Commentary: Is Paul Ryan a Budget Superman or Political Polarizer?

Yahoo! News asked constituents of Rep. Paul Ryan to share their thoughts on his vice-presidential candidacy. Here's a perspective from one voter.

COMMENTARY | As a middle-aged and middle-of-the-road voter who votes much like how a soldier marches (left-right-left-right), I was not surprised Paul Ryan was Romney's choice. Long before I moved south into Ryan's congressional district here in southeastern Wisconsin, I have been leaning left in the upcoming election. My tilt increased appreciably this weekend with the announcement of Ryan as the VP candidate.

Living in Whitewater, I am sandwiched between Ryan's native soil of Janesville and Waukesha, hometown of his pal, Scott Walker. My location affords me a great view of the Koch brothers' corporate jet as it jettisons millions of dollars in donations to both of these ultra-conservatives' PACs.

Why am I opposed to Ryan? The tough-luck story of Ryan growing up quickly after his father died tugs at the heartstrings of some voters, but not this one. Ryan received aid from Social Security to help pay for his college, yet now his main agenda is chopping entitlement programs. This is hypocritical: "Do as I say, not as I do" just doesn't work for me. Ryan's budget proposals are akin to a surgeon using an ax instead of a scalpel. I think his massive cuts would cause hemorrhaging to the budgets of seniors and bludgeon the middle class. To me, his staunch tax policies favor the rich, and it is my understanding that, like Romney, he wants more tax credits for the wealthy.

The Republican Party has been grooming Ryan as a future presidential contender for years. Win or lose against Obama, he will remain a figurehead in the GOP. Ryan is articulate, smart and has the good looks, like Romney, that appeals to many voters -- just not this one. My vote is predicated on a belief and value system that I must see in a candidate before I cast my ballot.

Because our entire political system is broken and dysfunctional, it seems that when we vote, we are simply voting for the candidate that is the lesser of two evils. The recent recall election here in Wisconsin proved that the players with the most ad money get to keep dancing. David Crosby summed it up best during the recent Crosby, Stills and Nash concert in Milwaukee. Crosby asked, "I wonder if the writers of the Constitution would have approved of the idea that the presidential candidate with the biggest TV ad budget gets the keys to the kingdom?"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/commentary-paul-ryan-budget-superman-political-polarizer-154000746.html

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