Washington ( CNN ) -- Republican vice-presidential hopeful and conservative star Paul Ryan kicks back with locally brewed beers while listening to '90s-era grunge music . He 's the first member of Generation X to be named to a major party ticket . Ryan 's up-by-your-bootstraps personality does n't exactly match the ennui expressed by the grunge bands of his youth -- he was voted `` biggest brown-noser '' in high school , after all . But his economic and political perspectives , like those of many of his generation , were formed in part by the fiscally conservative Reaganomics principles of his childhood and the stark realities of entering a post-college job market during the 1990s recession and dot-com boom and bust . `` Gen Xers were supposed to be the lost generation . ( That label ) shaped him because he went back to the principles of hard work to get ahead , '' said Dylan Glenn , a former Bush administration economic policy analyst who has been friends with Ryan for nearly 20 years . In his pairing with baby boomer Mitt Romney , the 42-year-old Ryan brings a conservative Gen Xer 's fiscal approach to the ticket , political experts say . For example , Ryan 's controversial `` Path to Prosperity '' entitlement reform plan , which proposes a partially privatized Medicare program for future seniors , takes a cue from Gen X and Gen Y concerns that these programs will run out of funds long before Xers and Yers will be able to participate . `` There are plenty of young people who do not believe Medicare and Social Security are going to be there , and that 's part of the logic why Paul Ryan is trying to reform these things and make sure they are available for future generations , '' said Soren Dayton , communications director for the Young Republican National Federation . Ryan 's conservative stance extends beyond fiscal policy . It is a proposal that Romney has not fully embraced . His campaign told surrogates in a talking points memo obtained by CNN on Saturday : `` Gov . Romney applauds Paul Ryan for going in the right direction with his budget , and as president he will be putting together his own plan for cutting the deficit and putting the budget on a path to balance . '' Still , Ryan 's history-making ascension to the ticket does suggest that the GOP is turning a page in leadership . `` This is a young generation of leadership coming forward , '' said Andra Gillespie , an associate professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta who has studied post-civil rights era politicians . Passing the torch requires that both generations of the party 's leadership agree to disagree on social policy , she said . `` A lot of young Republicans do n't agree with the party on a lot of social issues so they emphasize the fiscal stuff , '' Gillespie said . Ryan opposes same-sex marriage and , as a devout Roman Catholic , once described himself as `` pro-life as a person gets . '' However , in 2007 , he voted for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act , banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation . A Pew Research Poll conducted last month of nearly 3,000 adults found that support for allowing same-sex marriage has increased among Generation X from 44 % in 2008 to 52 % this year . `` Paul Ryan is a bridge between , generationally speaking , '' said Amy Holmes , anchor of GBTV 's `` Real News '' at the Blaze , a conservative news site owned by Glenn Beck . Ryan `` voted for banning workplace discrimination based on sexual discrimination . That 's a reflection in part of the Gen X sensibility . We 've grown up with gay men and women being out of the closet . ... It 's not as shocking as it is for boomers . '' Ryan 's college years . Ryan 's tepid support for environmental programs also seems to dovetail with Gen Xers ' views on the matter . According to a recent University of Michigan Institute for Social Research survey of 3,000 adults , just 5 % of Gen Xers said they are `` alarmed '' and 18 % said they are `` concerned '' about climate change . Most of the group surveyed last year , or 66 % , said they 're unsure if global warming is happening , and 10 % said they do n't believe it 's occurring . Those generational differences could help sway voters turned off by the GOP 's messaging on social issues such as abortion , but who are open to Republican stances on necessary budget cuts . Then there 's the visual appeal of Ryan , who is the same age as one of Romney 's sons . When Ryan stands on stage , flanked by his young children and wife , next to the Romneys , the older man looks warmer and more paternal , Gillespie said . `` Mitt Romney is extremely stiff ... because he still has this persona where it hard for him to feel relatable . To have someone who is young and dynamic helps soften Romney up and attracts that 'it ' factor and 'wow ' factor , '' Gillespie said . `` Paul Ryan would seem to be cooler . Even talking about the fact that he listens to Led Zeppelin and grunge . ... The fact that he says he likes hard rock makes him seem cooler . ... That charisma is born in youth . '' What do you think of Romney naming Ryan as his running mate ? Let us know on CNN iReport .
Paul Ryan is the first member of Gen X named to top of a major party ticket . He came of age during an economic recession and the dot-com boom and bust . His views on economy and social policy have Gen X influences , political experts say . Ryan 's relative youth helps Romney 's appeal .