Pros:
1. Ryan brings specifics and clear messaging to a campaign that has largely been running on platitudes and bad economic news. Romney's "where's the beef?" dilemma is, at least temporarily, solved.
2. Ryan is articulate and not prone to gaffes, unlike Romney. The campaign now has a prime time surrogate that it can deploy without crossing its fingers.
3. Ryan is a "regular guy" which can negate a little of the "mega-rich guy" narrative that haunts Romney.
Cons:
1. Ryan and his budget are very controversial and the Obama camp are masters of messaging. Considering how inept the Romney camp is in its retorts, this could be a media bloodbath.
2. Picking Ryan is going to fire up a Democratic base that was until this point running an enthusiasm deficit.
It's a really bold pick on Romney's part, but overall I call it a wash.
I don't actually think Ryan will fire up the Democratic base as much as expected. The controversy over Ryan is primary an economic one, which won't fire up the Dems base as much as if Romney had picked Santorum or Bachmann. My opinion is that Ryan will be a net asset, as he gives a non-threatening air to the ticket, enticing independents who might be put off by a socially conservative barnburner.
