ConservativeHome's The Republican

The mathematician vs. the rhetorician: Why Paul Ryan has become Barack Obama’s biggest headache

Ryan Streeter
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He may not be running for President (despite our best efforts to draft him and continued pleas from the American public), but Paul Ryan is the biggest, thorniest bur in Barack Obama’s saddle. His speech at the Heritage Foundation yesterday was another example of why.

He took Obama to task by undermining both the philosophical and mathematical justifications of the President’s desperate campaign to use class to divide America. Among Republicans, Ryan has proved himself the most-skilled at going head-to-head with Obama in the public square.

The present field of GOP candidates has done little to date to put Obama on the defensive or knock him back onto his heels. If anything, Obama has done himself the most harm by appearing clueless about the economy and vindictive toward those offering real reform ideas. But if anyone has done more to back Obama into a corner, it is Paul Ryan.

When Obama’s budget and State of the Union address were devoid of any serious deficit reduction and completely ignored his own deficit commission’s recommendations, Ryan’s budget, which became the House Republicans’ budget, countered with far-reaching proposals to reform the tax code and fundamentally re-do Medicare. Ryan pushed the public debate on the issues so far that Obama was forced to respond with his own deficit reduction...speech. But it was a start for the President. Unfortunately, he chose to do things like invite Ryan to the White House only to lecture him publicly on budgetary matters. That never worked for Obama. He eventually had to do more. He created yet another deficit reduction group and fumbled his way through the summer on the issue before calling Congress together to give a jobs speech that was, in reality, a call for more stimulus spending. He followed that speech with another on the deficit, which avoided taking on the big issues. Americans were onto his game by that point and have consistently paid him back with low approval ratings.

Meanwhile, as GOP presidential hopefuls were debating what to do about the economy, it was hard not to notice how much tax reform, if not entitlement reform, were the defining terms of the debate – and they still are. This is all because Paul Ryan defined the boundareis for 2012 early on.

Time and again, Obama has looked the weakest while trying to respond to a public debate he lost control of – to Paul Ryan.

In yesterday’s speech Ryan showed why he’s Obama’s biggest headache.

The House budget committee chairman sawed away at the flimsy philosophical foundation of Obama’s favorite meme: class warfare. And he used one of his favorite tools – math – to do so. He said:

Telling Americans they are stuck in their current station in life, that they are victims of circumstances beyond their control, and that government’s role is to help them cope with it – well, that’s not who we are. That’s not what we do.

Our Founding Fathers rejected this mentality. In societies marked by class structure, an elite class made up of rich and powerful patrons supplies the needs of a large client underclass that toils, but cannot own. The unfairness of closed societies is the kindling for class warfare, where the interests of “capital” and “labor” are perpetually in conflict. What one class wins, the other loses.

The legacy of this tradition can still be seen in Europe today…The United States was destined to break out of this bleak history. Our future would not be staked on traditional class structures, but on civic solidarity. Gone would be the struggle of class against class.

Ryan pulled out the various data points to justify his claims that mobility is still alive and well in America:

• The Treasury Department’s latest study on income mobility in America found that during the ten-year period starting in 1996, roughly half of the taxpayers who started in the bottom 20 percent had moved up to a higher income group by 2005.

• Meanwhile, half of all taxpayers ended up in a different income group at the end of ten years. Many moved up, and some moved down, but economic growth resulted in rising incomes for most people over this period.

All of this undermines the case for Obama’s redistributive (retributional?) justice aimed at taxing the rich to lift up everyone else. But to make matters worse for Obama, Ryan also points out that Obama’s plans won’t even do what he says they’ll do:

• Let’s say we took all the income from those the President calls “rich” – those making $250,000 or more. A 100 percent tax rate on their total annual income would only fund the government for six months.

• Under the President’s policies, deficits are set to rise by a whopping $9.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

• Letting the top two tax rates expire would equal roughly 8 percent of that planned deficit increase.

• Eliminating tax subsidies for oil and gas companies would only equal 0.5 percent of the President’s planned deficits.

• And what about corporate jet owners? That provision would reduce those deficits by just 0.03 percent.

Ryan's speech was aimed at reminding Americans who they are, and demonstrating how just about everything Obama is talking about will do very little to fix the problems the President blames the rich for.

Pete Wehner writes that Ryan’s speech is evidence that he is the “foremost intellectual defender of American conservatism” around today. He’s right. No one else on the national stage is doing more to redefine conservatism for the 21^st century by showing its sharp distinctions from a left that is proving ineffective under its current anointed leader, the President.

Ryan’s speech drew an immediate response from the President’s press secretary yesterday with a predictable line about how Obama has tried to work in a bipartisan way with Republicans. But so long as Obama can’t mount a defense of his vision for America to match Ryan’s, he will be swinging from the ropes, back on his heels.

Paul Ryan may not be running for President in 2012, but he may do more than any of the GOP candidates to weaken Obama over the next year.

Whatever happened to upward mobility as a goal for policy makers and politicians?

Ryan Streeter
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Yesterday on CNN’s State of the Union, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said the following about the current GOP presidential field:

I don't think they're yet talking about the things…that have a lot of zeros attached to them, the ones that are threatening to kill not just an economy but the entire idea of America, the idea of upward mobility from the bottom and tomorrow is better than today…I'll tell you what's bothering me a little bit [is] the president is clearly in very desperate political shape. And it seems more clear every day. And I worry a little bit, ironically, that the Republican field or our nominee might look at that and say, I'll just play it safe, I'll get elected as the default option, you know, he made it worse, I'm not him, vote for me. (emphasis added)

Daniels is known as a serious reformer, and his public pronouncements about the new “red menace,” America’s debt, have been widely covered, lauded, and discussed. His sobriety and proven record of reform convinced many he would be the most capable of fixing the nation’s fiscal mess – if he were to run for President in 2012 (and, as we all know, he's not) and win.

But along with his message about America's fiscal condition, Daniels has also consistently preached the gospel of upward mobility – something one rarely hears Republicans talk about, and something about Daniels that has gotten little coverage.

