According to a brief item by Robert Costa in the National Review, Paul Ryan has recently

” . . . called several conservative commentators. In those conversations, he has expressed confidence about the Republican ticket’s chances, fielded questions, and asked for frank assessments. Ryan has made the calls one by one from the trail. The private press talks, which are ongoing, have often been lengthy and candid. Sources close to the Romney campaign tell National Review Online that Ryan has reached out to George F. Will, the Washington Post columnist; Paul Gigot, the editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page; and CNBC’s Larry Kudlow, among others. A source close to the Romney campaign says the calls simply reflect Ryan’s warm relationships with many conservative media figures.”

While these calls are depicted here as all about the current campaign, I think the real subtext here is 2016, with Ryan probably eager to run on his own, without what he may perceive as the stultifying dullness of the Romney campaign weighing him down.