In the latest debate between Peoria area Republicans and Democrats, members of both parties in Central Illinois are sparring over whether Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) can hurt or help the GOP ticket in the final three months leading up to the election. The Romney campaign announced early last month that Rep. Ryan, a seven-term lawmaker who currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, would be his vice presidential pick. The pair has already been labeled “America’s Comeback Team,” via the campaign’s mobile phone app.  Now Republicans and Democrats are assessing the likelihood of whether the Budget Committee chairman—Ryan’s fiscally conservative budget passed with 228 yes votes and 191 no votes in the House this year—has the political savvy to see his running mate through to the White House.

The Right Choice?

In Norfolk, Virginia, at an event at the USS Wisconsin where the long-anticipated news was unveiled, Republicans immediately hailed Rep. Ryan as “vibrant,” and a “smart choice” for the role of second in command, especially at a time when the nation’s unemployment rate is the highest since the Great Depression and government spending has doubled the deficit over the past three years. Ryan, a rising star in the Republican Party, earned much national notoriety from his budget proposal, which called for reducing the federal deficit almost entirely through spending cuts.
But Democrats argue placing Ryan on the ticket will serve as an advantage for Team Obama, claiming his budget plan to end Medicare by turning it into a voucher system and shifting thousands of dollars in health care costs to seniors will push working class voters and senior citizens in the opposite direction. Obama’s campaign manager, Jim Messina, claimed Ryan’s economic policies reflect the “reckless Bush economic policies that exploded our deficit and crashed our economy.” Democrats also haven’t forgotten the cuts the Republican House budget made to education from Head Start programs to college assistance.

In a statement released only moments following Romney’s formal announcement, Messina released a statement claiming: “In naming Congressman Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy.”

Republicans bounced back with evidence suggesting Romney’s choice would put to rest any doubts Republicans held regarding the former Massachusetts governor’s conservatism (He has been labeled a flip-flopper by his opponents.) while also serving to gather working class voters under Romney’s wing. Ryan has some understanding of blue-collar business. He worked the grill at McDonald’s in high school. He worked as a salesman for Oscar Mayer. While getting his feet wet on Capitol Hill, he served drinks at the Tortilla Coast restaurant and was a trainer at the Washington Sport and Health Club.

Despite squabbles among the two parties, Ryan, 42, has proven to have media appeal, receiving endorsements from the Wall Street Journal and the Weekly Standard.

Early Chemistry

Astute political observers may have taken Ryan’s appearance with Romney on the campaign trail earlier this year as a sign of things to come. Just before Wisconsin’s primary, Ryan endorsed Romney, and both men spent several days campaigning together.

Ryan is also a favorite of Tea Party activists. Tea Party Express Chairwoman Amy Kremer told Washington’s The Hill that Romney’s choice “proves that Mitt Romney is committed to addressing the economic issues that have been troubling our nation for the last four years.”

Ryan has been popular among his House colleagues since his election to Congress in 1998. As a GOP “Young Gun,” he helped bring Republicans elected in 2010 as the party regained control of the lower chamber. A former speechwriter for Jack Kemp, whom Bob Dole named as running mate in 1996, Ryan’s colleagues claim he has the intelligence and the experience to place the  reigns back into Republican hands.

Local Attention

With jobs and the economy as the number one concern in Central Illinois, some locals say placing Ryan on the ticket holds potential for taking back the White House in November. “Government spending has been out of control since Obama took office, and that’s what’s really driven this country into the mess it’s in,” says Rebecca Fink, 32, Peoria. “I think that if we have someone on the ticket that has shown he has a budgetary plan that won’t drag us further into debt, he’ll be able to grab a lot of people’s attention. And I think he already has.”

Peoria area Democrats say Ryan’s budget will only hurt Romney’s chances. “I think it’s a very poor move on Romney’s part,” says Sarah Jeffries, 28, Morton. “It’s just sad when your mother comes to visit and you hear her talk about the Republican’s plan to increase health care costs for seniors and how she’ll never be able to afford it. It’s hard for me as her child because who wants to see their parents worried about their future, especially after all they’ve done for you? You really want something better than that for your parents, and that’s definitely not Paul Ryan . . .or Romney.”

Others are more hesitant to make the call. “I think (Ryan’s spot on the ticket)  could go either way,” says Bill Divers, 62, Peoria. “I don’t like everything in Ryan’s budget, but it’s more than Obama has given us. I think I’m going to wait a bit before I make any major decisions. I probably won’t know for sure where I’m at until November.”