As for Axelrod and the Dems, they couldn’t be happier. Other than Gingrich, Cain, Bachmann, Perry, Paul, Palin or Trump, they couldn’t hope for a better VP choice to run against.

Still, I believe Ryan was a wise choice for Romney. He will be a formidable campaigner, and he’s a smart man, regardless of how his ideology might sell. Any of those knee-walking turkeys I listed above would have been a lot easier to handle.

Romney could have picked someone who could have had a bit of “moderate make-up” splashed on him or her, even though they weren’t, and drawn in some people who like both Mitt and their country. Instead he picks a man who advocates for starving poor people, driving down wages, and transferring wealth to the wealthy. A man for all times, really, up until the 17th century.

I don’t understand that move. I understand the Tea Party, greed, oppression, me first, last and always, compromise is weakness, shoot ‘em if they don’t agree with us, tell ‘em once and then bomb, and above all honor and respect those who die for the Empire. I realize that’s the agenda. I do not understand Mitt picking someone who has the Dark Ages Popes as a role model.

The Ryan pick is curious though. This guy’s budget plan was described as “right wing social engineering” by Newt gingrich. Massive cuts in entitlements and the social safety net, not to balance the budget, but to give the wealthy even deeper tax cuts.

And why Ryan? He will certainly help with the wingnut vote, where Mitt is weak. But what about all the moderate voters who might be alienated by a fire-breathing conservative who has gone on record with a plan for gutting entitlements. That will not go well with the geezer vote.

I’m sure Mitt had his reasons for this particular calculation, but the timing of the announcement, premature as it seems to me, suggests the Bain/tax return attacks are scoring hits below the waterline, and His Mittship is taking on water.