All the media and politicos were abuzz Friday nights when word came out that presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney would pick Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate.

While the pick excited the Republican base, with analysts saying the Ryan pick would bring tea party voters behind Romney, Americans in general aren't as keen on the seven-term representative from Wisconsin.

A Gallup/USA Today poll found that 42 percent of adults polled said Ryan was a "fair" or "poor" choice as a running mate. This contrasts with 38 percent who said they think Ryan is an "excellent" or "good" choice.

Read more about the results here.

Now, it's only been two days since the announcement, said the Romney campaign. Voters don't know who Paul Ryan is. OK, fair enough. Let's see where the numbers are a week from now.

But Ryan has been in Congress since 1999 -- he has a record that can be scrutinized.

Since the Republicans took back the U.S. House in 2010, has been an outspoken advocate for debt reduction. His budget plan has been hailed on the right and vilified on the left, especially on the issue of Medicare.

In Paul's budget plan, future Medicare recipients would receive vouchers to buy health care instead of receiving the benefits from the government itself.

The left argues this would end Medicare as we know it, and the right claims President Barack Obama already did that with health care reform, also known as Obamacare.

Consider this, however: Who votes in swing states, like Florida and Ohio? Seniors. Who are on Medicare.

No wonder analysts said the election shifted from being a referendum on the economy under Obama to being a choice between two conflicting economic visions for America.

This is a critical time for Romney's campaign to define Paul Ryan. That's why the duo went on 60 Minutes Sunday night.

And that's why the Obama campaign began defining Paul Ryan Friday night.

Watch the Romney/Ryan interview