High stakes for vice presidential debate
Election 2012
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WASHINGTON — Time running short, Vice President Joe Biden faces the greater burden in his debate with Republican Paul Ryan as he seeks to use the election’s only encounter between presidential running mates to slow Mitt Romney’s momentum and reset the campaign storyline in time for the next Obama-Romney debate.
In the aftermath of President Barack Obama’s startlingly lackluster showing against Romney in last week’s debate, Biden’s job is to forcefully confront Ryan, and by extension Romney, while making a case for Obama’s policies that strikes an emotional chord with voters.
Thursday’s debate comes at a volatile moment in the election, putting the contrasting political skills of Biden and Ryan on display for millions of viewers less than four weeks before Election Day.
Ryan, whose upbeat campaign style has been a Romney asset, must fend off attacks on the conservative fiscal policies the Wisconsin congressman has promoted as chairman of the House Budget Committee. He also has to embrace or answer for the more moderate tone Romney is employing as he seeks to attract independent and undecided voters.
The vice presidential debate occurs as national polls show a tightening race, a new momentum for Romney and pressure on the Obama camp to halt any erosion of support.
While it’s tempting to cast the vice presidential debate as a pivotal event, the encounter is more likely to set a tone and a foundation for Tuesday’s town hall style debate between Obama and Romney in Hempstead, N.Y. Still, if Biden or Ryan emerges as a clear winner, it could either help correct the bad story line Obama provoked by his debate performance last week in Denver or strengthen Romney’s image as a surging challenger.
There’s plenty of material to explore over the 90-minute encounter.
Favoring Obama and Biden, new unemployment numbers last week showed a drop in joblessness. On the other hand, the administration has been placed on the defensive by conflicting accounts of the events that led to a deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last month.
The debate also comes just two days after Romney said he would not pursue any abortion-related legislation if elected president. Romney’s campaign sought to clarify Romney’s remarks, saying without elaborating that he would support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life.
The encounter pits Biden, a 69-year-old veteran politician, against a rising 42-year-old up-and-comer.
Biden has experience in face-to-face encounters with political opponents, including the much-watched debate with vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin four years ago. Despite a garrulous, sometimes gaffe-prone campaign style, Biden has proved to be a disciplined debater and likely has been preparing for succinct answers Thursday.
Ryan, while new to the debate format he will face at Centre College in Danville, Ky., is no stranger to vigorous argument as a 14-year House veteran. He has had to defend his budget policies in committee and on the House floor, and he famously debated Obama on health care during a bipartisan meeting two years ago at Blair House.
The challenge for Biden:
Where Obama was viewed as passive, Biden will have to be aggressive. Where Obama was viewed as disconnected from the television audience, Biden cuts a more empathetic figure that he likely will employ from the debate stage.
Obama aides see the encounter as a “head vs. heart” debate, casting Ryan as an effective yet wonky critic of Obama economic policies. They see Biden as the candidate who will strike a better bond with the audience.
While vice presidential candidates typically debate the policies of the candidates at the top of the ticket, Biden will have a two-pronged task of attacking the specific fiscal proposals that Ryan advanced in Republican budgets in 2010 and 2011 while also presenting a critique of Romney’s less specific plans.
“It’s not his job to do the cleanup for Obama; Obama has two more debates to do that himself,” said Matt Bennett, a Democratic strategist who was a top aide to Vice President Al Gore. “Biden’s challenge is do basically two things: one, to make a very clear, sharp critique of the Ryan plan, and two, to be brief. He did that very, very well in ‘08.”
Biden’s risk is that in staking out an aggressive posture, he could alienate voters. A new poll by the Pew Research Center found that 51 percent of voters have an unfavorable impression of Biden, whereas 40 percent hold an unfavorable view of Ryan.
The challenge for Ryan:
Ryan must find a way to fend off efforts to link his own past budget proposals with Romney’s economic vision. Count on him to make a detailed case against Obama on fiscal and economic policy that points to a rising national debt as a looming threat.
Ryan will have to employ the same skills that make him a popular politician even in a Democratic-leaning congressional district that Obama won in 2008.