Back in a February speech to CPAC that was broadly praised, Daniels said:

We must display a heart for every American, and a special passion for those still on the first rung of life’s ladder. Upward mobility from the bottom is the crux of the American promise, and the stagnation of the middle class is in fact becoming a problem, on any fair reading of the facts. Our main task is not to see that people of great wealth add to it, but that those without much money have a greater chance to earn some. (emphasis added)

And just last week on The Daily Show, he told John Stewart “the heart of our challenge is to restore and strengthen upward mobility in this country and the possibilities for a stable and hopeful middle class.” (emphasis added) He made this point a couple of times in the interview.

Daniels’ new book is effectively a meditation on how to reverse the generation-long trend toward ordinary workers in the private sector being forced to pay for more and more government that doesn’t offer them much in return. A central thread in the book is that our fiscal crisis and the government that has created it does the most violence to the middle class and the vulnerable, and a range of ideas in the book – from growth-oriented tax simplification and reforming the safety net through a negative income tax – are aimed at spurring growth that benefits the middle class, not just the wealthy.

The only other Republican who repeatedly points to upward mobility as the goal of our economic policy is Paul Ryan.

For instance, Ryan told Bloomberg over the weekend:

The president is using rhetoric that divides people, that preys on people’s sense of anxiety, fear, envy. What we’re trying to do is appeal to people’s sense of hope, aspiration. We want an equal- opportunity society. We want a society of upward mobility, and that is what we’re striving for. (emphasis added)

In his statement on the Congressional Budget Office’s August warning about the deficit, he said that the House Republicans’ efforts were aimed at ensuring “upward mobility and greater opportunity for all Americans.” (emphasis added)

Ryan is clearly comfortable with upward mobility as an object of public policy. He freely uses the expression or its variants while giving speeches or meeting with constituents.

Daniels has noted this about Ryan, too. Last month, on CSPAN’s Washington Journal, he praised Ryan as someone who would “do whatever it takes to restore upward mobility in this country, to restore the conditions for a stable, broad middle class.”

This kind of language is sorely missing in the rhetoric we’re hearing from the 2012 GOP presidential candidates, and one doesn’t hear much of it from Republicans in Congress, either.

Does that really matter? Some might say it’s all a matter of language and doesn’t make any material difference in policy and politics.

It does matter.

First, the idea of upward mobility is a different priority than abstract notions such as fairness or incomplete goals such as lower government spending. Rather, it trains our focus on median income and the demographics of middle America. The middle class in America faces a massive collective tax burden in the future, primarily because of entitlements, and they will be the most affected – negatively or positively – by the direction our economy takes over the next decade. One more decade like what we have just experienced, and the idea that the middle class is the incubator out of which dreams for a better life grow will be an antique.

Second, talking about upward mobility is also good politics - or better politics than what we presently see. Restoring hope for the middle, rather than pitting the top against the bottom as Obama is determined to do, offers the best alternative for explaining a vision for the future to voters. Right now, Republicans are all too comfortable defending wealthy Americans against Obama’s attacks. They need to put forward a different counterpunch that appeals to more Americans and is consistent with conservative fiscal and economic policy. Talking about what we need to do to foster more upward mobility is a better approach than pointing out ad nauseum that the rich already pay a lot in taxes, which - however true - does not resonate positively with voters.

PAUL RYAN WILL NOT RUN FOR PRESIDENT

Ryan Streeter
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Can't say it was the news I was hoping for, but - as in the case with Mitch Daniels - I can only have the highest respect for he who made the decision.

Here's the statement Ryan has just released:

I sincerely appreciate the support from those eager to chart a brighter future for the next generation.  While humbled by the encouragement, I have not changed my mind, and therefore I am not seeking our party's nomination for President.  I remain hopeful that our party will nominate a candidate committed to a pro-growth agenda of reform that restores the promise and prosperity of our exceptional nation.  I remain grateful to those I serve in Southern Wisconsin for the unique opportunity to advance this effort in Congress.

And here's a piece just posted by Steve Hayes, who's been covering the Ryan story more closely than anyone lately.

The Republican candidate in 2012 who is unafraid to talk about upward mobility - and not just jobs and growth - will have the broadest appeal

Ryan Streeter
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Last week on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, Mitch Daniels was asked about Paul Ryan. Instead of praising Ryan’s work on entitlements and the deficit, for which Ryan is well-known, Daniels took a different angle and said Ryan would “do whatever it takes to restore upward mobility in this country, to restore the conditions for a stable, broad middle class.”

Of all of the people either running for President or among those who were once seriously considering a bid, Daniels is the only one who talks like this. Had he run for President, he would have been the upward mobility candidate.

While the leading candidates talk about “jobs” and “growth,” Daniels is talking about mobility and the middle class.

It’s not enough to create more jobs if they’re dead-end jobs. It’s not enough to have growth that only benefits the upper 20 percent of American households. Jobs and growth matter in so far as they are part of an opportunity society in which it’s still worth it for everyone, regardless of life’s station, to pursue a dream, aim high, take risks, and have a reasonable expectation that hard work will propel you to a life that is better than your parents enjoyed. The gauge for how we’re doing isn’t the upper middle class, but the middle class itself.

Daniels has been refreshingly consistent on this theme. Yesterday on Meet the Press, once again in the context of fielding a question about Ryan, Daniels said that Ryan’s “pro-growth, pro-jobs message is the one hope for low-income people in this country, it’s the one way we restore a stable and hopeful middle class.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Back in February, Daniels gave a much-lauded speech at CPAC in which he said:

We must display a heart for every American, and a special passion for those still on the first rung of life’s ladder. Upward mobility from the bottom is the crux of the American promise, and the stagnation of the middle class is in fact becoming a problem, on any fair reading of the facts. Our main task is not to see that people of great wealth add to it, but that those without much money have a greater chance to earn some. (emphasis added)

For some reason other conservatives have a hard time laying out economic objectives this way. They rightly resist falling into the rhetoric of class warfare while wrongly neglecting to take seriously the very real difference in America between the opportunities enjoyed by the affluent and those available to everyone else.

