As I predicted yesterday, Vice President Biden came out aggressive and swinging against his opponent, GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Even when it wasn’t his turn to speak, Biden interjected himself into Ryan’s speaking time. According to RNC Chairman Reince Preibus, Biden interrupted Ryan a total of 82 times. CNN instant polling after the debate showed 70 percent of respondents noting that Biden, not Ryan, spent the debate attacking his opponent (compare this to 19 percent for Ryan).
As Jonathan noted last night, Biden’s incivility could end up causing him more harm than good with voters in the long term. CNN and NBC anchors immediately weighed in on Biden’s tendency to smirk and laugh during his opponent’s allotted time. In the age of split-screen television, Biden’s aggression may have come off well with the Democratic base, but it likely did nothing but turn off undecided voters. His behavior, as already noted by the GOP’s research team, was deemed inappropriate at best by many in the mainstream media.
There were few sound-bite worthy comments from Paul Ryan tonight, save for perhaps his telling Biden, “I think the vice president very well knows that sometimes the words don’t come out of your mouth the right way.” After a debate that many in the mainstream media and instant polls are calling a tie, the GOP has already settled on a message for how they think the vice presidential debate went down, and it’s Biden’s physical reactions during Ryan’s remarks on Libya, Iran and Afghanistan. They released a web video less than two hours after the conclusion of the debate highlighting Biden’s worst laughs, gestures, and smirks:
We’ll see how many Americans actually watched this debate, but it appears that enough people were thrown off by Biden’s behavior to make that, not his words, the story after last night’s debate. After the last debate, many in the news media commented on Obama’s much more subtle smirk (the GOP even made an ad out of that, too). One can only wonder why Biden wasn’t instructed by his debate coaches to tone down the condescension instead of ramping it up several notches.
Biden showed himself to be the fool we have been saying he is. But, did we see Ryan being the great intellectual leader of conservatism that many conservatives believe him to be? Before the debate, I thought it would end up a tie, and it probably was, thanks to Biden's ridiculous performance. But I was very disappointed that Ryan didn't seize upon some moments to make the conservative case. I also think, as some point, Ryan should have called out Biden(and the moderator)to stop the interruptions. Ryan just seemed to lack a sense of drama and timing. Planned? Too gentlemanly? You tell me.
I wouldn't be so hard on Ryan, ATT. I can't offer the on the ground political insight that you have, but after 21 years as a public school teacher – including a stint in Middle School – one quote comes to mind re this debate and Ryan's situation last night – if you mud wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty, and the pig is smiling. There are many days I have to bite my tongue and count to 10 (or 11), reminding myself of that gem while simultaneously channelling Churchill – "Keep clam and carry on". That was Ryan last night. We can only hope our fellow voters appreciate decency. And for the record, I don't think of my students as pigs, and I don't think of my VP as that elevated. So Ryan had it worse.
Biden looked like a hammy actor. n nRyans body language was poor though, head forward peckings . . .
Biden's disrespectful behavior toward Ryan, and the moderator's repeated interruption of Ryan, should not be tolerated by anyone. Ryan was not allowed to utter his answers to their intended conclusion due to Biden's obnoxious snorts and interruptions, and the moderator's biased abbreviation of Ryan's responses in favor of additional time for Biden to "comment". n n We must remember that Biden's sole presidential bid was derailed by his plagiarism of a major policy paper from a British politician, that Biden was known as "Five o'clock Joe" as a U. S. Senator because he never missed his daily five o'clock (p.m.) commuter train home to Delaware regardless if the senate was still in session, that his Delaware mansion was purchased for him by his core group of wealthy campaign donors, that he recently told a group of Florida rabbis that Jonathan Pollard would be released over (Biden's) dead body, that he threw a temper tantrum because Israel announced Jerusalem housing permits during his visit to Israel, and on and on and on…! n nNo one should feel comfortable with this individual as the second most powerful member of our government, and everyone should be worried if he and his boss are re-elected.
“. . . anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn’t grow up can be vice president.” — Johnny Carson
Great quote. Another one: "the vice-presidency isn't worth a bucket of spit." After last night, we can certainly say that about what the present vice-president is worth.
Do you remember Philly-hater W.C. Fields' wonderful quip, "First prize: one week in Philadelphia, second prize: TWO weeks in Philadelphia"? Well, I value Joe Biden's vice-presidency at TWO buckets of warm spit. n nOf course, as you must know, VP Garner didn't use the word "spit."
Biden predominated for good and for ill; he had some points but they were undone by his continual leering, laughing and his spectral grin, a grimace of a grin attached to a skull. n nFor me the take away from this debate is what had the edge: Biden's arguments or his demeanour. n nIn my view only true believers can think of this as a win for Biden. It was only that for revving up the other true believers. n nThe moderator was poor: for instance, it was her job to control Biden's 82 infuriating interruptions, conjoining with his cringe-inducing demeanour in cutting against his arguments.
He pushed Ryan around which wasn't good for Ryan. But the aftertaste is a negative and the over the topness of it will probably stick with uncommitted viewers as much as any talking points he was able to ram through–so a wash.
I think your reply is a succinct bullseye.
Bullseye, straight and to the point.
Bullies also push their co-students in the schoolyard. This does not make them likeable or right. I scored the debate a draw (polls support this) but I think that what people will remember will be the boorishness of Biden- just like people remember Al Gore's sighs and Georhe H. Bush looking at his watch . Within hours, no one will remember that actual arguments and that spells trouble forr the democrats.
It's one thing to behave like a boor to achieve a political goal, but all Biden did was raise new questions about Benghazi for Barack Obama to attempt to answer in the next presidential debate. Biden managed the worst of both worlds; making an obnoxious ass of himself while assuring that his boss will continue to be on the defensive. Good job, Mr. Smiley Face!
Biden's debate coach was Axelrod. Enough said.
One more time we are reminded what a choice this election offers. And one more time we are reminded that we are about to learn something about our fellow Americans. This is about much more than an election, as important at that is. If Americans are willing to tolerate the lies, incompetence and boorishness of this administration, well, I'm speechless.
Ryan performed poorly and was thrashed
If Biden interrupted Ryan 82 times (according to Preibus), for a comparison, how many times did Ryan interrupt Biden? How many times did Martha Radditz interrupt either of them? You cannot post one side and not the other. n