Though not a foreign policy expert, Ryan will have to stand his ground on territory that is far more familiar to Biden and that moderator Martha Raddatz, a foreign policy specialist at ABC, likely will pursue in an effort to find distinctions between Romney and Obama on international affairs.
Biden also is likely to single out Ryan’s vote against a bipartisan commission’s plan for tackling the nation’s debt. Romney has said Obama should have embraced the plan from former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles, a veteran of President Bill Clinton’s White House.
In that sense, Ryan will have to focus more on being an advocate for Romney than a defender of his own actions.
“To some extent, he will have to go against his natural inclinations,” Republican operative Matt Mackowiak said. “But he is a fairly cool customer. He has a cheery disposition. He’s the guy you want your daughter to marry when she grows up.”
Oct 13, 2012 at 2:11 a.m.
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Anyone who makes claims of the 'worse ever' has ZERO credibility in my mind. Truly shows their lack of historical knowledge. Worse then Andrew Johnson? A conniving, corrupt, rampant racist? Worse then Woodrow Wilson? Who gave us an income tax, got us into the most pointless war of all time, and was another racist. In the more modern era, how anyone can say Nixon was not the worse President is beyond me. Even a die hard GOPer can't defend that clown. An insecure, incompetent, conniving criminal, who expanded government beyond belief(with the introduction of every alphabet soup agency known to man) and pissed all over constitutional civil liberties. So please spare the worse ever comments, it seriously diminishes ALL credibility.
Oct 12, 2012 at 12:32 p.m.
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I predict the big applause for Obum & Biden will diminish when people are forced to pay their monthly Healthcare taxes, some will pay later because their company will jump on the bandwagon and drop the side paying plan people now enjoy separate from their paychecks. The company's response will be "hey your president says it's affordable now so you can pay yourself", I see it coming. People get what they vote for.
Oct 12, 2012 at 5:30 a.m.
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Ryan was more presidential. He was polite, respectful and calm. Biden was smirking, rolling his eyes, interrupting, yelling. Biden acted like he was in a barroom brawl! How juvenile! It was hard to listen to him as his body language was so offensive. But that's the Dems way...bluster, divert, deny! Obama acted like he was asleep in his debate and Biden acted like he was high on something in his debate. His new name should be "Chuckles."
Oct 12, 2012 at 2:04 a.m.
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The debate will have ZERO effect on the vote. Also the ratings were surly lowered by competing against a NFL football game, and college football to boot. The Faux boys are all declaring it 'unprecedented' of how rude Biden was, and for that he clearly lost (big surprise coming out of Rommney headquarters, errrrrr Faux news). I personally thought it was great. I guess, because it is how I often debate people myself. Where you just act as your opponent is making points that are simply laughable. Considering that Biden is kind of a buffoon when he opens his mouth, and most thought he'd be crushed in this debate. I really think he held his own, and I thought over all he was better. Ryan scored a few points, but I think Biden scored many more. I think he clearly hammered Ryan on Afghanistan.
Oct 11, 2012 at 10:27 p.m.
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Eddie Munster seemed spooked by The Mummy, and by trying to explain his and Hermann Munster's unworkable trickle down schemes. Come on Eddie, you can do magic! More tax cuts for the rich and Viola! 12 million Jobs! lol.
I really thought Eddie would do better in the medicare and social security debate. A complete bust there. Maybe he should toughen up by letting some Franklin Middle Schoolers kick him around in a debate. (which they surely could.)
Oct 11, 2012 at 10:06 p.m.
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Now a WI state rep (reflublican)says "some girls rape easy". Go ahead and tell us how you really feel about women...
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psRM8Izbb...
Oct 11, 2012 at 10:05 p.m.
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The first half hour seemed to be Ryan saying he and Romney agreed with just about everything the President was doing. I found that interesting. The remainder was the Vice President calling malarkey to just about everything that came out of Ryan's mouth.
Raddatz did a fantastic job moderating, thanks in large part to her knowledge of foreign policy issues.
Oct 11, 2012 at 9:56 p.m.
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Rude, smirking, condesending, immature demeanor by the mummy... this in addition to all the untruths uttered. NOT impressed.
Oct 11, 2012 at 9:47 p.m.
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The Mummy whooped Eddie Munster. Eddie does not seem to believe his own schemes. He should not have used biggovernment.com as a debate research resource.