Since Daniels isn’t running, the mantle of the upward mobility candidate is available for the taking by one of the others. It’s an important mantle to take up. Upward mobility is what people care about. Who hears a mother on the sideline of a soccer field talking about GDP growth? She’s much more likely to be talking about the things she and her husband are doing to help their children get a shot to move up in the world.

The upward mobility candidate would be the one who says:

1. Cutting spending and reforming entitlements are necessary but not enough;
2. Job growth and GDP growth are necessary but not enough;
3. Accelerating the rise of median income in America (without doing so through redistribution) is the key indicator of how prosperous America really is.

Listening to all of the other candidates, one is left to believe that they all think the first two points – reducing spending and growing GDP – are sufficient in themselves.

If Ryan gets into the race, he may well become the upward mobility candidate. This Jack Kemp protege freely uses the expression for starters. Watch him at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in June, and at this town hall meeting in Wisconsin in April.

Oddly, and for whatever reason, the GOP field largely ignores upward mobility. Doing so isn’t even good politics. Independents are much more likely to support a Republican who lays out an appealing program of upward mobility in America than one who focuses mostly on cuts. And Tea Partiers will gladly follow the candidate who is able to demonstrate how limiting the government goes hand-in-hand with a vision for increasing upward mobility in America.

It’s not enough to try to be the most-middle-class-looking candidate (Tim Pawlenty tried that). The GOP candidate who hopes to be the frontrunner should lay out why his or her leadership will create opportunities for all Americans to move upward regardless of whether they start in the lower, middle, or upper class. So far, no candidate has.

"The most articulate and effective national voice for limited government since Ronald Reagan" - Readers continue to encourage Paul Ryan to run for President

Ryan Streeter
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Readers have kept up the Paul Ryan 2012 drumbeat. Yesterday morning, after asking them why they thought Paul Ryan should run for President, we published a collection of the reasons they gave, followed by an additional installment as more continued to write in.

Late into last night, they continued to send in their thoughts on why they think Ryan should run. Here’s the third and final collection of readers' reasons why, in the words of one of them who says he hasn't voted in 24 years, Ryan represents the kind of "hope and change we can believe in."

Dear Congressman Ryan: I strongly encourage you to run for President. You have been our family’s choice from the beginning.  You have all the qualities and experience and expertise our country needs right now.  You are the right one to articulate to the American people what needs to be done to reverse course for our country and create economic prosperity once again.  You are the one to make the clear choice between the failed policies of Obama and the conservative policies of a Ryan administration.  You inspire us all with your passion and patriotism and love for our country.  We support you!

Alice - San Antonio, TX

He has a plan. He is likable. He is not afraid to debate the opposition. He is intelligent in a practical way (unlike the president's "brilliant" empty transcripts). He is a good campaigner and will not make as many gaffes. He will unite the party better than many of the others. His record in congress is far superior to that of Barry's. He will be looked upon by donors as a serious candidate. He will attract independents.

William

Rep. Ryan: Please run for President - you are able to articulate what needs to be done very capably. You also know how to do it without demonizing or alienating the people we need to get on our side. Your country needs you badly right now.

David

Paul Ryan is one of the few people in Washington who knows what fiscal responsibility is. Our country needs a leader who can shift the focus of this great nation away from entitlement spending and class warfare; setting the goal back towards job creation.  As valuable as Congressman Ryan is in crafting sound economic legislation, his expertise is now needed at an executive level.

Scott - Salt Lake City, UT

I have not heard anyone besides Paul Ryan articulate how imperative it is that our leaders deal with the coming insolvency of our great country.  I have 4 kids and hate to think of the legacy that has been set in place for them. 

Elaine

Our country cannot survive another four years of big government spending and intrusion into the economy.  Paul Ryan is the person best able to articulate clearly and succinctly the arguments for limited government.  We need you, Representative Ryan to run - please.

Sherry - St. Petersburg, FL

There is no one better than Paul Ryan to make the argument for reduced government spending and putting our nation's finances on a sustainable path. No one.

Bill - Chicago, IL

Young, intelligent, family oriented, values based, excellent debater, most knowledgeable person in Washington on our biggest problem – deficit spending, able to explain ideas to all voters, willing to take on tough issues, concerned about First Principles.

Ken - Pacific Palisades, CA

Congressman Ryan: I strongly urge you to run for President in 2012.  No other current GOP candidate, in my opinion, has a coherent plan to get Washington's fiscal house in order.  You alone have studied the problems and most importantly, display the necessary will to put us back on a path to prosperity for future generations. God speed!

Nancy - Niles, IL

Please run for President, Congressman Ryan! We need someone knowledgeable and persuasive to make the case for fiscal sanity.  The other Republican candidates are good but not great--you would be great! The country needs you! 

Lynn - Waco, TX

We need someone who is willing to make the case for meaningful entitlement reform and fiscal responsibility.  Please consider running for President.

Laura - Hillsdale, MI

The shared sacrifice of American Decline is over, the path to prosperity, opportunity, liberty, respect, responsibility and belief in Individual Americans, financial responsibility to our children and ourselves, and the relighting of the Beacon of Freedom to the World held by America's principled strength and spirit renews with Paul Ryan's first step to the Presidency.

Gregg - Santa Fe, NM

My first daughter was born on 15 August. You are one of the only people who really understands the dangers to the fiscal stability and opportunity of our children. You may not want to run, for family reasons or because you think you can't, but you have displayed yourself to be better, more principled, and more articulate than the rest of the available candidates.

Craig - Adelphi, MD

Dear Paul: As a new supporter, I am urging you to run as the GOP candidate for President in the 2012 election.  I am a WW2 veteran and have voted (GOP) in many elections but have yet to witness a person with the capabilities that you have so ably demonstrated.  Our country's future is really at stake and you are the person to turn it around.  

Bill - Santa Rosa, CA   

Our economy is in dire straits, President Obama has no clue what he is doing, and Paul Ryan is the man with the plan. We need a President that is willing to seriously overhaul our system of extreme government manipulation of the economy through entitlement reform, tax reform, and sound money. End the Fed, and Paul Ryan for President in 2012!

