Polls Show No 'Ryan Bounce'...Yet

While Mitt Romney's selection of House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential pick has spurred polarized reactions across the media spectrum, its actual effect on Romney's nationwide poll numbers has reportedly been minimal. National Journal reports that in the four days since Ryan's announcement as the Vice Presidential nominee, the polling company Gallup has noted virtually no changes in Romney's nationwide numbers.

Prior to Romney's announcement, Gallup recorded the former Massachusetts governor leading President Obama by 1 point nationally, 46-45 percent. Following the announcement of Ryan, that number increased from 46 percent to 47 percent, a statistically insignificant bounce. The race remains within the margin of error.

This result is consistent with the 2008 polling numbers. Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama recorded any immediate polling advantages following their selection of their running mates, according to Gallup. Given that over the past few days, Romney's numbers have been one point better than they were in the immediate aftermath of the Ryan pick, Gallup suspects a delayed bounce may be in the cards, but there is not enough numerical evidence to support such a conclusion at this point.