Paul Ryan.

In choosing Representative Paul Ryan as his running mate Mitt Romney has done many things. He has unified his conservative base, unified the liberal base, and will completely alienate the vast majority of voters who don't listen to talk radio and watch Fox News every day.

Let me be clear, Paul Ryan is a good and decent person, he is personable, likeable, has a great personal story, a great family, and is definitely a man of conviction, much more than Romney. He will not be the next Sarah Palin, he will not provide SNL a goldmine of spoofs, he is not in any sense a weak candidate, he won't be a national joke like Palin was four years ago. 

This pick has done the following;

• Romney has conceded that this election is in fact a choice between two candidates and two very different visions for America. Up until now he tried to make this election a referendum on Obama and the economy, no more.
• Romney has conceded the African American, Latino, and woman vote.
• Romney has conceded the foreign policy debate to Obama.
• Romney is admitting that he needs to appease the right wing of his base at all times, why oh why would a candidate for President of the United States select a running mate that would undo the social fabric that has made America great since the time of FDR is beyond comprehension.
• This pick will fire up the liberal base more than anything Obama could have said in a speech.
• He risk's losing many votes from the senior citizen population, I will watch with amusement how Romney and Ryan will campaign on turning medicare into a voucher program in Florida.
• The democrats chances of retaking the House of Representatives is greatly improved. Maybe even adding seats to the senate.

That's just naming a few, my point is, the Republican party simply cannot realize that people like Paul Ryan may be extremely popular in their own circles, but to the broader population far right wing ideas just don't appeal to people. I simply can't believe that voters will buy the notion that the rich need more tax cuts and the middle class and working poor will be the ones who pay for it. 

• Who here wants their parents to have to pay more for medical care when they're in their later days so that the CEO of the company they work for can enjoy a bigger tax cut? The Ryan plan calls for that.
• Who here wants Student loan programs for their kids to become less available and cover less so the bank they bank with can enjoy less government regulation? The Ryan plan calls for that.
• Who here wants no social safety net from medicaid and food stamps in case they fall on hard times so the Corporation that layed them off in the first place can enjoy bigger tax credits and less regulation from the government? The Ryan plan calls for that.

These are just a few of the questions that Americans at last will have to answer. No more silly campaign fodder, no more Palin like candidates that make our political process into a joke. This election will be about the serious issues that our country really faces. And I couldn't be any more pleased. Let the debates begin!