Steve - Brooklyn, NY

Congressman Ryan should run because he has the best plan for fixing the entitlement spending that is sending us over the cliff.  He is a responsible and honest man who truly understands the issues facing us.  We need his leadership now more than ever.

Dan - St. Louis, MO

My husband and I wrote several months ago urging Paul Ryan to run for President. We feel he is the right man for our country at this time. He seems to be the only qualified person to take on Obama. For some reason, Obama has a stronghold on our Nation. Paul Ryan seems to be the only person qualified to wake the sleeping giants-the people. PLEASE  Congressman Ryan, run for President!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kristine & Bradley - Woodinville, WA

Dear Congressman Ryan: I truly believe your vision is ideally suited to lead our country on a better course.. As President Truman once said, "Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better."

Dr.Sam - Virginia

I strongly support Paul Ryan for President, and Marco Rubio for Vice President. My support for both men is based on my belief that they are both articulate and passionate about the perilous state of our beloved country. They will be able to debate the issues with truth and strength.

Sally - Cathedral City, CA

Dear Congressman Ryan: Your boldness,  honesty, intregrity, and exceptional understanding of the budget details and programs make you qualified to undertake and complete the difficult finanical and economic issues the USA is facing. As President, I am confident you would rekindle Americans to dedicate themselves to making Amerca great again. Please run for President. American yearns for a fresh candidate who is capable of resolving the issues we face.

Stephen

Mr. Ryan should run for President because he is the most articulate and effective national voice for limited government since Ronald Reagan. He can articulate not only the strategy and tactics to limit government power and spending, but why it is important.  I believe Congressman Ryan represents conservatives' best opportunity to build a majority electorate and governing consensus to achieve limited government and restore public confidence. 

Michael - Memphis, TN

Dear Rep. Ryan: Yes, there are some pretty good conservatives already in the field, but your command of economic issues and your ability to communicate about them are simply superior. You've spent a lot of years doing the homework others haven't cared to, and now you are the person best prepared to stand at the debate podium opposite Mr. Obama, and make clear to the American people why our spending, deficits and taxation are ruinous. I've never given a penny to a political campaign, but I owe it to my children to start with you, and will gladly skip my summer vacation for a year to make a meaningful contribution to your campaign. 

Eric - Ruidoso, NM

Paul Ryan should run for president because we need him to. America needs a leader willing to put his ideas on the table, and willing to reconsider them if need be. He has continually offered precise plans to restore our long term financial outlook. I'm very interested to hear his thoughts on the deteriorating global condition and where he thinks we need to be.

John - Liverpool, NY

It has been nearly 24 years since I was able to cast a vote for the presidency with any degree of enthusiasm and conviction. Not since Ronald Reagan  have I been able to vote with confidence that we were electing a man who represented our conservative beliefs and values. I am hoping Representative Ryan will run to enable Americans like me to once again cast our ballots with pride as he represents the hope and change we believe in.

Paul

Rep. Ryan has a good handle on how to solve a number of America's ills. There hasn't been a Presidential candidate who's expressed such a clear vision for correcting a number of problems that makes as much sense as Ryan's plan since Ronald Reagan ran for office. Ryan would represent such a stunning example of [how] genuine poise and talent and smarts [can come] together to form a "roadmap" for America, which would contrast so favorably with Barak Obama's un-teleprompted verbal fumblings and old-school failed socialism.  [He would make ]the current President’s success at reelection to be virtually inconceivable.

Anthony - Wakefield, MA

Paul Ryan: I hope you decide to run for President.  You are the only one who seems willing and able to talk about the entitlement programs and put forward real ideas for fixing them.  This is the most important issue of our day and we need someone who can help get some real change so we can have a smaller government or at least a government that spends our money more responsibly.  This country needs a leader who can change the attitude from "what can the government give me" to "I'm am American and I can make it on my own!"

Suzanne - Portland, OR

Our country is in crisis, and we need an intelligent, common-sense, courageous leader.  I understand that your budget committee work is tremendously important, but you can do even more for our country as President.

Judy - Vienna, VA

Rep. Ryan: Please run for President - you are able to articulate what needs to be done very capably.
You also know how to do it without demonizing or alienating the people we need to get on our side. Your country needs you badly right now.

David - Orange, CA

Richard Viguerie is just plain wrong that interest in a Paul Ryan bid is the product of the Washington establishment

Ryan Streeter
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Today at Newsmax Richard Viguerie claims that “Washington’s establishment pundit class” is all worked up over a possible Paul Ryan presidential bid.

He says Tea Partiers need to watch their wallets anytime Karl Rove and Bill Kristol start spinning a pro-Ryan line. He writes:

When Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” budget plan came out in April of this year, it was roundly thrashed by grass-roots Tea Party and conservative activists because it provided for spending to rise to $4 trillion over the next five years.

He goes on to say that the Ryan budget doesn’t get rid of the deficit fast enough for Tea Party activists. This last claim has some merit, as there are people who have expressed dissatisfaction with taking a long view to fix entitlements.

However, it seems that Viguerie is doing some spinning of his own.

In March, on the eve of the Ryan budget, MyTeaParty.org put out a tracking poll showing Ryan on top. Our own polling at the time showed that those in the Tea Party were more in favor of Ryan’s entitlement reforms than non-Tea Partiers. Admittedly, they were responding to questions about specific Medicare and Social Security reforms, not about spending in the out years - but this is hardly a group of people gearing up to “roundly thrash” the Ryan budget.

When we polled grassroots conservatives three weeks after the Ryan budget was released, we found that support for the plan had increased in the meantime.

Some have recognized the Tea Party as a driving force in the GOP vote to pass the Ryan budget in the House. And keep in mind that virtually everyone in the Tea Party-dominated freshman GOP class voted for the Ryan budget. More than this, the Tea Party has generally stood strongly with Ryan. The Tea Party Patriots were not likely tweeting Ryan’s views on the budget debate or putting his video on their Facebook page as part of their effort to "roundly thrash" his plan.

Was there opposition among some Tea Partiers? Sure. But “roundly thrashed” is a bit of an overstatement…it's more like what Viguerie would call "spinning."

