I'll admit, I've been sitting on the sidelines enjoying the Romney show, applauding Harry Reid's old school/LBJ like brand of politics, gleefully watching Ann Coulter go ballistic on FOX News, being impressed with the machine that is the Obama campaign, etc. But Paul Ryan ain't no Sarah Palin. Way smarter, way more politically savvy, and way, way more dangerous.
There can be no doubt that this pick really energizes the crazy (and substantial) portion of the conservative population ($1 million raised in the first hour after the announcement!). I certainly claim no gift of political insight or expertise, and I respect the analysis that the Ryan pick can be a gold mine for our side. What I do know is that our side cannot let the energy shift to the other side. We cannot forget that the voter suppression effort of 2011/12 is the exact opposite of the voter registration effort of 2007/08. Yes, the economy may well be "baked in" to the equation, but Paul Ryan will immediately (and with major media complicity) attempt to pivot the campaign back to the economy/deficit, and away from Bain, tax returns, and Romneycare. We always seem to have to spend more energy and resources than the other side does to get the same level of engagement. Complacency, at this point, is deadly to our side.
Yell and scream at me for being on the sidelines. It's deserved. By this time in 2008 I had knocked on lots of doors, made lots of phone calls, and donated multiple times. I can't make that claim in 2012. I don't think I am alone. But it's never too late to do the right thing. First thing I did after hearing about the Ryan pick was make a donation to the Obama campaign. I've got more to do, but you've got to start somewhere.