Friends,

If you liked Mitt Romney before and thought he was a “MAN OF PRINCIPLE” you have to admire his choice for VP and for his having the courage of his convictions to pick Paul Ryan.

To me it shows the heart of a man who is convinced the USA is in trouble financially and he wants a VP that actually has a demonstrated plan to lead us out of the “valley of the shadow of” DEBT.

I applaud Mr. Romney for what I see as a courageous act. However, I don’t see how this is going to get him even one vote that he didn’t already have.

Unfortunately to me – politically speaking – it seems to be just another poor decision by Mr. Romney’s campaign handlers. I’m voting for Mitt. I’m all passed the Mormon thing. I think he is an honest and successful person and a man of integrity. I think he is the only choice. However, I think he has what I’ll charitably call – not the shrewdest of politically calculating handlers. I have been very disappointed to see how Mr. Romney’s Campaign Management Team has allowed him to stand by and be a punching bag for Obama’s thugs and cronies.

Now the collective genius of Mr. Romney and his team choose a VP candidate that will not make any progress in the areas where he is the weakest – Hispanics – Women – and the absolutely critical “Undecideds” in the center.

Of the four names I heard most often bandied about – I would have chosen in this order: Rice – Rubio – Christie and dead last Ryan.

Not only do I not see the choice of Congressmen Ryan gaining Romney any votes I believe it will push the Republican Party more to the idealogical Right – which will cost him votes from the center. Like it or not – in my view – many “Centrists” in the key battleground states are – at a minimum uncomfortable with and or some even afraid of – the Tea Party and what they see as the far right wing that influences the decisions of the Republican Party. Personally I agree with the positions people like Paul Ryan and Allen West stand for. However people like me who hold these views – the correct views – are already 100% anti-Obama. The election will not be won by The Tea Party or Conservatives who understand how much financial trouble the Nation is in. It will be won or lost depending on how Mr. Romney can win over votes from Women, Hispanics and people in the center who are disappointed with Obama and are simply looking for a reason to vote for Mr. Romney. This choice will not – in my view – give them the impetus needed to win them over.

As I said – I’m all for Mr. Romney – he is the only choice – but this decision simply depresses me about his chances of getting elected. What he needed – in my view – was new decision makers on his political management team – not an idealogical choice like Paul Ryan.

I apologize in advance to my conservative Republican loyalists if this opinion offends you but I’m not the one who made this choice for ideology and principle over votes. God help us all if Obama is re-elected.

Uncle Larry