I love me some Paul Ryan. But this would be a bad decision. Why? Let’s count the ways.

1. It’s unfair, but his name has become synonymous with ending Social Security and Medicare. Not reforming — ending. Again, unfair, but that’s the narrative and it’s been engrained into people’s minds.
2. He has no executive experience. None. He’s a Congressman, and Americans tend not to elect young congressmen to the nation’s top office.
3. He has no economic record of which to speak. He can’t say he created jobs or that he successfully implemented positive economic policies. We would lose that talking point against Obama.
4. He’d be splitting the conservative vote further, allowing someone like Romney — who has a lock on moderates — to win with a plurality.
5. I can’t stress this enough: The election will become about Social Security and Medicare. Obama will divert from his abysmal jobs record to scare people into voting for him so their beloved entitlement programs don’t get the ax.

Sorry, Paul, but this isn’t the right time. This is an election we can’t afford to lose just to make a point. We have to win this one to win this one (not a typo).