Ryan seems out of touch. Maybe spend some time in his district instead of in billionaire pockets.
Oct 11, 2012 at 9:33 p.m.
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Lyan Ryan says he would bring honesty as a man.??? That would be something new for him....
Oct 11, 2012 at 9:22 p.m.
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The moderator had Obama at her wedding. I would not be surprised if Biden was privy to the debate questions beforehand. I would not put it past this administration and their lap dog media.
Oct 11, 2012 at 7:56 p.m.
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Biden: you're a likeable enough guy, but....
Oct 11, 2012 at 7:21 p.m.
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poobah- no not the retired, not the inable. The "intiltlers"SP. The lazy, the ones who can work but WONT. Lets add the ones who are "disabled" but up on a roof working for cash!!!
Oct 11, 2012 at 7:18 p.m.
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heatdude
Oct 11, 2012 at 3:39 p.m.
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Republicans just want the 47% to pull their own weight and quit mooching off the working middle class. If they could get 25% of them actually making a living on their own and not off the tax payers backs think of the difference that could make !!!!!!!
+1
Oct 11, 2012 at 7:03 p.m.
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Mouse is back! Just in time for another shellacking!
Oct 11, 2012 at 6:26 p.m.
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Here's some great wisdom from the grave! (some things will never change)
"Very few of the so-called liberals are open-minded . . . they shout you down and won`t let you speak if you disagree with them." ~ John Wayne
Oct 11, 2012 at 6:20 p.m.
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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-worker...
Oct 11, 2012 at 6:14 p.m.
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You just know that King Obama is leaning over and whispering in Joey's ear; "You gotta be extra devious tonite if we're gonna pull this thing off....I've used up so many of my deceptive tactics to get me these four years I'm burned out. Make sure Nancy Pelosi makes eye contact with you tonite, she'll spark a good lie for you when you get in a pickle"
Oct 11, 2012 at 5:34 p.m.
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Biden: This election is a marathon, oh, I'm sorry...
Oct 11, 2012 at 4:48 p.m.
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I expect Paul Ryan will do very well and make Wisconsin proud of him. I hope he comes out wearing a "Cheeshead" LOL
Oct 11, 2012 at 4:42 p.m.
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As former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said, “The trouble with socialism is you run out of other people’s money to spend.”
~
That has now come to fruition.
Oct 11, 2012 at 4:28 p.m.
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Fedup...you're wasting your time expressing your comcern for bias with these libs. They only know, divert, deny, and hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil...that is unless the right would try to pull something like have the moderator of a VP debate be close enough to the POTUS to have him as a wedding guest and be the boss of her husband. The the left would yell foul. And then so would the MSM, but I repeat myself.
Oct 11, 2012 at 4:08 p.m.
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ezoner said, "Poo -- the 25% you are mentioning -- just so we are being factual -- will be paid significantly more than they ever paid in."
This is from your beloved FOX News:
"People retiring today are part of the first generation of workers who have paid more in Social Security taxes during their careers than they will receive in benefits after they retire." [ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/... ]
You should focus on the problems you are having in trying to backtrack on your errant comments about the 2002 Illinois gubernatorial campaign meetings, ezoner. [ http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2012/oct... ]
Oct 11, 2012 at 4 p.m.
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Poo -- the 25% you are mentioning -- just so we are being factual -- will be paid significantly more than they ever paid in. So they are not getting what they paid for nor paid in, they are getting much more. If you only want to pay them based upon their contribution, well, then thats allot worse than anything else I have heard. How about people save for their retirements -- that we encourage that, opposed to the spending we encourage today -- ohh but that means people need to be responsible. God forbid that would happen and that people couldnt live well beyond their means and then expect others to pick up the tab.
Oct 11, 2012 at 3:47 p.m.
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heatdude said, "If they could get 25% of them actually making a living on their own and not off the tax payers backs think of the difference that could make !!!!!!!"
I suppose that would be the 25% who have worked their entire adult lives and are now retired and collecting the Social Security and Medicare benefits they paid for, right? Send those lazy victim retirees with the gall to think they could retire back to work!
Oct 11, 2012 at 3:39 p.m.
