Andrea Mitchell, MSNBC anchor and noted expert on suburban mothers' political priorities, offered her analysis on Mitt Romney's pick for vice president from Paul Ryan's welcome home rally in Waukesha, Wisconsin last night. It's about as intelligent and in line with middle America's values as one might expect:
So, yes, Chris Hayes did, in fact, end the clip by noting that Paul Ryan was a bad pick for average women because...progressive women's groups had emailed him, expressing their outrage that he, like nearly every Republican out there, is pro-life. After all these years, the GOP position on life issues still manages to surprise NOW and its ilk.
I suppose Paul Ryan -- who is a practicing Catholic, and adheres to the Church's teachings on abortion -- would be a terrible pick for a certain kind of woman: one in the mold of the very liberal Andrea Mitchell. But progressive women were never going to flock to the Republican ticket. By contrast, most suburban moms aren't overly focused on the abortion issue; the budget ranks much higher among their concerns, and it's not a stretch to say that women who control household financial planning might see the appeal of Paul Ryan's sensible, responsible Path to Prosperity budget. In fact, Ryan's chief issues -- such as the budget, debt reduction, and entitlement reform -- are among the top concerns of Americans at large.
So, just a pick for the base? Not so much. Yes, someone's priorities aren't in line with the American public, Andrea, but here's a hint: it's not Paul Ryan.