paul ryan
Clubbed by Growth
Democrats tell people they’re doomed unless the government bails them out, while Republicans tell people they’re screwed unless the government does absolutely nothing. How about this: nobody is screwed or doomed, and we need to stop obsessing over the...
Paul Ryan: What Stupid People Think a Smart Guy Sounds Like
His popularity among voters isn't much of a surprise. Ryan's good-looking and articulate. Most importantly, he can convince people there's intellectual gravitas behind his words. It’s sort of like the Ross Perot phenomenon, a man for whom 20 million...
Every Politician Lies—but Not as Much as Mitt Romney
Romney's easy comfort with making chameleon-like changes in response to short-term political opportunities makes him almost as dangerous as a true-believing right-wing nut.
On the Road with Obama and Romney - Part 4
The first Obama-Romney debate dirtied the robes of majesty. That, I think, was the great loss for the president in it. He spoke with Romney as though the machine of power really was something they could just tune up, and that has never really been this...
On the Road with Obama and Romney - Part 3
I'd been asked to go see the vice presidential debates in person. Center College, where they were held, is close enough to Cincinnati to appeal to the freshman planning to drive home every weekend, and the thought was that I was already in the...
On the Road with Obama and Romney - Part 1
The Malamut stuck his nose in my crotch and I asked the detective to move him away. He asked where I was headed. I said I was going to cover the election. He looked incredulous.
Mitt Romney: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing or Pragmatic Technocrat in a Tea Party Hat?
This is the most important election of our generation. Yes, that’s what we say every four years, but if you listen to the dangerous gibberish that gets spouted by the Tea Party and all of their mouthpieces, you’ll understand that the ideological stakes...
Republicans Need to Start Using Rap Campaign Songs
Ever since Bruce Springsteen blasted the Reagan campaign for misappropriating “Born in the USA,” liberal musicians have been slamming conservative candidates who used their tunes. So what songs are left for Republicans? The Silversun Pickups? Forget...
The Recent Unpleasantness - Ask Mr. Ethics
Dear Mr. Ethics, I am a healthy 42-year-old Minnesota guy with a fantastic family and a well-paying government job. Also, I recently became the presumptive Republican nominee for vice president of the United States in the 2012 election. Life is good...
Paul Ryan, All-American Teenager
Hey, have you guys heard about this Paul Ryan character yet? He sure is divisive! Just a few short days after he was announced as Mitt Romney’s running mate he’s become one of the Top Things To Have An Opinion On. But I think we are being a bit too...