Elections have consequences: Why managerial Mitt picked Ryan

Home Opinion Elections have consequences: Why managerial Mitt picked Ryan

Mitt Romney hires guys who know stuff. He made a career out of it at Bain Capital. That’s why he hired Paul Ryan to be his vice-president. Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan works as a running mate because he has mas- tered a subject crucial to addressing the federal government’s problems. He’s explaining baseline budget- ing to grandmothers; he’s making CBO hieroglyphics comprehen- sible. Choosing Paul Ryan reflects Romney’s approach to governance, emanating from his private-sector experience.

The selection defies conventional wisdom. Rob Portman might have helped deliver Ohio, and Marco

Rubio, the ever-essential Florida. Ryan has never won a statewide election, as most vice-presidential picks have. But Romney’s very nomination bucks normal GOP candidate history; he’s a one-term governor of a blue state, and doesn’t meet even a minimal threshold of conservative ideological purity. His moderate background matched with an unusual electoral climate — one in which conservative candidates like Ted Cruz are defeating heir apparent Republicans — demanded a departure from the typical. Bill Clinton’s choice of Tennessean Al Gore in 1992 didn’t fit the swing- state formula, but it worked.

Ezra Klein from The Washington Post and numerous other pundits have declared that Romney made a “risky” choice. But unconventional

doesn’t always mean risky. Romney, who hasn’t taken an unquantifiable risk since he tried beer in his twen- ties, hedged his bets. He recognized his own shortcomings and hired

a partner to compensate for them. Now Ryan is making the case for Medicare reform and fiscal responsi- bility with greater care and enthusi- asm than any national politician in a generation. He’s making a sale Rom- ney could never make on his own. As a result, any purported doubt about Romney’s willingness to get substantive has vanished. The ticket has an executive, plus a man who can confront enormous problems in a compelling and nuanced manner.

Paul Ryan isn’t perfect—he voted for TARP and the other bailouts, and recommended Ayn Rand novels to an intern, or something. These

blemishes matter less than his core competency and vision. Romney has chosen a running mate who will contribute to the smooth operation of his administration, a running mate with whom he is comfortable.

Maybe the Bain Capital cam- paign model won’t work. But it’s Romney’s best path to victory because it’s true to his past in execu- tive management. Romney wouldn’t succeed by running the campaign of a career politician because it’s just not his style. Ryan has brought problem-solving knowledge and a strong energy, combined with the proper amount of deference to the boss. That combination would have made him very successful at Bain Capital. With a little luck, it’ll make him a very successful vice-president as well.