OPINION: Who will make a better vice president?
From the left: Mike McPhie
John Adams once called the vice presidency “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived.” While vice presidents are only a heartbeat away from the presidency, their abilities and qualifications rarely dominate public debate. From Dick Cheney shooting his hunting partner to Aaron Burr killing the former Secretary of the Treasury to Dan Quayle’s inability to spell the word “potato,” the vice presidency has a history of falling in the shadow of the chief executive unless something notorious happens. Suffice it to say, in 2012, I believe both vice presidential candidates are qualified for the requirements of the job, which are few.
Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as his running mate has proved to be a strong choice. Biden brings to the administration irreplaceable experience and a lifetime of public service. He was elected to the Senate in 1972 and quickly became a distinguished member, serving as the Chairman of both the Foreign Relations and Judiciary Committee in his six terms of service. As Vice President, Biden has always displayed effective leadership – most notably leading a bipartisan group in Congress which developed the largest debt reduction plan in recent history.
Mitt Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan was an attempt to win over the conservative wing of his party who were never convinced of his candidacy. While clearly a political ploy, Ryan isn’t unqualified, serving as the House Budget Committee Chairman. While in Washington, I was able to hear Congressman Ryan discuss the budget that brought him to national prominence. He struck me as intelligent and sharp on detail, however his personality is constantly overshadowed by his fiscal proposal which has accurately been described as the most radical piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives in a century. The most distinguishing feature is his plan to privatize Medicare, leaving millions of seniors at the mercy of insurance companies and rising costs. Nearly two thirds of Americans oppose the plan, yet it has become a central proposal of the Romney-Ryan ticket.
The vice-presidential debate on Oct. 11 was filled with fiery exchanges, ultimately showcasing Biden’s strong command of domestic and foreign policy issues as well as an emotional connection to the middle and working class of America. Ryan didn’t do poorly, but his attempts at playing catch-up and defend his policies led viewers of the debate to conclude that Biden won by a 20-point margin.
Neither of the candidates are perfect: Biden explains his gaffe-prone nature by the fact that he “always says what he means,” while Ryan only exaggerated his marathon time by a couple of hours. In any case, these two men play a larger role in the image of their respective campaigns: Ryan, the number-cruncher behind Romney’s corporate persona, and Biden, the veteran statesman standing by the idealistic President.
No one votes for the better vice president, but the Biden’s debate performance and his experience have shown that he is a strong leader, working alongside President Obama in fighting for opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.
– Mike McPhie is a senior from Toole, Utah, majoring in law and constitutional studies. During the spring semester, he interned in Washington, D.C. Send him comments at mike.mcphie@aggiemail.usu.edu.
From the right: Casey Saxton
Mitt Romney’s choice of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate was a wise one. Romney is running on the basis that he can jump-start the economy, cut wasteful spending and begin to tackle the deficit. Ryan makes a very good complement to the ticket on those issues, making him a great addition to America’s Comeback Team.
Even before much of the buzz about Ryan being on Romney’s short list for vice president, I recognized him as a Congressman who presented new ideas to tackle the tough fiscal issues of the day: something that most legislators – state or federal – rarely dare to do. He’s put together budgets, come up with new ideas on how to handle the going-broke entitlements and made proposals about tax policy: He’s quite the wonk in those areas.
Judging by America’s current economic and fiscal situation of record deficits, high unemployment, rising food and gas prices and a credit-rating downgrade, I’d say it’s about time we get two people on the same ticket who will propose bold, serious ideas on how to confront the economic and fiscal problems we face as a nation.
Ryan adds a youthful image to the presidential ticket as well. Younger voters are more likely to relate to him because he doesn’t look or act like a stereotypical politician. He’s also family man who is devoted to his faith, which may resonate well with religious voters and those that care deeply about the importance of the family. Each of these attributes has helped to shape the public image of the Romney campaign.
During last week’s vice presidential debate, Ryan was clearly acting like the grownup in the room as Vice President Joe Biden smiled, laughed, scoffed and interrupted Ryan numerous times. I admire him for having the patience to let “Biden be Biden” during the debate while still presenting his message in a firm, appealing way. Should Ryan be elected, we will be privileged as a nation to have a vice president who acts calmly and respectfully in situations that might not always be to his liking.
I think what appeals to voters most about Ryan is he is an ordinary American from an ordinary town and an ordinary family who has shown he knows how to roll up his sleeves and do the job he has been elected to do, regardless of the political consequences. To many people, Mitt Romney is seen as some rich guy who hasn’t really lived an average American life: Ryan balances this perception.
– Casey Saxton, a sophomore majoring in business administration, is the president of the USU College Republicans. He can be reached at caseysaxton@hotmail.com.