Did Paul Ryan just cost Romney the Presidency?

Paul Ryan

So Paul Ryan decided to do a photo-op at a soup kitchen and it has turned into a PR disaster (not of epic proportions, but a black eye none the less)

The problem? After Ryan's visit the head of the charity contacted the media to complain about Ryan. He said that Ryan showed up unannounced and uninvited, did nothing, took over their kitchen for his photo op and then left.




While a blown photo-op may not seem like the end of the world, in this election the key issue is trust. Which ticket can you trust to tell you the truth about their platform.

Obama has been weak on this front because he's failed to deliver on most of his 2008 promises. In fact, he didn't even bother attempting to deliver on most of his promises. Combined with a horrible economy, those two things should be a fatal blow to Obama.

But if the Romney/Ryan ticket gets branded as shucksters as well, then independents (who will determine who the next president is) will be hard pressed to switch horses when the new horse is just as bad (maybe worse) than the current horse - promising that they care and that they will fix things, but in reality just saying whatever they need too in order to get elected.

Now, here's the real deal, you KNOW this was not even Ryan's idea. This was some PR person's attempt to offset Romney's comments about the 47 per cent and to make Romney/Ryan appear connected to the plight of average Americans.

It was a DUMB idea.

Here's why it was dumb. Aside from the fact that they didn't make sure to pick a charity that was happy to have them visit,  even if the photo-op went well it wouldn't have benefited them.

Unless Ryan has visited soup kitchens in the past, it's clear that he's only doing this as a political tactic to sway voters. It's TRANSPARENT. (and if he has visited soup kitchens in the past, then go to those soup kitchens!)

Ryan has been in the federal government since he was in his 20's, never visited a soup kitchen, and now suddenly cares?

Total bullshit (or that's how independent voters would think of it).

Either way, this Ryan photo-op has solidified his brand now as a shuckster, as a guy willing to pull a fast one on voters if the opportunity arises.

If he's willing to create a false narrative that he cares about soup kitchens, then what else is he prepared to create a false narrative about?

While this might seem like a small thing (after all this is what politicians do, show up places, shake hands and get photos taken), the fact that the charity head made it clear that Ryan was not there for the charity in anyway, he was merely there to USE the charity for his own purposes on that given day, is what make this the equivalent of a serious black eye.

This kind of thing leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of undecided voters.

The PR person who arranged this stunt should be back benched because they took a completely unnecessary risk. Who in their right mind walks in to a charity unannounced and commandeers their kitchen, snaps a couple photos and then leaves?! You always always always make sure for public events that you are in a friendly environment where your presence is wanted.

Anyway, it's time for Paul Ryan to go and sit down in the corner and keep his mouth shut from now until the election. Romney is on a roll and this is not the kind of amateur PR stunts that he needs distracting from the main event.

If the election comes down to one per cent difference or less, it's stuff like this that can easily cost you the votes and the election. This isn't just a gaffe, it's a counter-narrative to the narrative Ryan has been pushing (that he's an honest, stand-up politician who tells it like it is - a 'no nonsense' politician). Well, this entire photo-op was total nonsense and anything but stand-up.

You can mess up verbally (as Romney did with the 47 per cent comment) but it's far far worse to mess up in a visual medium. People remember pictures more than words, so (some) voters will remember this debacle come voting time and may vote for Obama over the guy who faked a photo-op at a soup kitchen.

Did Paul Ryan just cost Romney the presidency? 

No, this alone doesn't sink their campaign. Yet in every campaign you only get so much rope before you hang yourself and Ryan used up some of that rope today.