The trouble with running mates...

…there’ll be no end of parsing out Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan for Republican vice Presidential nominee. It is, as always, far too early to tell what the impact will be, though I’ll admit that this time four (or is it five) years ago the Palin pick was considerably more fascinating and – arguably groundbreaking.

But the point was made on Slate that Ryan is an odd enough choice for a man, Romney, who has suggested during the campaign that there should be a condition that Presidential candidates have at least three years experience of the private sector. Whatever it’s intent this condition wouldn’t bar President Obama from the position given his own employment record. And a few more than him. Entertainingly, as this site notes, it would disbar McCain, and Eisenhower and… (and that makes sense, the military being a spring board to later political success).

But Paul Ryan? That’s a different story. As this piece on Democratic Underground notes, Ryan’s curriculum vitae appears more limited than that of the present occupant of the White House. And oddly that does bring back an echo of the debates around Palin where the issue of a lack of executive experience was not without traction.

As to the idea of a condition of such a nature, I’m fairly unconvinced. It’s not that I think experience in the private sector is a bad thing. Quite the opposite, but consider the hypothetical example of a Governor of a state who had worked their way up as political aide or what have you. They’d presumably have the sort of experience that would be of benefit in an executive capacity. And the point is that any citizen should (and putting aside the reality of broad financial constraints etc) be able within extant constitutional limits be able to contest the Presidency.

Mind you an Objectivist (of sorts, apparently he’s backed a bit away from Randian nostrums recently since apparently being given a bit of a slap across the wrist from the Catholic Church on the matter) VP candidate? A lot to look forward to in this campaign.

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