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Republicans just want the 47% to pull their own weight and quit mooching off the working middle class. If they could get 25% of them actually making a living on their own and not off the tax payers backs think of the difference that could make !!!!!!!
Oct 11, 2012 at 3:32 p.m.
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mteg said, "Obama and Biden want to raise taxes by a trillion dollars. Guess what? Yes we do"
Romney/Ryan want to increase military spending by $2 TRILLION -- without raising taxes, of course. More borrowing. More deficit. More debt.
Oct 11, 2012 at 3:29 p.m.
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feduptaxpayer said, "If Obama so smart, why is it that he is so far behind in the net worth department?"
feduptaxpayer, I've never heard of measuring a person's IQ by their net worth, although in your case there's likely a high degree of correlation between the two.
Oct 11, 2012 at 3:29 p.m.
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"Obama and Biden want to raise taxes by a trillion dollars. Guess what? Yes we do"
Oct 11, 2012 at 3:21 p.m.
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Reading partisans try to justify their support for failure is like hearing excuses as to why a child molester does what he does.
Oct 11, 2012 at 2:59 p.m.
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feduptaxpayer said, "I would like to see them discuss the latest solar company failure just hitting the news."
So would I. The winner/loser ratio of the federal grants is far superior to that of Romney's Bain Capital.
"Of the $90 billion handed out, less than $1 billion has been lost, even counting two other failures Romney didn't mention: Beacon Power and Abound Solar. That's less than the $2.4 billion Congress has set aside for losses, The New York Times points out. If Romney had that kind of record at Bain Capital, he'd be a proud member of the billionaire's club right now." [ http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Ene... ]
As the Christian Science Monitor article so aptly stated, if Romney had "Obama's picks," he'd be a multi-billionaire, not a multi-millionaire. And while you're in a reading mood, here's the link to an article about how Mitt harvested Sealy Mattress. One company he did make a few bucks on, but at the expense of the employees and other owners, of course.
"Sealy was America's No. 1 mattress brand -- until Bain Capital got its hands on it" [ http://www.salon.com/2012/10/02/how_mitt... ]
Oct 11, 2012 at 2:53 p.m.
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Republicans lie about their spending, the dems lie about Libya, and the fools that blindly support them continue to dig themselves into a hole they will never climb out of. I am sure glad the person I support isn't a part of the "who can lie more" game. Enjoy your continued failure partisans.
Oct 11, 2012 at 1:40 p.m.
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After the murder of our Ambassador in Libya, and the blatant lying and coverup of the event by the president and the administration......they have no right to call anyone else "liars".
Joe Wilson had it right.
The American taxpayers has been lied to over and over. Another example today....the jobs numbers. Only one thing is missing in that report, the report is not complete and one state is omitted so as to make it appear the unemployment rate has improved.
Oct 11, 2012 at 1:29 p.m.
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It will be very interesting to watch. I expect hometown boy Paul Ryan will do a lot of lying, just as he did at the Republican Convention. Let’s see if Biden calls him out on many of his lies.
Ryan has learned his lying and distortion techniques extremely well from his running mate and "coach," Mitt Romney. It’s entirely possible that Ryan could set a record number of lies in this debate higher than the 27 lies told by Mitt in his debate last week. Won’t Mitt be teed off if Paul out-lies him? Wow! Stay tuned! Just can’t trust these guys!
Oct 11, 2012 at 12:51 p.m.
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Poobah that is very true, this is more for entertainment value. A little known fact of the Quayle Bentson debate is Quayles response,"Is that wife your wife told you?" I am joking of course.
I am looking forward to seeing who can propose more spending and freebies to their bases tonight and which one wins in their ultimate goal of growing government, good lord we are so screwed in this election.
Oct 11, 2012 at 12:31 p.m.
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The debate is tonight. "Thursday's debate". Third paragraph.
Oct 11, 2012 at 12:29 p.m.
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It's been shown time and again, voters make their selection based on the presidential candidates, not vice-presidential candidates. One great example is Dan Quayle's poor debate performance against Lloyd Bentsen during the 1988 campaign. "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Bush won that election in spite of the drubbing Quayle took.
Oct 11, 2012 at 12:25 p.m.
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Did I miss the key info? When is this?
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