(OK, so it has not been officially announced yet. That will take place in seven hours time. But I think it is safe to say that this in fact is the case.) Mitt Romney has chosen his running mate for the US Presidential bid: Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan. He is noted for his pro-free market stance, and his Catholic conservative views, especially on the life issues. He has a strong pro-life voting record and is an eager proponent of a balanced budget.
Earlier on he was influenced by the libertarian views of Ayn Rand, but he later sought to distance himself from her atheism and philosophy of selfishness, preferring instead to appeal to the philosophy of Aquinas over the novelist and founder of Objectivism.
His economic credentials should put him in good standing with Republican voters concerned about the economy and how Obama has managed to blow it out of the water, including record debt. And his 100% pro-life voting record will endear him to the growing pro-life movement in America.
The 42-year-old was first elected to Congress in 1998, and he has never lost an election since. His youth and vigour, yet now backed by experience (14 years in office), make him a pretty decent choice all things considered. There are of course more outspoken conservatives who could have gotten the nod (real fighters like Chris Christie and Marco Rubio come to mind), but Ryan may well be a good pick.
Importantly, he believes that marriage is only for one man and one woman. Indeed, he has this to his credit: he scores 0% by the homosexual Human Rights Campaign on homosexual rights. That in itself should get him plenty of support with so many Americans shocked at Obama’s reckless and immoral pro-homosexual agenda, including marriage rights. His pro-marriage and pro-family stance has been pretty consistent, and the Christian Coalition has given him a 91% rating as to his pro-Family-Value voting record.
Because he is not ashamed to take his conservative and Catholic values into the public arena, the secular leftist Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) give him a 0% rating on church-state separation issues. Of course in the eyes of the AU he is a dangerous theocrat, whereas in reality he believes in important transcendent values which should inform his thinking and decision making.
He is no statist or one who relies on the welfare state. He thinks Americans can and should be the master of their own destiny, and be given the freedom to succeed in life: “This Road Map is built on a fundamental conviction that America’s greatest strengths lie in Americans themselves–in their creativity, their productive capacities and their personal initiative. …Therefore this plan, to the greatest extent possible, builds on the initiative of individual Americans. Exercised responsibly in a free economy and a democratic political system. Strengthening the role of the individual is the key to invigorating the society and the economy.”
He is a keen supporter of Israel and signed the March 25, 2010 Hoyer-Cantor letter to Secretary Clinton which began: “We are writing to reaffirm our commitment to the unbreakable bond that exists between our country and the State of Israel and to express to you our deep concern over recent tension. In every important relationship, there will be occasional misunderstandings and conflicts. Our valuable bilateral relationship with Israel needs and deserves constant reinforcement.”
In a recent statement he sought to summarise some of his thinking: “Healthy debate should take place within the Republican Party on specific policies, but it is a false choice to ask which natural right we should discard: ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ is not a menu of options.
“All planks – economic liberty and limited government; keeping our nation secure; championing America’s founding truths and the dignity of every human person – are rooted in same timeless principles, enshrined in our Founding and the cause of our exceptionalism. The American family must remain at the core of our free society, and I will remain ever-vigilant in its defense.”
His consistent stand on marriage, family and life issues makes him a good counterweight to Romney who sadly over the years has tended to be not so consistent, flip-flopping on some of these key issues. All in all not a bad choice, and hopefully one which will mean a decisive defeat of arguably the worst US President ever: Barack Hussein Obama.
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/08/10/paul-ryan-would-bring-solid-pro-life-pledge-as-vice-president/
http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Paul_Ryan.htm
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