Beyond the question of Tea Party support or opposition, though, the worst part of Viguerie’s post is the claim that the interest in a Ryan bid rests largely among the “establishment pundit class.”  

That’s just not true.

As evidence, I offer the words of our readers here and here (I’m getting so many more words of support for Ryan from across the country that I’ll follow up with another post later).

These sincere, heartfelt expressions of people from across America are hardly the words of establishment pundits. Read for yourself.

UPDATED: More readers write in encouraging Paul Ryan to run in 2012

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Following our first installment, more readers have written in with words encouraging, urging, exhorting, and sometimes pleading with Paul Ryan to run for President in 2012.  Here's what they are saying:

Mr. Ryan: The country needs an honest man who knows the crisis our country faces. He must be have the courage to risk his political career to do something about it. Few have that kind of courage, our current GOP field of presidential candidates doesn't. Our current President doesn't. Only you have shown that courage. Please run or the office of President of the United States. Your country needs you.

Douglas – Gillette, Wyoming

Dear Congressman Ryan: This is to urge you to enter the presidential race. Your insight into how to solve our country's huge debt crisis is desperately needed.

Kenneth – North Wilkesboro, NC

Paul Ryan, more than any other candidate or possible candidate for the Republican nomination, has a thorough understanding of our nation's debt problem and has been forthright in responding to those challenges. The upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections must be an American referendum on how Americans would like to see our nation respond to this fiscal crisis. Paul Ryan's economic knowledge and his ability to articulate a fiscally conservative alternative to the Obama agenda make him the ideal nominee for the GOP.

Brian - River Forest, IL 

Congressman: Washington took command at the age of 42.  Next year you will be the same age. Now is the time for all good men...

Hugh - Charlottesville, VA

Congressman Ryan: I'm interrupting my vacation in Costa Rica--possibly to the ire of my lovely girlfriend--to offer you strong words of encouragement to enter the race. No one currently running has been able to stake out positions on the most significant issues of the day--entitlement reform, tax reform, economic growth, jobs--and unite them into a coherent philosophy of government, the conservative idea of an "opportunity society," that stands in stark opposition to President Obama's vision for the future. You have done this with intelligence and grace. And no one else is simultaneously a solid, principled conservative who can appeal to independents and moderates. Please run!

AJ - New York, NY

Dear Congressman Ryan - now more than ever, your country needs you. Please run for President and help lead this country back to its position as the leader of the free world.  

Jim - Roswell, GA

I believe that Paul Ryan should run for President because meaningful entitlement is essential to getting our country back on a path of economic growth and prosperity.  Congressman Ryan has demonstrated that he can effectively articulate not only the depth of the fiscal challenges we face but also the necessary solutions.  The other candidates have simply failed to do so.  

Campbell - New York, NY

The 2012 election is a seminal election regarding the future path of our country.  President Obama’s path forward is clear – higher taxes and unemployment, more spending and bigger Government.  The Republicans path forward is one of tax and entitlement reform, lower unemployment, limited Government and prosperity. No Republican does a better job of conveying these concepts to the average American than Paul Ryan. His grasp of our country’s fiscal problems and solutions to the same is unparalleled.  Equally as important is his ability to explain how these solutions lead directly to the continued prosperity of the America that we all love.  His ability to effectively do both of these things is critical in convincing the American public to do what is necessary to tackle things like entitlement reform.  Paul Ryan’s moment for our country is now. 

Michael - Newport Coast, CA

Dear Representative Ryan: I am a young (28 years old) Conservative. Due to my age I don't remember much of Reagan's presidency, but I did grow up hearing stories about his love of America and the great job he did representing and leading our nation. I, and millions of my fellow Americans of all ages have been waiting for a leader to inspire them and restore this nation's greatness. My fellow young Conservatives have been waiting all of our lives for such a leader, a person to be our Reagan. Although I am well aware that there will never be another Reagan, I truly believe that you can be a similar type of leader. We need entitlement reform, we need budgetary reform, we need monetary reform and we need a candidate that can passionately articulate those needs and concrete plans for how to accomplish such tasks. We can't run from who we are - our destiny chooses us. You are being chosen!

Chris - Nazareth, PA

Congressman Ryan: I'm a generation older than you and my gut is telling me that you, uniquely - a mix of policy positions, persuasiveness, sincerity, intelligence and, yes, relative youth - could, as president, help to re-create a self-confident nation whose future is abetted, and not dictated, by levelheaded governance. Best of luck to you.

Chip - Glastonbury, CT

I think Congressman Ryan knows he must run for the reasons we all see. Someone needs to change the culture in Washington. Too many fatcats, too little action. We need Ryan and a change in the Senate.

Dennis

Mr Ryan: I asked the Holy Spirit for words to speak to you, these are the words: "Hear, my son...On the way of wisdom I direct you, I lead you on straightforward paths. When you walk, your step will not be impeded, and should you run, you will not stumble." Be faithful sir. Serve sir. Thank you and God bless the Ryan family !!!

Bruce - Carmel, IN

Mr. Ryan, you are in a unique position to save our country from fiscal ruin. 2016 will be too late, so please run for President in this cycle – only in this position will you get your budget passed. I understand that you are concerned for your family, but the best thing you can do for them is save the country that they will grow up in – after the election you will be able to work from home, and see them every day - hopefully Mr. Obama will leave the swing set and picnic table behind for you.

David - Tucson, AZ

Congressman Ryan: I hope you do decide to run for President 2012. I admire the courage you have shown by presenting a plan "Path to Prosperity" to get our country back on its feet. I say courage because it deals with the heart of our debt problem entitlement reform. We need leaders like you more than ever. God bless you and may he guide you to the right decision.

Christine - St. Louis, MO

Congressman Ryan: The GOP needs to explain to the American people their country's financial position, first principles, and how they can rectify the country's financials via those principles. Further, that explanation has to counter the Democrats’ demagoguery in a simple manner. You are the best one to do that. Partisanship has nothing to do with saving our country but first principles do. Check with your family then, if they approve, please seriously consider your candidacy for POTUS.

