MADISON - A possible running mate for John McCain heaped praise on Democrat Barack Obama's campaign Thursday and said polls showing him way ahead in Wisconsin are "worrisome."

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told The Associated Press the excitement surrounding Obama's campaign is good for democracy, but he believes once voters get past the "razzle dazzle of each of these campaigns ... John McCain fares up well."

Both candidates see Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes as important to a November victory and have been running television ads here and have paid staff working across the state.

McCain plans to campaign in Hudson on Friday. It is his third campaign appearance in Wisconsin since the February primary.

Obama has made one only stop, but two polls released in June showed him with a 13 point lead over McCain.

"I think John McCain is definitely the underdog in this campaign and he's probably going to be the underdog the whole way through," Ryan said. "Obama is riding a high right now since he fairly recently secured the nomination. He's a fresh face, he's representing change, and that's very exciting.

"Personally, I like the idea of Barack Obama but not the actual ideas coming from Barack Obama."

Ryan said he doesn't expect voters to start looking closely at the ideas coming from the campaigns until after the candidates debate in the fall.

"The good thing McCain has going for him, he has a history of coming from behind," Ryan said.

Ryan, 38, said he hasn't taken seriously the talk about him being a possible vice presidential candidate. He did not plan to attend the McCain campaign stop on Friday and said he has not talked with the Arizona senator since his last visit to Wisconsin in May. McCain did not talk to him about the vice presidential slot then, Ryan said.

"If he tells me I should take it seriously, then I would do it then," Ryan said.