The battle over Ryan in the GOP has been whether Romney should risk having the House Budget Committee chairman's fiscal blueprint, including transforming Medicare into a voucher program, draped over the campaign like a wet blanket. Conservatives say Romney should embrace the idea of an ideological clash with President Obama since Romney has already embraced the Ryan plan. Moderates say don't give the Democrats any more ammunition

But that misses the point. The danger with Ryan isn't that he's too bold on paper, it's that he's too mild in person.

A sustained character assault by the Obama campaign and its allies have taken a serious toll on Romney, who now trails the president by 9 points in the latest FOX News poll. Worse, Romney's favorability ratings are falling. The Obama effort to define Romney as a man lacking the character to hold the presidency is taking hold.

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