(CNN) -- As a reporter, I spent much of 1998 following a U.S. Senate candidate who was a handsome, likeable, well-spoken, ambitious guy in his 40s who was a graduate of Craig High School in Janesville, Wisconsin, his hometown. At heart, he loved issues and advocacy. He was the son of a small-town lawyer and his rise to political heights included surprising turns that led some to speculate he could go on to be president. His name was Russ Feingold, and he won his second term in the U.S. Senate that year by defeating another Janesville political wonk in his 40s, Mark Neumann, a Republican who gave up his seat in the House of Representatives to enter the race. He was, without question, a Wisconsin liberal.
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Paul Ryan and Russ Feingold are two policy wonks who grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin
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Alan Borsuk says the two have very different political views but share key attributes
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He says they, along with many in Wisconsin, want politics to be about big ideas and issues
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Borsuk: Ryan may not bring Romney to victory in Wisconsin, but the race has tightened
Paul Ryan
Ryan
'Gen Xer' @placeholder takes up GOP torch, makes case to young voters
Paul Ryan
Ryan
(If I was really prescient, I would have been following @placeholder, then 28, in 1998.
U.S. Senate
U.S. Senate
He seized upon Neumann's decision to run for @placeholder as his chance to run for the House.
Paul Ryan
Ryan
The pleasant personalities of both Feingold and @placeholder have been big assets in their political careers.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
It has happened often in @placeholder, a fertile place for producing political winners who seem to be polar opposites.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
More immediately, the conservative (and Ryan) ascension doesn't mean @placeholder will go for Romney and Ryan in November.
Paul Ryan
Ryan
More immediately, the conservative (and Ryan) ascension doesn't mean Wisconsin will go for Romney and @placeholder in November.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
@placeholder has built a rich record of being almost evenly split when it comes to presidential races.
Janesville
Janesville
Janesville
But I would suggest that the lesson of these two major political figures from @placeholder is that sometimes, ideas still matter and serious argument can still be persuasive.