As Mitt Romney announced his Vice Presidential running mate over the weekend, the Beltway chattering class was quick to trumpet the supposed "youthful vigor" Paul Ryan's selection would inject in a campaign troubled by a summer of Olympic-size gaffes and sinking poll numbers.
In the hours following his announcement, Ryan was also heralded as a "gym rat" and "fitness nut" who was "almost a pro-skier."
The political spin could not have been more blatant. For a party brimming with octogenarians but lacking in youthful appeal, the Wisconsin native is fresh, young, and even hip -- heck, he listens to Nirvana on his iPod!
It is no surprise that the GOP would put Ryan's age on center stage. It is a political tactic born out of necessity.