James

Generation X will bear the brunt of Baby Boomer profligacy. A Gen. X President is what American needs during the coming debate about entitlements and the economy, not another Boomer.  The space Ryan occupies is that of premier Republican Gen-Xer. It is his time.     

Eryk - Chicago, IL

Go for it! 

Will - Seattle, WA

Paul Ryan is the leader of the Republican Party, so he should be the one to contest the next presidential election against Obama.

Jim - Grosse Pointe, MI

Paul Ryan should run because he thoroughly understands the problems this country is facing, and how to solve them. He understands, in detail, the steps needed to get this country back on the right path. More importantly, he can successfully advocate for those ideas on the national stage far more competently than any of the other Republican contenders. We need Paul Ryan, and we need him now.

Ken - Omaha, NE

Congressman Ryan: Who better than you to articulate the only sensible plan out there in this, your own words, the tipping point of our countries debt crisis? Who better than you can present them to the American people in a way that assuages the fears and corrects all the misconceptions? Who better than you can debate President Obama on the current issues and needs of our country and win? You've already invested the time in it's conception invest the time and energy to see it through to fruition.

Rebekah - Topeka, KS

Mr. Ryan: In 2012 the country needs to honestly consider and choose between the liberal and conservative visions for our future, particularly as it relates to the role, size and cost of government (and especially the impacts of entitlement programs on our future prosperity and freedom); it will be too late by 2016.  By running for president you guarantee that a conversation about these competing visions will occur, and that the conservative reform agenda will be clearly, passionately and effectively articulated, defended and advocated.  Sometimes in history moments and opportunities unexpectedly present themselves, and when this occurs one needs to take advantage of them.  You may not have seen it coming, at least not now, but the moment may be here nonetheless. 

Ben - Green Bay, WI

Honorable Rep. Paul Ryan: It's time for us as patriotic citizens to press our best leaders into service. Rep Ryan, answer the call! You and your family have an important contribution to make to the land you live in and love. Our creator has given you gifts that your country needs now! While I will vote for the eventual Republican candidate, none of the current contenders has thus far inspired me to give him or her my unqualified support. You have it as soon as you announce.

Paul - Plymouth, MN

Paul Ryan is one of the most articulate spokespersons for policies based on conservative principles that will eliminate federal deficits and put our economy on a path to growth and prosperity.   Unlike any of the other Republican candidates, Paul Ryan has consistently developed and promoted well-grounded and thoughtful policies that adhere to conservative ideals that will appeal to main street and Wall Street.

Donald - New York, NY

Dear Congressman Ryan, I know I am one of so many Americans who are worried sick that we are on a course toward losing all that has defined us as the greatest nation on earth, toward losing all that our forefathers worked so faithfully and so hard to establish for all American generations.  We so desperately need a courageous, intelligent, truthful, experienced, hard-working, plain-spoken leader, and, very respectfully, Mr. Ryan, you are that very leader. I am so sorry that you and your family are being asked to make this sacrifice right now, but we are so desperate for your leadership, I pray that your family can accept the sacrifice, knowing that you will not only be cementing an honorable personal legacy for your children, but that you will be offering a saving grace for all American children, now and in future generations. God Bless you.

Donna - Clarksville, TN

Dear Congressman Ryan: If you think God brought you, your budgetary expertise, and that telegenic jaw of yours this far, this fast, just so you can chair a committee .... Well, my future president, I'm afraid to say that you are as humble as Pres. Obama is haughty. Things happen for a reason, stop pretending you don't believe that.  Our nation is in crisis -- we need you in the White House!

Ken - Cary, NC

I’m an American who has lived outside of the US for over 30 years. I’ve seen how quickly and easily countries can go fatally wrong. Americans don’t really grasp that the spending and entitlements issue is an existential crisis. And politicians are generally unwilling or unable to deal with that. Paul Ryan, however, can clearly explain the facts of life. And, he has the guts to table a solution that is not simply smoke and mirrors.

Elliot - Johannesburg, South Africa

We need a strong president that puts America first and will act in the best interest of our country. One that will not crumble under pressure from corrupt, self-serving, career politicians! I strongly believe that Paul Ryan is the most qualified person in America to handle the job! Paul, your nation needs you desperately! Please help us save America!

Donna – Newnan, GA

"Paul Ryan is the candidate Obama most fears": ConservativeHome readers encourage Paul Ryan to run for President

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The enthusiasm with which voters have welcomed Rick Perry into the 2012 presidential field has confirmed what polls were showing: people have not been satisfied with the field.

In the past two days this has renewed interest in whether additional new faces – Chris Christie, Sarah Palin, and Paul Ryan – would enter as well.

Speculation about Ryan’s possible entrance into the field has been especially intense. Karl Rove raised the Ryan possibility again on Hannity on Monday, and then Steve Hayes reported new evidence on Tuesday that Ryan was giving it serious thought. Hayes followed up yesterday with another report on how big names in the GOP have been encouraging Ryan to run. Others have also covered the renewed interest in a Ryan bid for the White House.

We asked some of the readers who signed our petition to draft Ryan to tell us why they think he should run. Here is a sampling of the response so far. We will update this as more come in.

Paul Ryan would make an excellent president because he is extremely conversant with the issues and can go "toe to toe" with Obama.  In my opinion, he is the one candidate that Obama most fears.  Given other election cycles, Paul Ryan might not be the ideal candidate but for this one with the future of our country as we know it at stake, he is the standout choice. This is a moment where destiny is calling his name.

Pam - Tampa, FL

Paul Ryan is the anti Obama. Between the two, he will always come across as the real adult in the room. He seems genuine and sincere in his desire to restore this country's fiscal standing. He is gifted with an ability to explain complicated economic principles to the most mundane of us...Making a believer of this former Democrat.

Maria - New York, NY

This is Paul Ryan's time.  Not only he could crush Obama on any budget discussions, he is one of few people who is able to articulately describe the conservative vision for America. I'd fully support him if he gets in. Right now, I don't have a preferred candidate.

