If the front pages of swing state newspapers are any measure, Mitt Romney’s introduction of Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate has been a huge success. Dubbed ‘America’s Comeback Team’ by the Romney campaign, here is how the race is playing nationwide:

  • USA Today, Enter The X Factor: At 42, Paul Ryan is the first national candidate clearly on the GenX side of the generational line, closer in age to teen Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas than he is to 69-year-old Joe Biden, the man Ryan wants to replace as vice president.
  • The Washington Post, Ryan injects momentum into presidential run: After two full days of campaigning together, it has become clear that Rep. Paul Ryan is doing many of the things that Mitt Romney couldn’t do for himself. The Republican presidential ticket is drawing huge and at times electric crowds, at long last energizing a conservative base that has hungered for an inspiring standard-bearer. Ryan is articulating clear convictions about fiscal austerity and offering an intellectual vision. And he’s fleshing out Romney’s biography, vouching for his character and values and trumpeting his accomplishments, such as turning around the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
  • The Denver Post, Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan reshapes campaign: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney set up a stark choice for voters Saturday by picking Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate, resetting the campaign in fundamental and potentially risky ways.
  • The Des Moines Register, Romney’s VP pick, could play well in Iowa: Mitt Romney’s choice for vice president is a young, Catholic Midwesterner with middle-class roots who will play well in Iowa, Republicans here say. Outrage over federal debt is a battle cry for Iowans, and Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan is the guy known for spelling out how to fix those things, they say.
  • The Columbus Dispatch, Ryan gives tea party a voice, validation: Paul Ryan’s ascendency to the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket is a signature event for a movement that counts him as one of their own. If Mitt Romney wins in November, a tea party favorite will be a heartbeat from the Oval Office.
  • Tampa Bay Times, Ryan Draws Keen Crowd: In North Carolina and at an evening rally in Wisconsin, Romney praised his running mate for conservative vision and courage. But with Ryan known mostly for his plan to reshape Medicare and slash spending for nearly all government programs outside the military, campaign aides pointedly noted that it was a Romney-Ryan ticket, not Ryan-Romney.
  • The Wall Street Journal, Ryan Pick Jolts Race: On the campaign trail, Mr. Romney’s crowds swelled for a second day as the Republican ticket stumped in North Carolina. The presumptive GOP nominee hailed his running mate as “a terrific guy” who “fought for ideals and values…not just for partisanship” during his nearly 14 years in Congress. Mr. Romney touted the latest version of Mr. Ryan’s plan to revamp Medicare.

For their part, Democrats say they are also thrilled with the Ryan pick. They believe Ryan is an uncompromising ideologue that will turn away most independents. That is also what they thought about Ronald Reagan in 1980. They couldn’t wait to run against him… How did that turn out?
Campaign 2012
Polls: A GWU/Politico poll taken before Romney announced Ryan as his VP shows Obama narrowly ahead 48 percent to 47 percent.

Romney: Romney and Ryan sat down for an interview that aired on 60 Minutes last night. On Medicare, Romney said, “There’s only one president that I know of in history that robbed Medicare, $716 billion to pay for a new risky program of his own that we call Obamacare.” The Romney campaign reports that they raised $3.5 million in the 24 hours after Ryan was named VP.

Obama: Minutes after Romney officially introduced Ryan as his VP pick, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement: “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.” Obama later said at a fundraiser in Chicago: “Just yesterday, my opponent chose his running mate, the ideological leader of Republicans in Congress, Mr. Paul Ryan. I want to congratulate Mr. Ryan. I know him. I welcome him to the race.”

In Other News
Associated Press, Social Security deficits to add up fast: Since 2010, Social Security has been paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes, adding to the urgency for Congress to address the program’s long-term finances.

The Washington Post, Federal workers fret about jobs as sequestration looms: Thousands of Washington area federal employees are worried they may be laid off if Obama and Congress do not act to stop automatic spending cuts scheduled to hit January first.

The New York Times, Some in California Skirt a Ban on Foie Gras: Some restaurants in California are still serving foie gras despite the stae ban against selling it by giving it away for ‘free’.

Righty Playbook
The Washington Free Beacon posts five of Paul Ryan’s best speeches.

Newsbusters posts video of National Review’s Rich Lowry schooling Rachel Maddow on Medicare and the Ryan plan.

At Bloomberg, Ramesh Ponnuru says the Ryan pick makes this the most important election since 1980.

Lefty Playbook
Think Progress lists 12 Things You Should Know About Paul Ryan including: “1. Ryan embraces the extreme philosophy of Ayn Rand.”

The Daily Beast posts 7 Great Reads on Paul Ryan, including his interview with Ezra Klein.

The Huffington Post reports that Ryan has passed only two bills while in Congress.