Ryan's Rising

++Of the 22 million television viewers to Tampa, 15 million are 55 or older,i.e. Romney's strong demographic.

++Lindsey Graham said, "We're not generating enough angry white guys stay in business for the long term." 

++Chris Matthews almost had a stroke when he realized that John McCain advocated two more wars and even talked about extending the war in Afghanistan. This provoked a long discussion whether in fact Romney was going to be prisoner of the neoconservatives in foreign policy. But I believe the marker was put down when Dan Señor was made spokesperson for Paul Ryan. Ryan would be like Dan Quayle absorbing the Bill Kristols and the like while these people would be sidelined while foreign policy would be taken over by the realists.

++Mike Huckabee usually a genial speaker was boorish and boring. A dude.

++Condi Rice was good when she dealt with overarching issues affecting our role in the world like getting our national house in order and the like but she lost me when she invoked 9-11 and said that was when she took her job seriously. She never mentioned President Obama by name but she used the term "lead from behind" as a criticism for his successes in foreign policy. 

++But the build up was for Paul Ryan. I have to confess Paul Ryan's speech sounded a lot like my Voice of Democracy speeches when I was a conservative teenager, using many of the same cliches. Ryan's speech was probably his highpoint in the campaign and he set up Romney for tomorrow perfectly. It was effectively delivered. 

++That said. Even CNN and Wolf Blitzer noted that there may have been eight different things that might have to be fact-checked. That is CNN-speak for lying. Paul Ryan is a very effective liar so he is dangerous. His budget is catastrophically dangerous. He lied about Obama and the Catfood Commission--Erskine-Bowles Commission, on which he sat and voted against every recommendation. He fudged like crazy on Obama's responsibility for the national debt, which he voted for two unfunded wars, Medicare Plan D, and the Bush Tax cuts (which are the primary drivers of our national debt). He cleverly got around whose responsibility the current economy's was. And he hid the fact he is a trust fund baby and his family's fortune was built on government grants for road-construction. He promised Romney and he would not avoid the tough questions but he has avoided the Medicare question--in fact running from it the moment he was selected. He said he wants that fight and is confident he would win it.

++There are two things from his speech that should become the centerpiece of the campaign debate: the promise by Romney-Ryan to create 12 million jobs over 4 years; and to reduce the federal spending to 20% of the GDP since we are at 23% today and many economists believe that is too low. Commentators should research when the US economy grew at such a fast pace of 12 million jobs in 4 years and its effect on inflation and the effects of a 20% cap on spending as it affects social programs and programs about education. His speech was very Randian and that may be why he did not say, "God, bless America"--his guru would never utter those words.

++The bottom line as we have seen by his performance in the House is a call for austerity. But of course that austerity does not call for cuts in military spending or taxes on the uber wealthy. In fact, the Washington Post has an editorial on Romney's tax plan, which not only increases the taxes on the middle class but also on the 100,000 to 200,000 range. Romney would end the home mortgage deduction and the one for charities. He would also end the estate tax completely. It is as if he took his whole Bain experience and applied it to the entire tax code so that he will die even richer.

++The theme of the GOP convention that wears very thin is that Wealth equals self-worth and authority. That has been the theme for the last two days, the sub-theme beneath we made it ourselves mantra.