"There were no followers," he said.
More recently, Ryan resisted a call to chase an open Senate seat in Wisconsin. "I didn't want to walk away from the conversation I started and the fight I'm in," he said. By remaining in the House, Ryan can keep an intense focus as budget chairman on his signature issue — something he might not be able to do in a Romney administration.
There's no guarantee that Republicans will retain House control in November or that even with Romney in the White House, Ryan could help accomplish an overhaul of venerable but politically sensitive programs such as Medicare and Social Security.
It's a gamble either way.
"I think I'm in a really big spot right now," he said.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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