Most conservatives decry career politicians. They note that the Founding Fathers intended people to come to Washington, serve their country, and then go back to the farm. (After all, spending too much time in Washington leads to “Potomac Fever” and compromise and maybe even corruption). There is often truth to this.
But some of the same folks who espouse that theory are now urging Rep. Paul Ryan to run for president. The reason? They praise him for his intellect. They say, “Finally!–a conservative who has mastered the intricacies of the budget and can speak eloquently about the economy.”
They don’t stop to wonder how Paul Ryan got to be, well, Paul Ryan. To be sure, he is wicked smart. But he has also been grooming himself for this moment for nearly half his life. Here’s a short history:
After graduating college in 1992, Ryan worked for former Wisc. Sen. Robert Kasten, Jr. In 1995, he joined the staff of Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. In 1997, he left Brownback’s office to work for former drug czar Bill Bennett and former Rep. Jack Kemp as staff economic analyst at Empower America. In 1998, he moved back to Wisconsin to run for an open seat in Congress. He won. Rep. Ryan has been in his seat since 1998. He is a 7-term Congressman.
Ryan is only 42, but he has been honing his craft for nearly half his life — and that’s not counting his formal education. On one hand, Ryan’s fluency on budgetary matters is incredibly impressive. On the other hand, it would be disappointing if, after two decades, he weren’t knowledgeable. Many people come to Congress and do not become experts, so give Ryan credit for working hard.
Is there something to be said for experience? Wisconsin is a tough state, so Ryan has declined to run for the U.S. Senate. By staying in the House for so many years (whether by design or by necessity), he has honed his craft while simultaneously gaining tenure. One could argue his influence as Chair of the Budget Committee outweighs the impact he might have had in the U.S. Senate.
But his rising star might also make some conservatives reexamine how they think about career politicians — and term limits…