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Paul Ryan goes to the county fair. So does Time Magazine. He's at UW-Parkside. The New York Times is there.

The national media is following Racine County's congressman, both admiring and critiquing him and his ideas.

So why is Ryan getting all of this national attention?

"I think it's a pretty clear answer," said David Canon, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor. "What Paul Ryan is doing is actually providing an alternative to what the Democrats are proposing and what they have done."

Likewise, Jay Newton-Small, a Time Magazine political correspondent, said in a phone interview, "He is an interesting character in that he is one of the few ideas guys on the Republican side ... And his ideas are pretty bold."

Still it appears unlikely his proposals will become law in the near future, Canon said. It has, however, impacted the national discussion.

Ryan's plan

The alternative Ryan is providing is his "Roadmap for America's Future," which is a plan to reform Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid as a way to keep the programs solvent, Ryan says. His plan also simplifies the federal tax code, he said, and eliminates the death tax and taxes on interest.

"We know that we have a handful of years to fix this before it becomes a debt crisis and really starts taking our economy down," said Ryan in a phone interview Wednesday. "These problems are not decades away. They are years away."

John Heckenlively, the Democratic candidate running for Ryan's seat, said Ryan's proposals are "very radical" and he is not worried about the national attention the roadmap is getting.

"Republicans are actually fleeing away from the roadmap," Heckenlively said. "I would love if every Republican in the country ran on the roadmap. They would go down in flaming defeat."

Heckenlively said the national attention could actually help him because Ryan's proposals could upset people enough to want him out of office.

Instead of using Ryan's roadmap, Heckenlively said there are other solutions such as raising the Social Security tax limits from $106,000 to $250,000, plus taxing income over $1 million. He also said the biggest problem facing the health care system is the high cost of care.

"Until we can figure out a way to keep medical costs under control, you are going to keep having the problem," Heckenlively said.

The national media

Many national media stories have praised Ryan for his plan, but he has also received criticism, particularly from New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.

The columnist has repeatedly criticized Ryan, saying he is "serving up leftovers from the 1990s, drenched in flimflam sauce." He goes on to say Ryan's plan increases the deficit due to his tax reform proposals, which will decrease revenue - a charge Ryan disputes.

On the other hand, an article in The Washington Post last week, calling him the "GOP's leading intellectual in Congress."

In a New York Times article the same week, Monica Davey said Ryan is "a rising star in some corners" and "seen as on the leading edge of something."

Davey was at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside during Ryan's June visit to the district for listening sessions.

Time Magazine correspondent, Newton-Small, was also in the area recently, following Ryan on a trip to the Racine County Fair July 31. Her article is scheduled to appear in Time Magazine soon, she said.

Political support or lack of

Regardless of the media publicity, few congressmen have signed on to support Ryan's roadmap. To date, 13 of 178 Republicans in the House have signed on as co-sponsors.

After the fall election, more Republicans in the house may support Ryan's proposals and some could pass through the House if they get a Republican majority, Canon said. But it's unlikely Republicans will end up with a majority in the Senate, Canon said. Any of Ryan's proposals to revamp Social Security or Medicare that make it to the president, Obama would likely veto, Canon said.

The proposal to reform Social Security couldn't even pass when George W. Bush was in office, Canon said. And Bush didn't push changes to Medicare, which Canon said is even more "extreme."

Ryan knows his roadmap will not pass in its entirely, he said, but he hopes it will start a discussion on the issues.

"What I wanted to do is put a plan out there to get the debate going," Ryan said, "and encourage others to put their plans out there."