Will Romney Regret Choosing Ryan?
Political scientists haven’t been as quick as journalists to jump into the debate over whether Mitt Romney was wise in selecting Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. But a few academics who blog have chimed in.
John Sides of George Washington University is doubtful Romney made a good move, arguing on the Monkey Cage blog that while the Wisconsin congressman may indeed stoke the enthusiasm of hard-core conservatives, that’s not the dynamic Romney needs. He writes:
“Conservative Republicans are more enthusiastic, not less enthusiastic, than other Republicans. If Romney wants to engage in base mobilization, he should be focusing on the 27% of Republicans who self-identify as moderate or liberal.”
Matthew Dickinson of Middlebury College notes that, historically, the vice presidential candidate has very little impact on the outcome of a presidential election. He adds this thought, which runs somewhat counter to much of the press commentary…