Monday, August 13, 2012
11:27 AM
Priebus: Ryan's VP selection gives Romney 'horsepower' in Wisconsin
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Ryan's addition to the presidential ticket gives "an extra bit of horsepower" to Romney's chances in Wisconsin, claiming that Romney's prospects in the state were already looking good.
Priebus said during Sunday's “UpFront with Mike Gousha,” that with Ryan, Romney and the other notable conservatives such as Gov. Scott Walker and Sen. Ron Johnson leading, they can deliver a "lights out" blow to Obama. Priebus also said that the strength on the presidential ticket will determine the strength of Wisconsin in defeating Tammy Baldwin in the race for the U.S. Senate seat.
"I think we have a winning formula in Wisconsin on the Republican side," said Priebus, the former Wisconsin GOP chair on the show, produced in conjunction with WisPolitics.com. "The electorate is very fiscally conservative. People in Wisconsin understand that you can't spend more than you take in."
While Priebus wasn't surprised by Romney's choice of Ryan, he said that Ryan meets the "threshold test" for being the vice presidential nominee and a perfect fit for the country's current predicament.
"The thing that I think Paul brings to the table is really bold dynamic leadership on the issues that matter most to Americans right now," Priebus said. "It's his time and his moment. And right now we know the economy is first and foremost. Who better than Paul Ryan to lead the way in this country, along with Mitt Romney, and correct what's been going wrong here for too long?"
When asked whether Ryan's plan to replace the current Medicare system with a voucher-based program worked to the GOP's disadvantage, Priebus said the discussion should be about Ryan's efforts to save the program from insolvency.
"Barack Obama's the one who took $700 billion out of Medicare to buy European health care that nobody wanted," Priebus said. "We can have the debate on Medicare. It's President Obama that's destroying Medicare. We're the ones that want to save Medicare for future generations."
Also on the program was state Democratic Party Chair Mike Tate, who said Obama will still carry Wisconsin with Ryan on the GOP ticket.
And Green Bay conservative talk show host Jerry Bader discussed the number of undecided voters in the U.S. Senate race.
See more from Sunday’s show here.
-- By Jason Smathers
Election Blog site feed