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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Paul Ryan and the Race to the White House

    In less than a week since Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan , it's been called a triumph of Reaganesque proportions -- and a political disaster. In fact, few potential voters know much about the 42-year-old from Wisconsin, a staff member on Capitol Hill until his election to Congress in 1999.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    In less than a week since Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan, it's been called a triumph of Reaganesque proportions -- and a political disaster. In fact, few potential voters know much about the 42-year-old from Wisconsin, a staff member on Capitol Hill until his election to Congress in 1999. But it's already clear that the focus of the presidential campaign has shifted from jobs and the economy to the size and power of the federal government. How radical are Ryan's budget proposals? How much does he want to change Medicare? Will his presence on the Republican ticket clarify the differences between the parties or produce more confusion than ever?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Romney Hitches a Ride on Ryan's Rising Star
    1. 0:00Arizona Governor Blocks Benefits for Illegal Immigrants
    2. 7:14Paul Ryan and the Race to the White HouseYou’re reading this
    3. 39:55Male Infertility: Why Are Men's Sperm Counts Falling?
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Katie Cooper

      Producer, 'One year Later'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Caitlin Shamberg

      KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

    • KCRW placeholder

      J. David Woodard

      Clemson University

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jonathan Chait

      political columnist for New York Magazine

    • KCRW placeholder

      Margot Sanger-Katz

      New York Times reporter covering health care policy and public health

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Romney Hitches a Ride on Ryan's Rising Star
    1. 0:00Arizona Governor Blocks Benefits for Illegal Immigrants
    2. 7:14Paul Ryan and the Race to the White HouseYou’re reading this
    3. 39:55Male Infertility: Why Are Men's Sperm Counts Falling?
    Back to To the Point