A sad, steely insight into the Romney campaign

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan seem to get along well; that, anyway, is one of the most immediate conclusions of observers of the men and the campaign. The Boston Globe wrote about their “easy rapport,” and quoted Romney as saying, at a NASCAR-themed rally, “I am so happy, I am so happy to have my teammate now, the two of us.” The Times talked about the flip side—how Romney “was already missing his new running mate”:

“Do I get to see him until the inauguration?” Mr. Romney asked an aide.

Representative Paul D. Ryan, sitting a few inches away on a leather bench in a campaign bus, compared schedules with his new boss.  “Ohio,” Mr. Romney said, ticking off coming campaign stops.

“Oh yeah, I think I’m going to Ohio, too,” Mr. Ryan replied.

Mr. Romney looked relieved.

That sense of dispelled anxiety is part of the reason that what is a fairly bland observation—the man running for President chose a running mate he likes—seems noteworthy. With the decision made, Romney acts as though he has been relieved of the awful dread that politics means intimacy with people who are very different than he is—whether in character, temperament, class, or background. ...Amy Davidson, New Yorker