recovering to. Or what a recovery will look like. I have no idea what jobs the unemployed are supposed to be on the look out for. Where is the growth supposed to come from that is going to put millions of people back to work, and also outpace population growth?

The entire American economy is structurally unsound, and the economic crisis, drastic inequality, and high unemployment are just symptoms of that. I'm especially worried because I can't even make a guess as to what a re-structuring should be. "Green" technology is not even close to the silver bullet some think it is. Are we all supposed to go work in the health care industry?

I don't think all hope is lost-we still have top flight universities, comparatively business friendly policies, and healthy population and immigration rates. But I am seriously at a loss as what the road forward is supposed to be.

 

[DeliveryBoy]

Most politicians have a standard answer, but I doubt few actually understand the underlying issues. Ryan gives a coherent and concise answer that demonstrates deep understanding.

I don't doubt his understanding of many issues is superior to many of his colleagues, R or D. What I doubt, and kind of what I was getting at, is that he would do anything differently than any other Republican. He certainly didn't show any willingness to break ranks and work with the Dems while they had power, and I don't know what he'll do that will be set him apart from his party now that they're in charge. I'm not a "both sides need to hold hands and work together" type, but if he's just going to articulate the party line eloquently, then I'm uninterested.

He may have more knowledge on some issues, but I don't see him doing anything about it. He can give great interviews, but so what? It's not like many Republicans will follow his lead and actually get serious about governing. I don't see him having much influence on the party platform either. If he demonstrates that he can get his party to come up with something better than "tax cuts good, government bad," then I'll happily stand corrected.