Bringing it home

It's not often I go to Japanese for analysis if the American election and, truth be told, there isn't much new in the below commentary on Representative Paul Ryan and his impact on the election. That said, it is interesting to read such commentary in a second language and see how they frame things.

超保守 イデオロギー色濃 い論争に 共和党副大統領 候補のライアン氏

2012.8.30 20:48

【タンパ（フロリダ州）＝古森義久】米 大統領選の共和党副大統領候補にライアン 下院予算委員長が指名されたことで、今後 の選挙戦は政策論争のイデオロギー色を濃 くして、オバマ大統領への挑戦も議論をよ り先鋭にしていく見通しが強くなった。

４２歳のライアン氏の登場はロムニー陣 営に若さや活力を増す形となり、２９日の 副大統領候補受諾の演説でも会場は沸きに 沸いた。

ライアン氏は演説でオバマ政権の景気回 復策や医療保険改革策での巨額の支出を具 体的な数字をあげて批判し、財政赤字の膨 張への基本的な反対を表明した。

ライアン氏は共和党の中でも財政面の保 守主義の最も強烈な旗手として活動してき た。この点でのライアン氏の保守度は大統 領候補のロムニー氏を上回る。

このため、ライアン氏の参戦は共和党側 のオバマ政権攻撃をこれまでよりも鋭く し、イデオロギー色を強くするとみられて いる。

保守派の政治評論家のフレッド・バーン ズ氏は「両党の論争はライアン氏の参加 で、『政府の役割』とか『政府と国民の関 係』という国家のあり方の基本レベルにま で引き上げられるだろう」と述べた。

ロムニー氏も保守主義を唱えるが、論争 の主題はオバマ政権下の経済運営や同政権 の過去の実績という次元にとどまりがち だったというのだ。

ライアン氏が緩急を操る論客である点も 今後の大統領選の熱気を高めることが予想 される。民主党現職のバイデン副大統領は 国政経験こそ豊富だが、討論では失言も多 く、冷静に相手を攻撃していくとされるラ イアン氏との対照がすでにメディアで報じ られている。

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/news/120830/amr12083020490015-n1.htm

Moving towards ultraconservative ideological tint – Republican Party vice-presidential candidate Ryan

As chairman of the House Budget Committee Ryan accepted the Republican nomination for vice president of the United States, it seems that he will drive the political debate in the presidential election to take a more deeply ideological tone by strengthening his challenge and arguments aimed at President Obama.

The selection of 42 year-old Representative Ryan by the Romney campaign was aimed to increase its youth and vitality, and his acceptance speech for the vice-presidential nomination had the meeting hall overflowing with excitement.

In his speech, Representative Ryan criticized the Obama administration’s economic recovery and medical insurance reform policies by naming concrete figures for their large expenditures and voiced a fundamental opposition to increasing the financial deficit.

Among Republicans, Representative Ryan has been active as the most passionate standard-bearer of fiscal conservatism. On this point, Ryan’s conservative is said to exceed that of presidential candidate Romney.

Because of this, it appears that since Ryan has joined the campaign, the Republican side’s attacked on the Obama administration have grown sharper and even more ideological.

Conservative political commentator Fred Barnes said, “Since Representative Ryan joined the campaign, the parties’ debate over ‘The government’s role’ and ‘the relationship between government and the people’ will rise to the very foundational level of the existence of the state.”

Governor Romney has also been emphasizing conservative principles, but the debate has tended to stay focused on the Obama administration’s handling of the economy and record in office.

Representative Ryan’s reputation as operating his campaign on controversy is expected to heat up the enthusiasm of the campaign. The Democratic Party’s Vice-President Biden has far more political experience but has had numerous gaffes in debate and this contrast between him and Representative Ryan who can calmly attack his counterpart is already being reported in the media.