Aug. 12, 2012: Mitt Romney’s Running Mate is Paul Ryan

Well, it’s official. Mitt Romney has been consistently pressured by Republicans to put Paul Ryan on his presidential ticket, particularly given the skepticism many conservatives continue to show the moderate candidate. In a Virginia press conference yesterday morning, Romney made it official: his running mate is indeed Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.

Ryan is well-known as a fiscal conservative determined to reduce taxes and slash government spending, so this move could help Romney invigorate the Republican base. That’s an especially significant move given that the party base has been Romney’s biggest problem. Looking at votes from the 2008 election, more Barack Obama voters than John McCain voters are switching parties this year, a party line shift that would seem to benefit Republicans, but Romney may yet have more trouble getting his party to go to the polls given his moderate stance on several key issues. For instance, the healthcare law he signed in Massachusetts, often dubbed “Romneycare,” closely resembled the highly controversial Obamacare that most Republicans have staunchly decried over the course of Obama’s presidency. (The real question is whether or not Romney still believes in universal health care despite his insistence that he would repeal Obamacare if elected.) The addition of a hardcore conservative may help Romney’s chances if it gets Republicans excited, but it also gives Democrats an easier right-wing target to attack. Given that Obama has been just as happy to mercilessly slam Romney as Romney has been to assault Obama on all fronts, it’s crucial for both sides to avoid giving other any easy openings.