Paul Ryan conducted an on-the-record conference call with conservative media outlets this afternoon, during which he explained how he sees the race shaping up and took roughly half-a-dozen questions. Townhall was part of the conversation. A few notable points:

On polls and enthusiasm - The Vice Presidential nominee said that following the DNC and President Obama's poll bounce, much of the chattering class began to prematurely declare the campaign over. "We're not going to bend to Beltway group-think," he said, adding that Obama's bump has receded. "That sugar high has evaporated, and the next eight weeks will be a battle of ideas." Ryan likened the passion and intensity he's witnessing on the campaign trail to what he saw during the recall battle in Wisconsin, when voters understood the high stakes and turned out for Governor Walker and other conservative candidates. He said he's hearing from independents and Democrats who say they won't repeat their mistake of four years ago by voting for Obama.

On the campaign's goals - The Romney/Ryan ticket wants voters to know "exactly what we believe and exactly what we'll do." This relies on bringing an aggressive and clear message to voters, he said, adding that winning "by