“Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan is the most popular of the would-be 2016 Republican contenders among Iowa Republicans, handily outstripping his potential competition in the state that holds the first nominating contest every four years, according to a new poll.”
Iowans huffing too much ethanol?
It's simply a favorability rating poll. Name recognition goes a long way to getting high marks there, and Ryan as the last V.P. candidate has the most by far. I doubt many Republicans would've said they don't like Ryan before this budget deal. And most people in this poll aren't glued to the screen watching breaking news about budget deals.