What, exactly, makes Paul Ryan an expert on poverty?

[YoungDemCA]

Someone please tell me, because I apparently missed the rationale for this from the GOP.

He's from a family of wealthy lawyers and businessmen-going back several generations. One of his brothers is a private equity guy tied to Mitt Romney and Bain Capital (and this was even before Paul was chosen as Mr.Moneybags' running mate). Another brother is a Cargill executive based in China.

I just don't understand-surely, out of all the Republicans in office, the party would be able to find someone who at least grew up in somewhat modest circumstances...

[Half-Century Man]

1. He has personally witnessed them through the window of his Lexus.

It looked like they smelled bad.

[brush]

16. Plus, he's NEVER held a real job.

He's been on a government payroll his whole adult life — and he wants to cut government benefits — for everyone but himself I take it.

[Jim__]

2. The media. How dare you question their insights! - n/t

[FSogol]

3. He once lectured a pan handler about bootstraps and pulling.

Paul Ryan is a fraud. He's considered an expert on policy because someone in the media decided his act was serious.

Any poverty reduction ideas that come out of his piehole will be as useful as washing clean dishes. All that has come out so far are dog whistle announcements to his party's racist wing.

[erpowers]

4. That Might be the Point

I think the Republican Party does not want anyone who grew up in poverty, or understands poverty to take the lead on finding solutions to poverty. It is likely they want someone who believes poverty is caused by black people not knowing the value of work and will only be ended when black people learn the value of work.

One thing I think DUers and Democrats need to remember about the Republicans is that they do not like the social safety net. They will always want to put forward policies that reduce, or end the social safety net.

[Capt. Obvious]

5. The same thing that makes a mugger

an expert on mugging victims.

[freshwest]

12. Nailed it.

[deutsey]

6. He's an eager mouthpiece for those who help to perpetuate poverty n/t

[Codeine]

7. He's got intellectual poverty down pat.

Moral bankruptcy as well.

[rock]

8. Easy. Poverty is about having nothing

And if there's anything that Ryan is very knowledgeable about, it's nothing!

[MisterP]

9. it's like his not-namesake Ayn Rand--the poor are thieving swine dragging down

the 200 people on the continent who make everything happen; like "Twilight" it's nonsense but it's deeply attractive nonsense one can totally identify with (and it's not like blackwhite is that hard to do, either--nobody remembers that Reagan supported cocaine, Pol Pot, and the Taliban, or that Bruno wasn't a scientist)

but what's notable is how influential the book is in government: imagine if nothing but Breatharians were put in charge of the FDA for 30 years running

[hobbit709]

10. He fits the old military definition of An "expert"

A visiting S.O.B. from out of town.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Nothing, of course-- he knows nothing of poverty except...

what he hears at the club.

But, that's his worth in this. Just as Rush has his limbaughciles with whom he shares a language, Ryan simply speaks the thoughts of his peers in a way they can't.

We have to understand that many people aren't looking for solutions-- they're looking for excuses.

[Wounded Bear]

13. About the same things that make Inhofe an "expert" on environmental issues...

Last edited Thu May 1, 2014, 05:07 PM - Edit history (1)

The Repub criteria for committee heads and policy wonks is that they hate the subject matter.

As for actually solving problems, well, see below.

[winter is coming]

14. His willingness to mouth any bullshit the Koch brothers feed him, with a straight face? n/t

[Atman]

15. He hires lots of poor people to clean his house.

And mow his lawn and wash his BMWs. He leads a very stressful life. Don't even get him started on how difficult it is to get a minimum wage blow job from the help.

[jwirr]

17. He is a one book scholar - he read Ayn Rand.

[toddwv]

18. He read a book.

I mean, if a poorly written fictional work of literature doesn't prepare you for the real world, I don't know what does.

[central scrutinizer]

19. They apparently couldn't find a woman for their panel on contraception. either

http://www.thenation.com/blog/166311/republican-hearing-contraception-no-women-allowed#

[Generic Other]

20. More importantly how to get rid of him?

His opponent in Wisconsin needs to drum up some national attention, get donations. If he doesn't have an opponent, someone needs to start a search. There has to be someone to rid us of this plague.

[Gothmog]

21. Paul Ryan is an overrated fraud

Ryan has no expertise at all on the issue of poverty. Ryan is also not an expert on budget other than doing budgets that are so dumb that a banker would laugh at him if tried to use one of his budgets in the real world.

[Skittles]

22. he's a conservative asshole