Now that Mitt Romney has tapped Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate, how do Republican voters across the nation feel? Yahoo! News asked some GOP voters to react Saturday morning. Here are excerpts from perspectives their shared.
"Ryan is particularly appealing because, as chairman of the House Budget Committee, he has actually attempted to address the great crisis of our age, the out-of-control budget deficit and the economic malaise that grips the country still after four years. He is also a wonderful pick because he will drive the left thoroughly insane. By picking Ryan, Romney is also picking Ryan's vision of a reformed federal budget, one that begins to pay down the debt and not pad it. I find this exhilarating." -- Mark Whittington, Texas
"Ryan is young, handsome and his family looks like it was ripped straight out of a photo frame on a store shelf. The Republican ticket needed that youthful conservative voice, a "let's cut the budget deficit" mentality and government reform ideas to make America better. Paul Ryan seems to be this person." -- Sophie Walton, South Carolina
"This choice unquestionably unites the right and the tea party, providing Romney with a strong base to work from. But is that base going to be big enough in the key swing states necessary for the Republicans to take the White House this November? Will seniors in Florida embrace Ryan, who is often painted by Democrats as a enemy of Medicare? Will the unions in Ohio be weary of him given his association with Gov. Scott Walker in his home state of Wisconsin? Will Pennsylvanians see his stance as an opponent of abortion as anti-women? Will Colorado residents interpret his position on gay marriage as draconian?" -- Robert Watkins, Pennsylvania
"Mitt Romney's campaign has kind of stalled. So this choice seems well-timed. The more fiscally conservative Republicans, and those who qualify as moderate conservatives, have been decidedly lukewarm on Romney. For the far right, he's not a tea party candidate. For those in the middle, his record as a governor is questionable. So, how does Mitt Romney fix this? For this voter, that's by choosing the Paul Ryan." -- Randy Childers, Michigan
“What Ryan said on Saturday morning resonated with me: ‘We promise equal opportunity, not equal outcome.’ I've never believed that the United States government owes me. Paul Ryan came from a background in which he had to work hard his entire life. His father passed when he was a teenager. He likely understands what it is like to sacrifice, live frugally and behave responsibly. As a GOP voter, I find this very appealing.” -- Emilia Zs Rak, Texas
"I feel Ryan's background -- with his budget proposals -- will really help Romney gain more support, especially among the more fiscally conservative groups, such as the tea party. Ryan would make much needed cuts to entitlement programs, such as welfare, which is desperately needed. We need to remind Americans that government handouts are not the answer. This election will be about whether the country is better off now than four years ago economically, and Ryan will prove to the American people that Obama is not the answer." -- Jeanne Rose, Ohio
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