Until Friday evening, my thoughts on Mitt Romney's likely running mate were limiteded to my certainty that it would not be Marco Rubio. Romney's whole campaign had been based on making the election a "referendum on Obama," An up-or-down vote on the incumbent President, into which Romney himself barely figured at all.
Ryan and his famed budget wonkiness are a clear departure from that strategy. Combine that with Obama's widening lead in the polls over the past few weeks, and to me the Ryan pick is pretty clearly a Hail Mary. Convinced he was going to lose, Romney changed the conversation. Now, instead of a referendum on Obama, the election will certainly be about the size of government.
Romney's decision here is bold, but dangerous. Ryan's willingness to talk about cutting entitlements is refreshing and exciting for conservatives, but could easily diminish Romney's lead among seniors if the messaging isn't right, or if Dems attack it particularly well. Additionally, Ryan's youth and ideological boldness make him, not Romney, the more natural opponent of Obama. Will he outshine Romney on the campaign trail? And if he does, what would Ryan's role look like in a Romney administration?
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