Congressman Paul Ryan and Pensacola Blue Wahoo owner Quint Studer are friends. They both are from Janesville, Wisconsin. Ryan’s children attend the same school as Studer’s grandchildren. Ryan’s sister-in-law helped Studer with his first book, “Hardwiring Excellence.”
Today, Studer watched his friend be introduced as the vice president nominee for Republican hopeful Mitt Romney.
“Paul is an excellent choice,” said Studer in phone interview. “He has had to get votes from Democrats and Republicans to keep his district. Paul is a very, very smart man who can take complex issues and make them actionable items.”
Ryan, age 42, is serving his seventh term and currently chairs the House Budget Committee. Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district is a blue-collar district with a mix of manufacturing and agriculture. It is a Democrat stronghold that voted to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker, according to Studer. Ryan has consistently beaten his Democratic challengers, receiving 68 percent of the vote in 2010.
Studer believes that it’s no accident that Romney chose as running mate someone from Janesville. “The town is about as middle class as you can get,” said Studer. “The area has suffered from the recession which forced the closure of several plants.”
The Wahoo owner said the Ryan fits in well with all sorts of people and is an effective campaigner. “Paul mingles and mixes well,” he said. “He has no perception that he is better than anyone else. Ha has spoken his mind and hasn’t done things simply to get re-elected.”
