Mitt Romney’s announcement of Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his GOP vice-presidential running mate may have caught some political pundits off-guard. But Ryan’s selection is being celebrated among conservatives.
Romney spent Tuesday in Ohio on the final day of his multi-state bus tour while Ryan was sent to meet voters in Colorado and Nevada.
Although the name Paul Ryan may not yet be synonymous with the 2012 election, some local conservatives are praising the congressman for his tough stance on both budget and Medicare.
“I think Paul Ryan is an excellent choice for the nomination,” said Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus. “He brings the conservative credentials Romney doesn’t have. I think he will energize the Republican Party’s conservative base. He’s going to be criticized — he’s heavy on the budget. But at least he has a budget. I hope no one tells (President Obama) what comes after a trillion.”
“I like Paul Ryan,” said Mitzi Younger, President of the Lowndes County Republican Women. “I think he will enhance Romney’s abilities to be president.”
Ryan, who has been called “a protégé of conservative intellectuals Bill Bennett and Jack Kemp by the Washington Post, is also receiving support from members of the Republican Party on Capitol Hill.
“By picking Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has ensured that we will have an honest conversation about jobs, the economy and how to save Medicare,” Rep. Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, said Tuesday. “Our ticket is a clear alternative to the failed big spending, big government policies of the Obama administration. They have proposed bold solutions to the problems we face and Paul will be a big help as an articulate defender of conservative values. Paul knows that more spending, higher taxes, and more regulation are not how jobs are created. He also knows that if we do nothing, Medicare will go broke in 12 years and, rather than cutting $716 billion from Medicare to fund Obamacare, we need to save Medicare for future generations.”
Local Tea Party members are also applauding Romney’s choice, citing Ryan’s values as especially appealing.
“I think Paul Ryan is a tremendous choice,” said Jud Ward of Starkville. “He’s a very fiscal conservative. He’s presented a budget plan and a plan to save Medicare. He’s refreshing and he’s not afraid to take on the Democrats. He also has a great set of values. He believes in the Constitution in that we get our freedom from nature and from God — not from the government.”
The Republican Party has a long-standing history of victories in Lowndes County. In the 2008 Presidential election, GOP nominees John McCain and Sarah Palin defeated Barack Obama and Joe Biden 13,994 to 13,209.
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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