La Crosse, WI (WXOW)-- With the addition of Rep. Paul Ryan to the Romney ticket, Republicans are hopeful the GOP can win Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes in November.
"People underestimated how Scott Walker would do in the recall," said Julian Bradley, Chair of the La Crosse County Republicans. "So I think it's very good for Governor Romney and Rep. Ryan."
But Democratic State Rep. Steve Doyle says Walker's success isn't an indication that Republicans can win Wisconsin in November.
"I think after the Walker re-election, there was an expectation that the needle would move toward Mitt Romney, it didn't happen," Doyle said. "The polls have shown any movement at all."
In 2008, Obama easily won Wisconsin by a 14 percentage points. And while Obama has maintained a lead in Wisconsin polls this time around, the latest Marquette Law School poll puts Obama's advantage at just 5 percentage points.
"We're not a particularly liberal state, if the 2000 and 2004 elections are an indication, which just went very narrowly for the Democrats," said Dr. John McAdams, an associate professor of Political Science at Marquette University.
However McAdams says the Ryan pick isn't necessarily an attempt to gain the Wisconsin Electorate. Instead, it's likely aimed at a more national audience.
"If I had to surmise, I would say that the Romney people have decided, we're going to fight on philosophy," McAdams said. "The Romney campaign chose to do something relatively bold and relatively risky."
Still Republicans are hopeful that choosing Ryan can boost the GOP to victory in Wisconsin, and other battleground states.
"Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, the state of Wisconsin, we're leading the Republican and Conservative resurgence," Bradley said.
Ultimately, McAdams says it will be weeks before polls indicate if Ryan provides a sustainable boost to the republican ticket.
