Bush Aide: Ryan Pick Means Romney Will ‘Probably Lose. Maybe Big.’

Mark McKinnon, a former senior advisor to President George W. Bush, said that in choosing Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney will “probably lose. Maybe big,” Politico reported.

McKinnon was clear to say that he thought the pick would "elevate the campaign” into one about the issues, but nonetheless would probably end badly.

“I think it’s a very bold choice. And an exciting and interesting pick. It’s going to elevate the campaign into a debate over big ideas. It means Romney-Ryan can run on principles and provide some real direction and vision for the Republican Party. And probably lose. Maybe big,”

McKinnon was the only Republican to go on record offering a negative assessment in a Politico story that queried three dozen GOP strategists and campaign operatives in the aftermath of the Ryan pick. The reaction, despite the public hallelujahs over Ryan, has ranged from “gnawing apprehension to hair-on-fire anger that Romney has practically ceded the election,” the Politico article said.

In a email to National Journal, McKinnon sought to clarify his comments, saying: "The GOP campaign for the presidency is likely to be about hard truths. If voters are ready for an honest assessment of where our nation finds itself, Romney-Ryan can win. It's just a very big if."