Let's vet Romney's VP choice. Tell us what you know about Ryan, trying to objectively assess his strengths and weaknesses.

The problem with Ryan is he is viewed as uberconservative and while that could help cement rightwing Republicans... Ryan is not as well like among Independents and on that score, Romney blew it. To win, Romney has to pull the widest possible voting base and while the Conservative Democrats may be coaxed over in small numbers, party loyalty and the results of the last election which cost them big time could lead rightwing Democrats to stick with party loyalty. Many rightwing Democrats are also not oblivious to the fact that while Obama may at times talk leftwing, his voting record is overwhelmingly rightwing reflecting rightwing Democrats more than rightwing Republicans as party politics turned rightwing Republicans against Obama. Obama never once voted against Bush in Bush's second term... this is very important to understand and Republicans just do not get it as Obama's voting record is overwhelmingly rightwing and he was the go to man when Bush didn't have enough Republican support as Obama often got him the few Democrat votes Bush needed.

Independents will once again determine who wins the Presidents office and while they are proven to vote against a political party which possesses too much power but does poorly with that power... they also vote against those they view as failing with no concern if that candidate is right or left, Republican or Democrat. Since winning in 2010, the Republican led Congress has failed to accomplish it's tasks. The things they cried out against the loudest in the last election (like removing Obamacare), they didn't even try to do. Instead, what we saw was more stalemate, more indecision and everything we had during the first two years of the Obama administration as several times Republicans actually voted with Obama passing legislation they possessed the numbers to filibuster with.

Paul Ryan may be a good candidate based on some views but then, you don't elect a candidate based on who their VP candidate is... you can, however, be voted against based on this decision.

Republicans are of the mindset it's us vs them just as Democrats are. Leftwing Democrats couldn't win any elections at all if we based their support on leftwing candidates because in representing less than 20% of the vote, they simply don't have the numbers which is why they cannot hold power in Washington DC more than two years before Republicans beat them in the next elections... their ignorance and stupidity leads them to think that the left won the election when more Democrats are Moderate, Centrist, Libertarian and Conservative than Liberal and Progressive. The Republicans success against them is just letting the left run their mouths when the Democrats gain power as they'll cause the Democrats to self destruct from within out of sheer stupidity... and it's guaranteed every single time.

Could Paul Ryan help Mitt Romney?

I honestly believe it will not help Romney but hurt him... if their roles were reversed, then I think they would have a much better chance with Ryan running for President as he could strengthen and unite Republicans while Romney as a VP could silently bring in Moderates and leftwingers who have strong rightwing convictions which is why you have Liberal Republicans like Romney in the first place.

But the roles aren't reversed and Obama is likely to pull more of the Independent vote and rightwing Democrats.

If Ryan is going to help Romney, Republicans need to stop their anti leftwing bashing. Gene Taylor from Mississippi was regarded as one of the strongest Conservatives in Washington DC... a Conservative Democrat ranked among the five toughest Conservatives in Washington DC and yet he was replaced by a Conservative Republican who has proved to be a wimp where Taylor got results and Taylor often voted with Republicans including being one of the most active against Obamacare.

You need men like Gene Taylor because he's a proven and true Conservative and the Democrats voting in his voting district are among the most Conservative in the US. But the anti leftwing rhetoric labeling all Democrats as leftwing actually hurts the Republican Party. I do not think Ryan can win over these Democrats like Reagan did and like Bush sr lost... and if Mitt Romney is going to win, he's got to win over these rightwing Democrats and Independent voters who are going to give Obama victory because there are just too many Americans fed up with both political parties to ignore them.

If Ryan were the Presidential candidate... then this choice would be an asset and likely win. But Romney is a Liberal Republican and there are too many Republicans who will still not vote for him as they know Paul Ryan was chosen as part of the fools brigade Romneys trying to create claiming he's a Conservative when he's been a Liberal his entire life. I might have voted for Ryan... I will not vote for Romney or Obama.