FLORIDA – Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan made a stop today at The Villages, the sprawling retirement community northwest of Orlando known to welcome Republican politicians.
One week after being chosen as Mitt Romney‘s running mate, Ryan headlined the campaign event at Lake Sumter Landing, which included an appearance by country music artist Lee Greenwood.
Ryan’s stop at The Villages — which straddles Lake, Sumter and Marion counties — was the first time the seven-term Wisconsin representative has appeared in Florida since becoming the vice-presidential candidate.
Hundreds turned out early for the event, sitting on patio chairs, listening to a band performing country and classic-rock hits and waving signs reading “Romney/Ryan: America’s Comeback Team.”
After Greenwood belted out “God Bless the U.S.A.” and a host of patriotic songs to an adoring and invigorated crowd, he introduced Ryan.
Flanked by an American flag and a State of Florida flag, Ryan asked the crowd to greet his mother, Betty Douglas, who lives part-time in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, and began his 20-minute speech saying America has a choice.
“We want to deserve victory so that when we win, we have the mandate and moral authority to stop kicking the can down the road and get this country back on track,” he said, wearing khaki pants and a blue-striped polo shirt.
“This is no ordinary election,” Ryan said.
A large banner sign behind him said, “Protect and strengthen Medicare,” a crucial theme of his speech to the mostly over-55 crowd. Meanwhile, an airplane flying above the event with a banner that read “Paul Ryan: Keep Your Hands off Our Medicare.”
Seven minutes into his speech, Ryan addressed Medicare.
Ryan said his mother has depended on the government program for more than 10 years and plans on engaging the opposition on how to reform it.
“We want this debate. We need this debate. We will win this debate,” he said to a cheering crowd.
He said the country promised today’s seniors Medicare and older Americans have planned their retirements around the program. “We have got to keep that guarantee,” he said.
But to save Medicare, Ryan said it must be reformed for his generation. His plan is to introduce a voucher system where 50 million individuals can shop for coverage.
He contrasted his plan to leave the program intact for current seniors with President Obama’s plan, which Ryan said would take decision-making power away from seniors to a panel 15 bureaucrats.
Mary Sharpe, an Obama supporter from Lady Lake who attended the rally, said she’s concerned about Ryan’s plan for Medicare. “I don’t want anything to happen to my Medicare.”
Sharpe, 69, added that she trusts the Democrats to take care of the program, which was created under Lyndon Johnson in 1965.
An Obama campaign spokesperson criticized Ryan in an email, saying the congressman didn’t tell seniors at the rally “that if that if he (Ryan) had his way, seniors would face higher Medicare premiums and prescription drug costs, and would be forced to pay out of pocket for preventive care.”
Though Medicare took up the bulk of Ryan’s speech, he also touched upon Romney’s leadership, the nation’s debt, jobs and the economy.
In the Romney-Ryan plan, the country would grow an estimated 4 percent each year and Florida alone would gain more than 700,000 jobs, he told the crowd.
Wisconsin natives Bill and Sue Barreau came out to see Ryan and support the candidate who is from their home state. “He seems like a nice, honest family man,” Sue said.
Saturday’s rally, a first for the couple who now live in The Villages, was a chance to hear Ryan talk about the issues. Neither have made up their minds on who to vote for in November.
“Somebody has to tell us why we should vote for him,” Sue said.
Rich and Penny Knubley, of Summerfield, plan to vote for Romney. Dressed in red, white and blue, the couple arrived at the rally at 6 a.m. Both agreed Ryan is the right man to tackle big issues like the debt and immigration.
“He’s a good pick,” Rich said. (read more)