Just so you know, I’m a pretty staunch Democrat. I value progressive politics, cultural diplomacy, and helping the young, the elderly, and the disadvantaged. I think Ayn Rand was one of the worst things ever to happen to literature. In fact, I think we should avoid calling her work “literature” altogether.

So it’s not a surprise that I fully support President Obama’s re-election campaign. Has he been perfect? Has he delivered on every promise he made? No, but I have enough experience in political advocacy to cut him some slack. Given the way politics work, he’s done awfully well.

I also understand that as an LGBT American, Obama has accomplished more for my friends, family, and personal life than any U.S. politician in history. My marriage to my husband still isn’t legal in my home state of Louisiana, but Obama has made me feel as if that’s just a matter of time. (Even though I understand he’s not the only one changing minds in America: Glee and Modern Family probably deserve credit, too.)

Bottom line: I’m very biased when it comes to the upcoming election. So you can take this or leave it, but from where I sit, it doesn’t seem as if Paul Ryan is generating much lift for Romney — at least not yet.

Case in point: this list of trending articles on CNN.com. Despite having a major presence on the website’s front page, Ryan barely makes the top-ten list of most-popular articles. He’s trumped by Jennifer Aniston and the Spice Girls.

Ouch.

Of course, that raises the question: is CNN the best place to gauge public interest? Maybe, maybe not.

Ryan’s probably generating more buzz on Fox, though I can’t bring myself to click over and check. However, my guess is that most Fox visitors are Romney-Ryan voters anyway. The question is: what do independents think? For that, I think CNN is a pretty good barometer.

Ryan will undoubtedly see a bump in interest during the RNC convention and maybe even the vice presidential debate(s). He’s an intellectual, and once he has the chance to speak, he may change some voters’ minds.

But will he spark the same enthusiasm that Palin did among independents and Tea Partiers? I’m betting “no”. He’s nice to look at — which is hugely important — but I haven’t seen him drop too many intriguing soundbites.

In fact, Ryan’s biggest flaw could be that he’s too smart, which can turn off voters on either side of the aisle.

Fingers crossed.