Robert - St. Johns, FL

Paul Ryan has the pulse of the financial problems of America. As President he would have the opportunity to speak to the American people and share his vision to save this country from the thieves in the White House. We need his expertise on the problems and his knowledge and the ability to speak to the U.S. to offer the solutions we need.

Harry - Mansfield, TX

Dear Congressman Ryan:

We feel that you are our ONE HOPE for America. We need someone with your business and economic savvy who is honest and forthright. My husband and I are Navy Veterans and, between us, we served our country for 25 years. We would be PROUD to call you "Commander In Chief". From our children to our seniors to our rich and our poor - this country needs you! Please reconsider running for President in 2012!

Steve & Erin - Lake Geneva, WI

Mr. Ryan, you are the anti-Obama.  You are someone we can believe in, someone with the integrity, knowledge, and facts to win the confidence of the American people.  Most of all, I look forward to seeing you in a debate with President Obama. He will not know what hit him. I look forward to supporting your campaign.

Michelle - McLean, VA

This is truly an incredibly important moment given how much the United States' future rests on whether we can reform entitlements, get our National Debt under control, and save our economy.  I see no other member of Congress so willing to be a courageous leader and offer an actual plan to help save our country.  Please run for President, Representative Ryan.

Ian - Millis, MA

The country needs you now or we are heading to a disaster.  You have the tools to do it. Run Paul Run.

Nelson

Dear Congressman Ryan, "He who dares, wins" is the motto of the British Special Forces. I beg of you to run for President; the country needs you now--we cannot survive another 4 years of Obama.

Michelle - Arlington, VA

The economic crisis is the issue of our time - the issue of our generation - and Paul Ryan is more knowledgeable about the causes and the path forward than anyone.  Republican or Democrat. He can stand up to Obama and outdebate him. He's done it before. He's in Obama's head. He can win!

Albert - Boulder, CO

I strongly urge you to enter the 2012 Republican Presidential contest. You have the ability to focus the primary selection process on fiscal/entitlement reform and the stark choice the American public has in regards to the type of country the next generation will inherit. Even if you were not to succeed in obtaining the nomination, you would have done the party and country a HUGE service by forcing the candidates to take a stand on specific reforms.

Kris - St Louis, MO

The main reason I would encourage Paul Ryan to consider a run for president is that there is no one else trying to articulate his budget plan.  As far as I am concerned, it is the number one problem of t his nation.  If we do not solve this one, none of the others even matter.  I had hoped that one of the so-called conservatives running would have asked for Paul's help with this.  It may be he is the only one who can sell this plan and give us a chance for the up or down vote in 2012 on saving this great nation of ours from oblivion!

Joanne - Hartland, WI

Paul Ryan should run because he may be our last chance to save the country. I’ll take Paul over any candidate in the race or likely to be in the race. RUN, PAUL, RUN!

David - Madison, AL

Mr. Ryan - Thank you for your efforts and hard work in the Congress to date. However, I firmly believe you have a greater calling, not Representative Ryan, but instead, President Ryan. You are the lone voice in the wilderness crying out with common sense choices, some difficult to make, but the right ones to lead our nation back to the road of true fiscal health and prosperity.

Kim - Plano, TX

Dear Congressman Ryan,

As you have heard repeatedly, there are times when one is called to duty, a la George Washington. I don't blame you for hesitating, but I have felt for the past year that this is your time. We need you. If you decide to run for president, the country is waiting for you! It is a huge sacrifice to ask of you and your family but the U.S. is on the brink of economic and cultural catastrophe and you are the man who can bring us back. Thank you for all the work you have done on the budget and thank you for considering a presidential run. You have my vote!

Maggie - Portland, OR

Paul Ryan is the man with the plan. He had the perspicacity to recognize our nation’s looming economic peril and drafted a written, SPECIFIC plan to reform entitlements and the tax code, to begin to pay down the deficit, and get this nation back on track to prosperity while protecting the national safety net for future generations. In the face of strong criticism, his courage and determination changed the national dialogue from whether we needed more stimulus spending, to HOW MUCH to cut,  WHERE to make those cuts,  and WHY they are vital to our nation's  future.

Merrina - Broken Arrow, OK

Congressman Ryan,

America faces a choice: bureaucracy, out-of-control spending, and decline, or freedom, growth, and renewal. Only one person can effectively challenge Obama on a vision for the future of our country, and that person is you. The time is now for you to continue the fight you've begun in the House and run for President.

Alex - West Des Moines, IA

I believe Paul Ryan is capable of going head-to-head in a debate with Pres. Obama. He can pick Obama apart on fiscal policy and embarrass the Obama for his financial irresponsibility. I pray he will have the courage to want to do this for America!

Allen

I can see every personal reason (family; friendships; grueling schedule; the horrendous libels and invective to be hurled at you, nonstop) why you wouldn’t run. But, know this: If you don’t run - we are guaranteed another four years of Barrack Obama.

Kurt - Scottsdale, AZ

Congressman Ryan,

The country needs you to run for President.  Nobody ties together the different strands of our coalition like you. Nobody in either party has your command of the central issues of our day.  No one can match your informed, articulate, and honest performance in debate, in interviews, and in communication with people at all levels. You are the man of the hour - and the hour is late. If you call for our support, it will be there.

Scott - Los Angeles, CA

If there were ever a time where an American was called to serve his country, that time is now. America needs Paul Ryan. Paul can articulate the solutions to our nations fiscal problems like no other. The contrast between his Plan for Prosperity and the Obama agenda are dramatic, and Americans deserve to hear these issues debated between Congressman Ryan and the president.

Chris - Benton Harbor, MI

Paul Ryan has a unique ability to educate our citizens about the nature and scope of our economic challenges; equally importantly, he successfully advocates a positive message of growth and opportunity as the solution to those challenges.  And I do mean "unique" - no other political leader, including any of the declared or undeclared candidates, does it nearly as well.

Ned - Norfolk VA

When I saw Paul Ryan address President Obama at the Blair House health care summit, I thought, "Ryan should be president." I think so even more today. Ryan delivers straight talk on the economy as no else can, with total mastery of details, plain language, and an unflappable, appealing demeanor. Plus, he's strong on national security issues, unlike some GOP contenders. We NEED Paul Ryan to make the sacrifice. The fact that he is reluctant proves his merit further. Now is his time! 

