From the moment Mitt Romney mistakenly introduced his running mate Paul Ryan to the world as "the next president of the United States," one word has routinely described the pairing: awkward.

Cringe-worthy as that highly anticipated launch was in Virginia in early August, the Republican ticket has since lurched from one stumble to the next as it seeks to lay out the case for ousting President Barack Obama from the White House in November.

Some experts, strategists and even conservative luminaries are beginning to worry that Ryan is not having the effect Romney was aiming for when he plucked the 42-year-old congressman from Wisconsin to be his political wingman.