Oct 11 2012
VP Debate Blogging
Final Update: My first observation is still the most important. When Biden contradicted the State Dept and the intelligence community on how Libya asked for more security we have the perfect campaign ad. All you do is run the heritage ad and this race is over. Hot Air has one word for VP Biden – Jerk
11:17 PM:CNN post debate snap poll, 48% Ryan – 44% Biden. That means Biden failed. A tie does not change the trajectory. The VP debate cannot do much unless it is significant – this was not significant. The deal breaker was the smirk. We are so tired of the DC smirk…..
So tired of the know-it-alls who fail across the board.
10:46 PM: Fox (Brett Hume) nailed Biden’s mistake. While Romney dominated the first debate, he did it in a low key, non-smirk manner. Biden failed because his efforts to control crossed a line. Obama-Biden still sinking with the moderate middle.
10:41 PM: The Smirk killed Biden. Technically the debate could have been a draw, but when you compare the composure Biden was annoying, not leading. Obama has gained nothing – not even time. Biden was NOT likable. I don’t want that guy in my living room any more.
10:21 PM: This pretty much sums up tonight – giggling VP lost his composure.
10:19 PM Eastern: Biden just babbled that abortion was a choice between woman, doctor and Supreme Court?
10:00 PM Eastern: Biden just confirmed what Ryan said about Afghanistan (and I agree we are done there) that leaving is more important than protecting the gains. Debate win: Ryan
9:46 PM Eastern: Biden is getting rattled. He is losing his patience and is not making clear and coherent arguments. Old Joe is rattled. He is the one lost in numbers and wonkish crap.
9:38 PM Eastern: Biden is fighting back, but he is still losing ground. Ryan is much better at explaining what is going on, what is at risk, what is the cost. On Medicare Biden is babbling again. Trust your feelings????? Why is Biden laughing and interrupting? He is losing it – big time
9:23 PM Eastern: Alpha male Biden blowing it big time…. Women are not impressed with his posturing. Obama never bluffs?
9:22 PM Eastern: Biden is a technological idiot. The barrier to a nuclear weapon is fissile material. Creating the chain reaction to make it explode is not that hard (check any nuclear reactor and the efforts they go through to AVOID a nuclear cascade – see Japan).
9:20 PM Eastern: Beebee? Yes I know who that is – but does anyone but Biden? And ‘stuff’? And what about that dumb ass smile? He is not taking this seriously.
9:17 PM Eastern: What is Biden babbling about? We can nuke Iran (as if that is a national security secret)? Did Biden say there is no bomb mechanism? And Biden flashing that false smile is already a bad tell….
9:16 PM Eastern: News from Biden: Russia and China are our allies! Is this the Onion?
9:14 PM Eastern: VP Biden is failing miserably – if you know current events. Biden just handed Team Romney the best ad of all time by claiming there were no requests for security from our murdered Ambassador. Imagine the ad that has crazy Joe making the claim there were no requests overlaid by request after request, attack after attack.
And Biden’s memory moment did not help. Out of touch? Can you get any better example? Ryan is sharp, Joe looks lost.
My impressions of the debate were that both men accomplished thier goals for the night. Biden set out to shore up Obama’s core base, and Ryan set out to show competence and capability.
But, the overall effect on the polls will be telling. Biden had to flat-out lie to make his points, came off as boorish and rude, and rambled quite a bit. Ryan kept getting interrupted by both Biden and Raddatz rather rudely, and handled it with class and poise. And still managed to get his points across.
Biden fired up his base, but probably lost a lot of middle-of-the-road voters with his behavior. Ryan gave them a place to go. I think the big momentum in the polls will continue to go Romney and Ryan’s way. The next presidential debate wil be very interesting.
The Biden gaffe that’ll haunt Obama –
Reminding people of the fact that Obama picked Biden as Vice-President for his foriegn policy “Gravitas”…and that Obama was right about that.
The desperation of Biden’s act indicates how bad the race really is. If Obama-Biden decided to risk losing the critical middle to rev up the far left, then this is lost. You CANNOT win on base alone these days. You need Base + a good edge with independents. The more erosion in the middle the more in the hole Democrats fall…
Look at 2010