How has the presidential race changed now that Republican presumptive nominee Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan for his ticket's vice presidential slot? This is the burning question that everyone is looking to answer, and as the latest polls roll in instead of getting a clearer picture of the race things seem to have only gotten muddier.
* The latest Rasmussen Reports presidential tracking poll, the first survey that was conducted entirely after Romney's announcement of Ryan as his running mate on Aug. 11, seems to indicate that the Republican ticket has received a boost nationally by Ryan's inclusion on the ticket. According to the poll, 47 percent of voters nationally now support the Republican ticket while 44 percent support President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. A crucial 6 percent, however, remain undecided.
* However, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released on Monday, 17 percent of Americans have an "unfavorable" opinion of Ryan, more than any previous vice presidential candidate going all the way back to Al Gore in 1992.
* The Gallup poll also indicates that more than half -- 58 percent -- of those polled have never heard of Ryan making it impossible for them to offer an initial rating.
* Only 39 percent of those surveyed in the Gallup poll think that Ryan is an "excellent/pretty good" vice presidential selection. Four years ago 46 percent felt that the then-little-known Sarah Palin was an "excellent/pretty good" running mate selection by former Republican presidential nominee John McCain.
* Meanwhile two separate daily Gallup presidential tracking polls, one conducted entirely before Ryan's announcement as running mate and one partially after offer no change. The race in both surveys remains a dead heat with Romney and Obama both receiving 46 percent of those surveyed.
* And while the vast majority (66 percent) of those surveyed in the USA Today/Gallup poll indicate that the vice presidential nominee will have no effect on who they vote for, 17 percent of those polled suggest that Ryan will make them "more likely" to vote for Romney in November. Meanwhile 12 percent indicate that Ryan will make them "less likely" to support Romney's ticket in the general election. Overall it's a 5 percent net gain for the GOP which, while slim, could prove significant in such a close race.
