Dozens of people snaked around the bookshelves in the Brandon Books-A-Million Saturday to get a chance to meet former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R-Wis).

But none may have been as excited as Brandon Buchanan.

“I just wanted to say hi,” Buchanan said. “It’s not every day you get to meet a politician, especially one who’s been the running mate for someone trying to be elected for president.”

The congressman was in town signing copies of his new book, The Way Forward. Buchanan was barely 14 years old when Ryan and his running mate Mitt Romney lost the presidential election to incumbent Barack Obama. Though Buchanan is more than two years shy the legal voting age, the teenager has followed Ryan’s political career and policies for years.

“I honestly think everyone should have a general knowledge of politics,” he said. “Politics is really what shapes the country. You choose the next president and the next president could be the person who brings America to its greatest point.”

Paul Ryan wouldn’t  confirm if he’s running for president in 2016, saying it was a family decision and they would make that decision next year. As an elected official, he said, he has an obligation to spell out alternatives to current policies.

“It’s always hard because you’re going to have political demagoguery, that’s why I wanted to write a book to spell it out very clearly,” Ryan said. “Here’s how we balance the budget, pay off the debt, here’s how we create a healthy economy so people who are struggling can get opportunities.”

Answering a round-robin of questions from reporters, Ryan said he doesn’t see Hillary Clinton as a threat to the Republican ticket. He supports Rick Scott, but wouldn’t comment on Charlie Crist’s departure from the GOP.

“Let’s just say I’m a Rick Scott guy,” he said.

Moving from Floridian politics to international relations, Ryan said he wants to see a strategy to defeat the Islamic State militants (ISIS).

“The policy and mistakes in Syria and in Iraq by this administration in part gave rise to the problem we have with ISIS that we’re confronting right now” he said. “Quite frankly, I’m not sure the president sees this threat for what it is or understands the moment we’re facing right now.”