Evangelical conservative leader Ralph Reed called Ryan a “great shot in the arm” for conservatives

Politico Conservatives are looking to cash in on Paul Ryan. Grass-roots organizers believe Mitt Romney’s decision to add the Wisconsin Republican to the ticket will translate to an influx of financial contributions. Evangelical conservative leader Ralph Reed called Ryan a “great shot in the arm” for conservatives. And while Reed, the founder and chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, hasn’t used Ryan explicitly in trying to woo donors, he said he’s already seen a big spike. “We were already burying the needle,” Reed said. “We’ve been adding about 1,000 new donors a day for about two months.” Reed said it’s the most fundraising enthusiasm he’s seen since the heyday of the Christian Coalition. Ryan’s personal fundraising chops are beyond question. He has more than $5.4 million in his reelection fund and he has close ties to a number of major conservative donors. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, has noticed an uptick in the response to her own efforts. “We’ve been speaking to our major donors,” Dannenfelser said while on the road fundraising. “[Ryan] is 100 percent added value … Our plans are to, with renewed optimism, to continue to fundraise with a product that is an even more attractive ticket.” A poll released Wednesday from Purple Strategies showed that Ryan made the Republican ticket more attractive, pushing Romney ahead of President Barack Obama by a single percentage point. Tea party leader Matt Kibbe expected that this improvement could spell success for his organization. The president and CEO of FreedomWorks sent an email to supporters in the wake of Romney’s announcement calling Ryan one of the “good guys.” Kibbe, like Reed, said he has no plans to fundraise directly off of Ryan. “Ultimately, this race is not about who raises the most money,” Kibbe said. “It will be about the energy and excitement in the field, and who has people knocking door-to-door. “The Ryan factor has definitely increased the energy that I am sensing in the field.” Click here to read the article online.