Paul Ryan's Rhetoric Not as Important as His Record

They do not match.

By now most have given their opinion of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney's running mate. In all of the commentary I have noticed a disturbing trend: grassroots conservatives and some libertarians think there is an upside to the pick.

Most notably for me is Corie Whalen's praise of Romney's pick as "victory…on an intellectual level." Corie's view is that the Paul Ryan post-VP pick contrasts that of the other Paul Ryan, with the former being more libertarian-ish than the latter. Her theory—and it sounds nice—is that Congressman Ryan will sow the seeds of a more libertarian populace by introducing and articulating certain ideas more favorable to free markets and sensible fiscal policy. She goes on to admit that Ryan's voting record during his tenure in congress has been anything but libertarian.