At MSNBC, the pre-debate chatter is way over-thought. Bring on the main act...
Libya Q. Biden does admit "mistakes," but turns the Q. broadly. Ryan speaking strongly. Biden watching with animation, smiling. So he better follow-up.
Bingo! Bunch of malarkey, and Biden says he will be specific. So the fight is on.
8:13: Q. On Iran - - military strike on Iran? Ryan ducking q. about how effective would a military strike be?
Biden smiling as Ryan says Administration blocked touch sanctions.
A. "Incredible." As to Ryan's explanations of sanctions. "Bluster...loose talk..."
Right now, Ryan looks too boyish.
I like the moderator. Tough questions.
Biden great answer on Iran sanctions. Biden pulling out all the stops on meeting Bebe, meetings. "This is a bunch of stuff."
8:20 - - Biden is on fire. He is talking forcefully, schooling Ryan, who admits the sanctions do work.
8:21 - - Biden - - this president does not bluff.
Q. on economy - - Biden crushes Romney on the 47%. Finall.
Ryan moves to a Romney story aboug providing charity to a family Segue way!
Biden - - I don't doubt his [Romney's] sincerity personally, but back to the argument about the 47%. "Stop talking and show me something."
8:30 - - Biden smacks Ryan on asking for stimulus for his district. Ouch.
8:34 - - On Soc. Sec. and Medicare, Ryan is now its #1 friend.
8:37 - - Biden speaking to the camera, explaining the voucher program Ryan wants.
Biden brings up the GOP idea of privatizing Soc. Sec. Ryan "snotty" remark about Biden being under pressure.
8:38 - - Biden is interrupting a lot. He better be careful. Viewers will not like it.
8:40 - - Biden addressing seniors directly. An effective tactic.
8:41 - - Biden: "We will be no part of a voucher program." "These guys have never been" in favor of Medicare and Soc. Sec.
8:44 - - Q. is on taxes:
Earners making +$1 million annually will pay slightly more. Middle-class taxpayers will not pay more. GOP holding it hostage.
8:46 - - Ryan into his blizzard of data. Too wonky.
8:49 - - Moderator asking for specifics from Romney. Ryan says there will be a bi-partisan plan, later. "
8:50 - - It's a great back-and-forth.
8:54 - - Q. defense cuts. Biden blaming Ryan for the pending automatic cuts.
8: 58 - - Q. is Afghanistan. Ryan supports the timetable. Biden long, coherent answer. Stresses. "We are leaving. Period." Saving $800 billion. Ryan not guaranteeing that. Finally some policy news.
9:01 - - Ryan says not necessarily.
9:02 - - The deadline is an absolute necessity or else the Afghans won't step up.
9:04 - - Biden emphasizing that the surge was temporary. "I sat there" in the meetings in the Oval Office. Ryan lecturing on what the fighting season means.
9:06 - - "Because we turned it over to the Afghans that we trained." Biden winning te debate.
9:07 - -Biden cleans up on Syria. Ryan is in over his head.
9:15 - - Both are Catholics. What is the role of their faith, specifically on abortion. Ryan says life begins at conception. Supports the Romney exceptions.
Biden - - Discussing Catholic social doctrine. But on abortion, will not impose Catholic position on abortion on others', women, other religions. Pointing out differences between Ryan and Romney.
9:20 Ryan - - sly attack on Roe v. Wade. Biden on the attack. "We picked people who have an open mind."
9:21 - - Final Q. About campaign tone, posed to the moderator by a decorated soldier. Biden turning it to supporting the troops, attacking SuperPac's, the troops in the 47%, tax fairness. Calls pro-war comments from Romney "slipshod."
9:23 - - Ryan, on the attack, an early closing statement.
Ryan strong answer. Biden - - out of gas?
The moderator's last two questions have been forced in tangentially.
You're right. Biden was rude and obnoxius continually speaking over Paul Ryan like he had to be loudest man in the room. His continual display of disagreements by facial expressions turned me off. Joe Biden isn't someone I wouldn't see as a leader. Rather, Biden came off as someone I wouldn't want to be around. He lost the debate and the chance to show he was Presidential material.
ReplyDeleteExcept that . . . Joe Biden isn't running for President. He's already the V.P., in case you didn't know. He's already a leader, too, whether you like his leadership style or not. He has nearly 40 years of serving this country in various leadership capacities, so if he comes off a little know-it-all, he is a smart guy and he does know a lot. Paul Ryan may be a little scrapper, and he may blink his big baby blues often (to show how sincere he is) but what he knows about foreign policy would fit on the head of a pin. Or a pinhead.
ReplyDeleteYes, Biden interrupted, but Ryan interrupted plenty as well. It's not something I care to see either, but once it happens in a debate, the other guy is always trying to get that time back and it just escalates. I thought Martha Radditz did a good job of keeping them to the questions, although I would have liked her to ask more follow-up questions, and to make Paul Ryan really answer the question she asked. He coughed up his talking point--no matter what the question was.