If I was advising Romney, I would have picked Portman from Ohio....

[WCGreen]

Portman is well received here in Ohio defeating democratic powerhouse, Lee Fisher handily in 2010. It was an open Senate Seat.

Ohio has 18 EV and Wisconsin, where Paul Ryan is from, only has 10.

Portman ran statewide and Ryan never has.

Either way, Wis is now leaning to President Obama as is Ohio, although not as solid.

If Ryan is the choice for VP, the party should push hard to take his Congressional seat.

If Ryan feels vulnerable for his House Seat, he would have to scale back his VP candidacy and focus back in his district.

Either way it's a good thing for Romney. Ohio is now more out of reach for Romney and we might be able to get rid of Ryan at the same time.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Portman had a better chance of flipping Ohio than Ryan has of flipping Wisconsin...

Remember, Ryan isn't even a senator. The last congressperson picked on a major party ticket was ... Ferraro.

That didn't turn out so well.

[Kalidurga]

2. If I was advising Romney I would tell him to pick Ryan...

I can be mendacious that way.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. The feeling I'm getting is that Romney has made a huge mistake...

I'm hoping!

[Drunken Irishman]

4. ...from your lips...

[Cognitive_Resonance]

5. I'm thinking he was forced to do this to shore up the base. Not a winning move, purely defensive. nt

[Tx4obama]

6. I think that 'older' Americans are not going to take to Ryan. He looks too young.

Obama is nine years older than Ryan and some folks thought that Obama was too young back in 2008 - but Obama presented himself as being mature (because he was mature).

[elzenmahn]

7. Older Americans aren't going to take to Ryan...

...because of what his budget proposal will do to Medicare and Social Security.

[nenagh]

8. Exactly... imagine the ads...

Of course some Faux listeners will have trouble seeing reality...