How Biden screwed up:
Vice president Biden did precisely what he should not have done: Open up more questions and create more problems for the president. The next debate will consist in large part of President Obama debating his vice president on everything from taxes to Libya. Obama is once again on defense with 3½ weeks to go in the race.
He might have energized his incivil base with his rudeness and antics, but he planted a couple IEDs for the campaign that are likely to blow up.
And here’s what Ryan should have said:
I think Ryan was right not to let Biden bait him into losing his cool. Ryan certainly came across as the more appealing, serious, and decent politician. But he would have done himself and his ticket a great service if he had simply turned to Biden and said something like, “Mr. Vice President these are serious issues and serious disagreements about the future of our country. I don’t find them funny and, frankly, I find your behavior here tonight beneath the dignity of your office.” It would have gelded Biden, elicited spontaneous applause in the audience, and endured as the most memorable soundbite of the whole debate. And, it would have been true.
Yes, it was a missed opportunity.
[Update a few minutes later]
Why Dems loved Biden’s boorish behavior:
The problem here is not just that presidents and would-be commanders-in-chief must appear presidential. It is that the liberal base of the president’s party is so filled with anger and contempt for Republicans that they can’t abide even a show of civility from their champions.
Yes, and when they mewl and whine about “incivility” from the right, like most of their complaints (racism, hate mongering, lying), it’s pure projection.
Perhaps Ryan missed an opportunity. But the corollary that Ryan did embrace, “never interrupt your opponent when he is making a mistake”.
This (followed by empty filler material to get this comment posted).
I don’t know. Paul Ryan maintained discipline and kept to his briefings and playbook. He did good because he didn’t showboat and he followed what Coach directed him to do. He is, by the way, candidate to be Vice President.
After last week, maybe we need to give Team Romney some credit for their gameplan.
“If this is what passes for reasoned discourse amongst your compatriots in the Senate, no wonder they haven’t passed a budget since Bush.”
Oh here are a lot of things Ryan could have said, but it’s easy for me to think them up in real time – when I’m not on the stage or under the lights….. or the next day when we all think of things we could have said.
One way Ryan could have handled the smirking and laughter is to have said:
” Wow. You know, I know Joe Biden. I’ve worked with Joe Biden. Joe Biden is a really nice guy. And you, sir, are not acting like Joe Biden.”
“This, Joe, is what the American people are thoroughly sick of…bluster such as “if they bring a knife, we’ll bring a gun” or ” get in their face!” or “reward our friends and punish our enemies”….or your interruptions and smirking. They are sick of facade such as your faux distress. They want serious people, the real word, real solutions, and are sick of acting and posing.”
“Joe are you so scared of our solutions that you have to interrupt me to prevent the American people from hearing them and making up their own minds?”
“All this smirking and laughing and interruption is exactly what this administration is doing to the American people…distracting them as you fleece their wallets.”
Taranto today: Dr. Strangelaugh. Comparisons to rhesus macaques, and a Titanic design flaw; a gaping O-shaped hole in the hull. Great read.
The best thing Ryan did last night was remind Biden that interrupting was rude. He made his point, and then just let VP Blabbermouth Butinskiden look like an overbearing jerk.
Biden’s nervous laughter is eerily reminiscent of Hillary’s. /shudder
Ryan missed a lot of opportunities. He should have pointed out that GM did go bankrupt for one. Both Biden and Obama used the same arguments we see daily in the comments here and all over the internet and yet Romney and Ryan were not prepared to refute them. It is not like the Obama campaign’s tactics are some sort of secret.
I don’t think Ryan or Romney did a bad job but they could have easily done much better.
I really don’t think the debate staff of either party is doing a very good job. It’s not like they don’t understand the other sides positions and how they are likely to present them.
Responses need to have impact in the first dozen seconds so the moderator doesn’t become the issue.
I kept waiting for Ryan to nail Biden which didn’t really happen. They need to hire some of these late night comedian writers only harder on fact.
Ryan could have said or done a lot of things (personally I wish he had needled Biden into a full-fledged hissy and suspect it would’ve taken very little needling) but the way things were, he didn’t lose and that’s all it takes for him to have won.
The thing that the Failure/Creepy Old Guy camp wanted was for Ryan to screw up in such a way as to re-attach all of the independants and soft-D Democrats who had come adrift after the Presidential debates. Ryan denied them this, and looked calm and presidential in the process.
I wish Ryan had chided Biden for his failure as head of the Senate to pass a budget for over 3 years.
I think the reason proggies are so excited about Joe’s performance is that how they saw Romney during the first debate. I’ve seen enough remarks after then to know they think Mitt was a rude (talking over the moderator) liar. Not to mention Obama was “too nice.”
So they had Joe be mean, interrupt, and throw every piece of BS at his command at the wall, in the expectation of out-lying the lying liars.
Will there be a third presidential debate? If Mitt gives a whoopin’ (as Will Smith might say) to Obama on the second; will Obama come up with some reason not to be in a third?
BTW, I hope they put Will and Kevin together for another wild west.