When Mitt Romney announced in Virginia that he selected Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his Vice-Presidential running mate, Romney said that he was looking for a man with a vision and found that man to be Paul Ryan. That's lofty rhetoric if you ask me, but having a vision doesn't mean squat if the vision itself is flawed. After all, Hitler had a vision and I dare say it wasn't one geared toward drawing forth the better angels in anyone.
My knee-jerk reaction when hearing Romney's words was "What? Romney doesn't have his own vision and needs to find somebody who does!" That's sure what it sounded like to me. And then, when reporters started questioning Romney about Paul Ryan's congressional blueprint to gut Medicare that seniors rely on for health care, Romney quickly pointed out that Ryan's vision was not his vision. My, how quickly the importance of a vision can evaporate!
Don't get me wrong. I think vision in politics is a good thing, especially if it's used to spur a citizenry to achieve a better life for everyone. But vision is nothing more than a fancy goal if it's not accompanied by a rational and realistic blueprint for achieving that goal, and any vision is worthless if the goal it seeks is not one that betters the lives of everyone. That's why I'm not falling for the Romney/Ryan vision thing. Neither are interested in lifting the lives of every American – only the select who think like they do. Hitler had a similar vision and we all saw how that played out.
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