Get to know the GOP: Rep. Paul Ryan
June 22nd, 2009 by Rightwing Czar at 2:49 pmCourtesy of Fox News’ “right now” segment that focuses on new leaders in the GOP, we have a video of Wisconsin Rep. Ryan Paul in an interview with Chris Wallace.
Ryan is great in this interview. He is a fluid and confident speaker who a firm grasp on the issues. When Wallace tries to insist that the Democrats’ health care plan only wants to add government as a competitive player in the industry, Ryan says that would be like setting up a McDonald’s next to his daughter’s lemonade stand and say it’s “competitive.”
This interview has two pretty intriguing undertones about the future direction of the GOP. First, as Wallace points out, Ryan has a bit of a reputation right now for not being very concerned about “social” issues (ie. abortion, gay marriage) and more concerned with fiscal conservatism and fighting against Obama and the Dems attempts to socialize, well, just about everything. As someone who considers myself a social conservative like Ryan does, I can relate to being very unconcerned about hot-button issues like abortion right now. Focusing on the economy and preserving the integrity of a free and fair market should be our number one priority right now, because these are the issues that will re-stabalize the nation and reaffirm the people’s faith in small, unobtrusive government.
How the GOP rebrands itself is going to be critical if right-wingers don’t want to spend decades in the wilderness. Obama and the Democrats swept into Washington as anti-war, anti-corruption, and populist politicians. They didn’t give up their commitments to Big Labor or Planned Parenthood, but it certainly wasn’t the image they broadcast as part of their national brand.
Getting government out of our lives is something the American people still believe in very passionately, and it is that distinctly Republican message that will contrast well against the big government, Big Brother version of America we’re seeing thrown at us now.
As a final thought, Wallace asks Ryan about his vote for the bailout, which Ryan defends. What do you think? Will the bailout vote be for Republicans in 2012 what the Iraq War vote was for Democrats in 2008?