Molly - Brooklyn, NY

#1 Paul Ryan knows the budget & scale of our fiscal crisis better than anyone.

#2 Our Republic as we have known it is what is at stake in this election.

#3 Pres. Obama will not be able to debate facts & figures vs. Paul Ryan & win ANY fiscal argument.

J. - Fort Smith, AR

As a independent financial advisor in the suburbs of Atlanta, Paul Ryan appears to be the best hope we have of defeating President Obama.  None of the other Republican Presidential candidates have demonstrated the ability to articulate a coherent vision for the future which provides for free enterprise and the continuation of the American dream.  My hope is that this brief email will encourage him to run.  As of now, none of the candidates could persuade me to vote in the Presidential race.  The rest of the ballot would be marked, but that one would be left blank.

Marc - Dunwoody, GA

I have seen politicians with terrific political skills, with a selfless dedication to their constituents and their country, with first rate communication skills, with an incorruptible sense of duty,  and with amazing intellect and agility of mind. But I never saw all that in one person until I saw and heard Paul Ryan. These times are so challenging, so dangerous, so inauspicious yet so propitious. These exceptional times need our most exceptional leader, Paul Ryan.

Donald - Oakland, CA

Ryan is the right leader at the right time. History is calling him. Literally. He is the ONLY Republican able to articulate the two competing visions of America that 2012 is about. I honor his family priorities but his country needs him. Please, please run. 

Cathryn

Dear Congressman Ryan,

In it's short history, this country has been blessed by Providence with men who have answered His call to establish and sustain America as a beacon of liberty shining the light of freedom, prosperity, hope, and faith around the globe and across the centuries. Mr. Ryan the moment has been thrust upon you and the post in which you can render your services most effectively is President of the United States, not as chair of the budget committee. Please, answer the call of Providence and pull us back from this abyss and reignite the beacon of liberty that is the United States of America. 

Heather - Chino Hills, CA

It's gotta happen! We need someone to articulate the conservative vision that will save our country.  Mr. Ryan has already done that to a great extent.  It's time to put his ideas and abilities into the executive.

Jeff - Ft. Worth, TX

The debt deal has only strengthened the case for a 2012 Paul Ryan presidential candidacy

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Jeff Anderson has an original take today on why Paul Ryan should enter the 2012 presidential race.

He points out that the 2012 presidential field provided very little public direction during the debt deal. They had very little to offer, seemed distant, even unserious about it. Anderson says:

Quite the opposite can be said of House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan. He has now shown himself to be the most persuasive and reliable Republican leader on Obamacare, the budget, and the debt ceiling alike. Moreover, Ryan is the only Republican who has (repeatedly) challenged Obama and come out on top.

He follows this with two important observations that haven't gotten enough attention:

• Ryan is Obama's biggest threat. Bachmann and Romney and the others are not the people Obama fears. "That distinction belongs to Ryan. At last year’s GOP House Issues Conference, Ryan burst onto the national stage by challenging Obama’s facts on deficit spending, leaving the president stammering and quite eager to move on to another questioner. At the 'health summit,' Ryan stole the show with a blistering critique of Obamacare, to which Obama offered no coherent response. Two months ago, Ryan pointedly told Obama, 'Mr. President, the demagoguery only stops if the leaders stop it,' adding, 'Leadership should come from the top.' His fellow Republicans gave him a standing ovation — and this was inside the White House."

• "Ryan can unite the GOP’s tea-party and establishment wings. Despite her merits, Bachmann represents a fringe subset of the Tea Party as one of only nine House Republicans who opposed raising the debt ceiling even in connection with 'Cut, Cap, and Balance.' Conversely, Romney represents the complacent part of the establishment that doesn’t give the impression that the repeal of Obamacare is really all that important. Meanwhile, Ryan represents the majority of Republicans — whether tea-party sympathizers or not — who sensibly reject both of these poles."

Ryan has managed to work well with the leadership after more than a decade on the Hill without being cast as a RINO by the tea party wings of the conservative movement. And yet he's trusted by those who are a bit wary of the tea party's influence. On this front, he is the most Reaganesque of the candidates: the one who holds the most potential for uniting the various groups across conservatism's spectrum.

Cain tops Perry to take Colorado straw poll

Natalie Gonnella
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As Americans await the outcome of ongoing debt negotiations, in other political news from across the country Herman Cain has claimed the top spot in the latest conservative conference straw poll.

Earning nearly half the ballots cast at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver, the Georgia businessman trumped his GOP competition, with undeclared candidate Rick Perry finishing a very distant second.  According to Politico's Haberman & Burns:

Herman Cain easily won the Western Conservative Summit presidential straw poll Sunday, drawing 246 ballots out of 508 cast and beating his nearest runner-up by a 179-vote margin.

Second-place contender Rick Perry took 67 votes, or 13 percent, to Cain's 48 percent. In third place was Rick Santorum with 50 ballots, or just under 10 percent,

In addition to Perry, the survey also included other unconfirmed candidates like former Ambassador John Bolton, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan.

As well as appearing in the straw poll, Perry also featured as the event's keynote speaker on Friday night.

The full results of the Western Conservative Summit Straw Poll are included below.

Michele Bachmann -- 9 percent, 44 votes
John Bolton -- 4 percent, 20 votes
Herman Cain -- 48 percent, 246 votes
Newt Gingrich -- 1 percent, 3 votes
Rudy Giuliani -- 0 percent, 0 votes
Jon Huntsman -- 0 percent, 1 vote
Gary Johnson -- 0 percent, 1 vote
Thaddeus McCotter -- 0 percent, 2 votes
Sarah Palin -- 1 percent, 5 votes
Ron Paul -- 2 percent, 12 votes
Tim Pawlenty -- 1 percent, 7 votes
Rick Perry -- 13 percent, 67 votes
Mitt Romney -- 10 percent, 49 votes
Rick Santorum -- 10 percent, 50 votes
Paul Ryan -– 1 vote