Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's choice for U.S. vice-presidential running mate has injected new life into his campaign, but has also raised questions about whether Paul Ryan will hurt Romney's chances of winning the all-important senior vote.
Romney announced Ryan as his running mate on Saturday.
While the choice gives Romney new credibility among conservatives, Ryan's reputation as an enemy of Medicare and social security may hurt the campaign in the long run, said U.S. political analyst Mark Plotkin.
"This candidate is a jolt, really a gift to the conservative wing of the party to energize the base... The downside is, I think, it alienates older voters who are worried about social security and Medicare and it sort of turns the back on independents who might find Ryan a bit extreme," Plotkin told CTV's Canada AM.
Highlighting those concerns, Romney's campaign team recently changed plans for Ryan to accompany the presidential candidate on an upcoming trip to Florida.
Florida, which has 29 electoral votes and possesses great power in determining the U.S. president, also has a high percentage of retirees and older voters who are concerned about Ryan, said Allan Lichtman, history professor at American University.
"This could play out in one crucial state: Florida. Mitt Romney can't win without Florida, the math doesn't work and Florida of course is populated with many older people and retirees who are going to be very worried about this," Lichtman told Canada AM.
He added: "Mitt Romney is going to Florida but he's not going to Florida with Paul Ryan, he's sending Paul Ryan off to Iowa."
Plotkin, however, said Ryan gives much needed credibility to the Romney campaign that will likely outweigh seniors' concerns in the long run.
"The conservative wing of the party never really trusted Romney and this is a way of saying 'look conservatives, he's the real McCoy, he wouldn't have picked Ryan unless he was a conservative.'"
The 42-year-old Wisconsin congressman is chair of the House Budget Committee, giving Romney's campaign a direct link to the highest levels of Washington leadership. The choice also underscores Romney's efforts to paint himself as the economically focused presidential candidate.
Ryan is also seen as the Tea Party movement's choice for Romney's running mate.
Still, the man is largely a question mark in the eyes of many U.S. voters, said Lichtman.
"Outside the Republican base this is the great unknown candidate. Most Americans either don't know exactly who he is, or have just very vague ideas about who he is," Lichtman said.
That presents opportunities on both sides. If Democrats can launch a successful media campaign defining Ryan as a threat to Medicare and social security, the choice could help Barack Obama's campaign, Lichtman said.
However, if Republicans can play up Ryan's conservative credibility and harness the excitement building around him, they stand to gain considerable ground, Lichtman said.
Still, in the end, voters cast ballots for U.S. presidents, not vice-presidents, and "at its heart it's a race between Romney and Obama," Lichtman said.
