Ryan Pick Drives Big Bucks to Romney Campaign

Thanks for Paul Ryan's enthusiastic fan base among fiscal conservatives, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is enjoying an energetic resurgence, with crowds noticeably larger and louder, reports the Wall Street Journal. Perhaps just as importantly, that enthusiasm is also bringing in money, with $3.5 million pouring in from online donations in the 24 hours after Ryan was announced. In fact, thanks to great feedback, Ryan has been scheduled to address 10 big-money fundraisers over the next two weeks.

Despite being a Tea Party darling and a major figure in last summer's budget showdown, Ryan is still an unknown to many—one Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll indicated 45% of Americans don't know who he is—so the race is on by Republicans and Democrats to define the young Objectivist. The Obama campaign is particularly focusing on suburban and college-educated women, who tend to align with Democrats on social issues, but are open to Republicans on economics. Aides say they plan to highlight potential downsides for this group, like Ryan's abortion-rights stance and votes against equal-pay measures. (More Paul Ryan stories.)