What Paul Ryan Needs to Do

Today is the vice presidential debate between Paul Ryan and Joe Biden.  Considering that the Vice President isn’t the leader of the free world, this debate isn’t as important as the presidential debates.  However, they can help the candidates explain how each ticket would handle the issues if elected.  It’s a way to tie the ticket to one vision.  The GOP establishment is probably quaking in their boots about how well Mr. Ryan will do because of how opposed they were to Mitt Romney choosing Paul Ryan to be his running mate.

The mainstream media would probably love it for the man who would supposedly have the experience (Joe Biden) to wipe the floor with Mr. Ryan in this debate.  Now that there are polls showing that Romney-Ryan have taken the lead, tonight is Obama-Biden’s chance to jump-start their campaign.  For the Romney-Ryan campaign, this vice presidential debate is important because it will tell the American people that a Romney-Ryan Administration will continue to offer bold solutions to this nation’s real problems.

The first obvious thing Mr. Ryan has to do is look Presidential and come across as someone who would be ready to assume the duties of President if something were to happen to Mr. Romney.  If America elects a new President, will we be electing a Presidential ticket?  Of all that Mr. Ryan has to do in tonight’s debate, I think appearing that he would be ready to become President will be the hard part because this is his first national campaign and first national debate.  Don’t get me wrong, he will shine in this debate and will probably come across as more Presidential than Mr. Romney.

Mr. Ryan will also need to continue to make the election a clear choice between an opportunity vision for America and a dependent-on-the-government vision for America.  Mr. Ryan won’t have trouble making this distinction.  He has always been very good at talking directly to the American people and making the moral case for big reforms.  Paul Ryan is the 21^st century’s Jack Kemp.

He needs to talk directly to the American people when he’s making the moral case for new leadership and bold reforms for America.  If he “attacks” Obama-Biden, he needs to do it forcefully and looking at Biden.  However, he needs to not come across as angry, or the content of the “attacks” won’t be heard.  Mr. Romney was able to get under Mr. Obama’s skin in their first debate, Mr. Ryan needs to do the same with Mr. Biden.  The Romney-Ryan vision for America needs to be the main topic of the debate because people already know Obama-Biden is a failure.

Make this debate be a conversation between the candidates, not about the moderator.  After the questions are asked, Mr. Ryan needs to pretend there is no moderator.  Tonight there is only himself, Mr. Biden, and the American people watching.

Above all else, Mr. Ryan needs to show he has a command of the facts in tonight’s vice presidential debate.  The establishment hates bold Conservative candidates.  Mr. Ryan needs to prove to the establishment that bold Conservative leadership wins elections.  The Vice Presidential debate should be a continuation of passionately distinguishing the Romney-Ryan vision from the Obama-Biden vision, and getting under Obama-Biden’s skin to force Mr. Biden to appear angry.

The Vice Presidential debate is Mr. Ryan’s chance to make the moral case for real reform verses more big government.  Mr. Romney distinguished the two visions in his first debate with Mr. Obama, which has set up Mr. Ryan to make the moral case for the Romney-Ryan vision of opportunity and freedom.  Mr. Ryan needs to be his bold self in this debate and the election will be decided in Romney-Ryan’s favor tonight.  My prediction is that if Paul Ryan can win this Vice Presidential Debate, Romney-Ryan will win the election come November 6.