Solidifying the base
by digby
I think this is pretty much what Romney expected:
According to the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 22 percent of registered voters say Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan to be his running mate makes them more likely to vote for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
That's compared with 23 percent who say the Ryan pick makes them less likely to vote for Romney, and 54 percent who say the new running mate doesn’t affect their vote either way.
Romney's the "middle of the road" mushy moderate of the pair. He needed a hardcore wingnut who, post-Palin, would pass muster with the Villagers and not completely scare off the little old ladies. He didn't need a safe pick. He needed a polarizing pick who would validate him with the hardcore base. And he got him.
.