Paul Ryan

In this Aug. 29, 2012, photo, Republican vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan addresses the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. It was Mitt Romney’s show. But New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie rocked the house. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was the talk of the town. And Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan’s rising-star status was blinding as he accepted the party’s vice presidential nomination. The Republican Party’s next generation of leaders were in deep supply at the GOP’s national convention as they positioned for future national roles and, perhaps, even their own shot at the White House in four or eight years. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)