Life imitates art and politics at Miami University

OXFORD, Ohio - The candidate took a stand on the economy, addressing a crowd at Miami University.

Not Paul Ryan. Mike Morris, a fictional governor running for president of the United States.

That was the opening scene of The Ides of March, a political thriller set in the Tri-State, produced by native-son George Clooney.

A strikingly similar scene is taking place in Oxford, this time for real.

Congressman Paul Ryan, a Miami alum, returned to his alma mater Wednesday in one of his first campaign appearances since he was named Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate last weekend.

The scene from the movie was filmed in Miami's Hall Auditorium. The presidential candidate, a democrat played by George Clooney, recited lines taken directly from father Nick Clooney's unsuccessful campaign for congress.

Ryan is running for vice president on the GOP ticket. He is speaking in the quad in front of the psychology building on campus.

The similarities are not lost on returning students and faculty, who remember seeing the film crews and news trucks on campus during a cold March last year.

This time, the news trucks aren't props. Crews from Cincinnati, Columbus, Wisconsin, and the various networks are here in an attempt to help the electorate learn more about the man who could end up holding the second highest office in the United States.

Brendan Keefe has been granted the Tri-State's only interview with Paul Ryan. It will appear in its entirety here on WCPO.com Thursday at 11 a.m., and excerpts will play on 9 News beginning at Noon.