Mitt Romney will reunite with running mate Paul Ryan in Midwestern battleground states on the eve of the Republican National Convention, seeking to squeeze more political juice out of his vice presidential rollout as the national spotlight turns to the GOP gathering in Florida.
Romney and Ryan will hit the campaign trail in Michigan on Friday before heading to Ohio on Saturday in newly scheduled events that Romney’s surrogates believe will further stoke the buzz behind the Republican ticket for the White House.
In the short-term, Ryan has provided Romney with a boost typical for a presidential candidate after choosing a No. 2.
Since Romney unveiled the Ryan pick nearly two weeks ago, his standing has improved in Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, according to new polls in the swing states.
However, some question whether those gains will last as Democrats hammer Ryan for his lengthy voting record in Congress.
For their part, Republican strategists say that in picking Ryan, Romney has chosen a conservative ambassador who won’t crash and burn like the unproven Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the party’s surprise 2008 vice-presidential pick.
“Romney’s selection of Ryan was brilliant,” Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said. “It’s actually jazzed up attendance and enthusiasm for the convention. Democrats thought they would be able to knock Romney down with the Ryan budget, and the opposite has occurred because Ryan played up reform so much.”
Bonjean pointed to new polling in Florida, home to the nation’s widest swath of retirees, where seniors have given strong ratings to Ryan despite the Democratic onslaught of ads against his positions on Medicare.
And Wisconsin, considered a safe win for Democrats just a few weeks ago, looks dead even amid the national discussion about Ryan, a native son of the Badger State.
But Democrats say it’s too early to gauge the true impact of Ryan’s role in the presidential race.
“I don’t think the jury will be in until after the Democratic convention,” Doug Schoen, a Democratic strategist, said. “Given the vulnerabilities on health care, abortion and national security, it is still an open question in my mind whether it is a good pick or bad pick.”
The Democratic National Convention takes place in Charlotte, N.C., the first week of September.
Democrats have framed Romney’s acceptance of the Ryan budget blueprint as an attempt to radically overhaul entitlement programs, while gutting investments to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
Liberals are banking that such an attack will catch on with blue-collar voters in areas such as the Rust Belt. In both Michigan and Ohio, Romney and Ryan will look to drown out that message with a reminder of stubbornly high unemployment and little economic growth.
The Obama campaign in Michigan is planning to highlight the wedge between Romney and Ryan on the auto bailout, which remains popular in a state that produces the most American vehicles. Ryan voted for the bailout of U.S. automakers, but Romney counters that General Motors and Chrysler should have gone through the bankruptcy process instead.
Michigan is considered an unlikely Republican pickup, but Ohio is critically important to Romney’s White House bid. No Republican has won the presidency without carrying the Buckeye State.
