Set against a backdrop of crops in harvest and an American flag hanging from a crane, Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan delivered a speech that echoed the Romney campaign’s focus on jobs, less government and a return to core American values.
At the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Virginia on Friday, Ryan delivered a 20-minute speech to around a thousand spectators who warmly received his comments. Squeezed between a morning event in Washington, D.C. and a private fundraiser in Roanoke later this evening, Ryan’s speech didn’t dwell on specifics or speak at length on any one topic.
Ryan immediately focused on the economy, claiming that President Obama’s policies halted recovery and growth.
“This is the 43rd month where unemployment is over 8 percent,” Ryan said. “That’s not what an economic recovery looks like.”
Ryan emphasised that an increasing deficit is creating a “crushing burden of debt” that will harm future generations of Americans and stifle economic recovery.
Ryan cited policies designed to support small business as key to combating the economic downturn. He said running mate Mitt Romney would be a president who knows that “if you have a small business, you built that,” a line that drew one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon.
The Romney campaign has run on a platform of decreasing government regulation, which can clearly be seen by calls for offshore drilling and decreased dependence on foreign oil.
“We have a lot of energy in this country,” Ryan said. “Oil, natural gas, nuclear. Let’s use it all.”
Addressing the many farmers in the audience, Ryan asserted that government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency make it harder for them to make a living. These comments tied into a larger calling for a revaluation of government’s role in daily life.
“The government works for us and not the other way around,” Ryan said.
One area where the candidate didn’t urge for reductions was in the military, advocating for increased spending that would allow for “peace through strength.”
With Virginia as a crucial battleground state this November, Ryan stressed the importance of voting this election season.
“No matter what generation you belong to, this is the most important election of your generation,” Ryan said.
An avid outdoorsman, Ryan talked about canoeing the state’s rivers and gave a nod to the upcoming hunting season. But he had even more positive words for the state’s role in the creation of the the country and the the values that shaped it.
“We’re not trying to replace our founding principles — we’re going to re-apply our founding principles,” Ryan said.
U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte introduced the potential vice president by noting their 14 years together in Congress and vouched for Ryan’s ability to balance a budget.
“Paul Ryan is someone who’s fiscally responsible and knows the meaning of a dollar,” Goodlatte said.