Janesville Residents Excited About National Spotlight

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Now that Paul Ryan has been named Mitt Romney’s running mate, some Janesville residents are happy to see their city in the spotlight. That includes those people who do not necessarily care for Ryan’s politics.

It is not too hard to find Ryan supporters in Janesville who cannot wait to vote for a Romney-Ryan ticket. Art Smeester fits into that category, “I think it’s great, I think he’s a great guy.”

What Smeester is really excited about is the exposure being given to Paul Ryan’s hometown. “I have never heard Janesville mentioned on national TV before, but I heard it about a half-dozen times this morning,” Smeester said.

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Tom Bramorski is a self-described independent voter. He says he hopes it helps the region’s economy. “Well, I think it’s a great thing for Janesville. Hopefully there will be some rejuvenation of local industry and good publicity nationwide for this region.”

That is not to say Ryan will necessarily earn Bramorski’s vote. “I don’t think that I will be more or less inclined to vote Republican or Democratic because of this selection. I will just wait and see.”

You hear a similar refrain from Democratic voter Victoria Boyd, even though she doesn’t care for Ryan’s policies. “Good for him. He’s worked hard, and I’m proud of him. I don’t particularly know if I’ll vote for him.”

What Boyd really wants to talk about is what the Ryan pick means for her hometown. “It’s pretty cool. I mean something big like that in a town like this? You can’t even imagine it when you think about it. It’s like, wow, this could be a banner year for Janesville. So in that respect I think holy cow, put us on the map. So I’m happy about that.”

Another common thread with these Janesville residents, you do not have to ask them to talk about their city. They all volunteer it.