If I had to make a guess, Romney went with Ryan to shore up the conservative base. He plays well to Republican voters, especially those from the Tea Party movement.
The problem is, I can't see Ryan drawing many votes from independents. Considering you need their support to carry an election, I think Romney made a misstep by not going after them. Plus, I don't think Ryan will help Romney turn the tide in any crucial swing states (especially Florida, where his budget plan probably isn't going to play well to the elderly population).
Ryan's no Palin, but this still wasn't his best choice. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates; they are going to be very interesting indeed.
You're exactly right and with the addition of Ryan, this made the election even more polarized. Now we have two totally different plans for the country the future of everything and how we view our selves is at stake. People thought 2008 was important, mostly due to the Obama factor but I believe that THIS election will dictate the direction we go for a while. Personally, as much as it was nice to see a African America president, I voted for Obama because I want what's best for our planet. I am in no way a nationalist and all of my political decisions are made with a world view in mind. I fear that if the wrong person gets elected, things will be set back in a bad way. I don't want out planet looking like Earth 22nd Century in Terra Nova by the time I'm old and grey. I also don't want the "corporations are people" mindset running rampant and creating an era of corporate warfare similar to Deus Ex. It's time for people to wake up and for Humanity to become a much more responsible species.