Campaign Trail Starts Today For Romney, Ryan
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The campaign for the White House continues Monday morning. President Barack Obama is headed to Iowa to campaign, as is the Wisconsin man who Republican candidate Mitt Romney chose as his running mate.
Romney broke the news Saturday morning in Virginia, introducing Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, and the two were welcomed to crowds in Wisconsin Sunday night. On Monday the two split paths, with Romney heading to Florida, and Ryan to Iowa.
They'll meet up again at the Republican National Convention at the end of the month.
It's very exciting times in Wisconsin. Ryan is a rising star on the national scene and has represented Wisconsin in Washington for 14 years. Volunteers working for the Republican party are definitely taking this excitement, and are looking to capitalize.
After hearing the news Saturday morning, people took to the phones in Hudson, Wis., spending the day reaching out to potential voters. Supporters believe the move will attract more independents.
"He understands the numbers like Mitt Romney and he's a family man," said Romney support Jim Niedfedlt. "I think it might bring more of a positive light to Wisconsin, compared to some of the stuff that's gone on this year with Scott Walker and everything."
"I think that it solidifies Romney's campaign as far as being conservative. There's no room for the independents and it's a clear choice between Romney and Obama now," said Jon Picar, who said he is not a Ryan supporter.
Larry Jacobs, a political studies professor at the University of Minnesota, said Romney's pick sends a clear sign that they would make budget cuts a top priority. He also thinks Romney chose the unusual Saturday morning timing to announce his running mate, possibly because that's when people tend to be more active on social media.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was on the short list of potential running mates, but he got left out again. And he was gracious again. Pawlenty said he got a call last Monday from Romney, telling him he wasn't the vice presidential pick.
He continued campaigning for the two over the weekend, and called Congressman Ryan a respected leader and a bold thinker.
