The Ryan boost

Bob White, Mitt Romney’s partner at Bain Capital and close campaign confidante, gave Paul Ryan the ultimate compliment. “We would have hired him at Bain,” he told a campaign colleague. The buoyant 42-year-old Ryan did look a bit like the junior partner in the duo’s first sit-down interview with Bob Schieffer on 60 Minutes, matching Romney with a checked shirt and blazer. As Ryan kicked off his first two days of campaigning he was crisp, effective, and eager to show that the boss’ confidence was not misplaced. “We know who we are. We know what we believe. Now let’s go do it,” said Ryan Sunday…

Mitt Romney made a “bold” choice and is “placing a bet” that ideas will win the election. That’s how the campaign is selling it. As Mark Halperin has expertly detailed, the Romney team produced a nearly flawless Ryan roll-out. The pitch is that these two men are a kind of Geek Squad for the nation: efficient problem solvers who love numbers and analysis. Romney has the executive skills and Ryan knows every inch of the budget, so together they will turn around the country. The pitch spans the generations: Romney, who seems like a man of the ’50s, linking up with the first man on a national ticket from Generation X.

Ryan wasn’t the only beaming new guy on stage this weekend. The man at the top of the ticket seemed like a fresh presence too. “Ryan jacks him up,” said a campaign adviser. Romney is looser on the stump, at one point leading a cheer of “Paul! Paul! Paul!” He’s clearly pleased with his pick.