Mitt Romney's running mate - Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan - has been called a bold choice by many insiders, yet his name is one some voters in South Florida say they hadn't heard before Saturday morning.
"I don't really know much about him, I thought it would be Marco Rubio," said one diner waiting for a table at Versailles Cafe in Little Havana Sunday.
VP Pick Ryan: 'We're Running Out of Time'
The Chairman of the House Budget Committee designed a spending plan that has won him support among conservatives. It is a sweeping effort to curtail government spending and could bring changes to programs like Medicaid and Medicare.
"What the Ryan plan does is save to save social security and save Medicare for the next generations," said Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
But the changes could make South Florida' elderly community wary, says Democratic strategist Freddy Balsera.
"He has proposed some of the most drastic changes and drastic cuts to Medicare that would represent close to $6,000 in additional costs to people who have Medicare right now," said Balsera.
Romney's Choice of Ryan Sets Contours for Campaign
Impacting the bottom lines of those who rely on the programs could impact the Republican ticket at the polls. But Ryan might face another hurdle in South Florida when it comes to Cuban exiles. The Congressman at one point favored lifting the U.S. embargo on Cuba, a stance he's since changed.
"On three occasions, Paul Ryan has voted to end the embargo in Cuba, he's voted to lift sanctions, to make travel less restricted for Americans to Cuba. That doesn't sit well with the Cuban American Republican base," said Balsera.
"He's going to get the Cuban vote because he's a hardline on the embargo. It's not how you voted before, it's what you're doing now and how you've been voting," Ros-Lehtinen said.
