Mitt Romney Picks Paul Ryan as Running Mate: La Grange Reacts

At a huge rally in Norfolk, VA, this morning, Mitt Romney finally made the announcement that many have been anxiously waiting to hear—his choice in a running mate.

Mitt Romney announced Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) as his vice presidential running mate Saturday morning—a move that caught many by surprise. At the rally, Romney dubbed the two men, "America's Comeback Team," The New York Times reported.

Ryan, a favorite of conservatives, is being called a bit of a gamble in the news today. Even some conservatives worry about how Ryan's famous budget plan will come into play in the election.

Ezra Klein, of the Washington Post, said today that Romney's pick is an admission of fear. Campaigns don't go with a risky pick if they're confident in their candidate, he wrote. 

Ryan Lizza, writing for The New Yorker, suggests that by picking Ryan as a running mate, Romney will now be able to own his ideas. Lizza points out Romney has been pretty quiet so far on what exactly he'd do if he's elected.

Fox News reports that republicans are rallying around the pick, and they're particularly happy about Ryan's conservative credentials. Republicans also pointed out it could help them win Wisconsin this time around—Obama took the state in 2008 by 14 percentage points.

The political website Real Clear Politics currently has Obama beating Romney in a national contest 48 to 43.4—giving Obama a solid 4.6 lead over Romney in the election. It will be interesting to see how today's announcement will change those figures over the next few weeks leading up to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL, at the end of August.

Readers, tell us what you think about Romney's choice of Ryan as a running mate. Will it help or hurt him in the long run?