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The Spectacle Blog
Paul Ryan was much more likeable tonight than Joe Biden. His logic was a lot easier to follow. His level of knowledge was at least the equal of Biden’s. His credibility was usually greater than Biden’s. His body lanugage was better. He blinked less. While Ryan left some wide open opportunities untaken, and while there was one exchange of about five minutes where he looked like he was dodging a question, he overall came across as somebody that Americans would be far more comfortable with in terms of facing a future rife with problems.
My wife felt even more strongly. She said: “I thought Biden was splattered against the wall.”
This debate, in short, certainly did nothing to stop the trajectory of a campaign that is creeping in favor of Romney and Ryan. The only question I have is whether Ryan accelerated that movement. I think he did, slightly. But Biden’s pugnaciousness probably stopped a lot of the glumness that has been bedeviling Democrats in the past eight days. That alone is a not insubstantial benefit for the Obama team.
This is still a very, very close race. The Romney campaign still needs to step up its game. It needs stronger, more memorable commercials. And it needs to start blasting ObamaCare’s medical device tax. But if I’m Mitt Romney right now, I am feeling very good about having chosen Paul Ryan as my running mate. He is very impressive, and very capable. I think he achieved a slight victory tonight.
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More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/10/11/biden-did-not-reverse-the-romn
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DRed| 10.11.12 @ 10:43PM
If one of your compliments for your man in a debate is 'he blinked less', your man just lost.
Ich Weis| 10.12.12 @ 12:11AM
So last week, Obama was channeling "Big Bird." This week, Joe Biden was channeling "Oscar the Grouch." This will work out well for you, I'm sure.
Quin Hillyer| 10.12.12 @ 10:26AM
Actually, there was a study of all past debates that concluded that the person who blinked fewest was usually adjudged the winner in post-debate polls and usually won the election.....
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 12:56PM
If "one of your compliments for your man" is the fact that he's a white-trashed AH from Delaware, then you are absolutely correct, and you can "blink" that WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:33PM
Oh and PS Dumbars Joe, you and your filthy Democrats obviously have no problems with forcing Sharia Law down the throats of Christians, right you POS??????????
Occam's Tool| 10.12.12 @ 1:44PM
DRed, that comment made no sense. Biden interrupted 82 times. Romney, who was thought to be "aggressive," let Obama speak. Biden was rude as hell. This behavior got Al Franken chewed out by McConnell, if you remember.
Your boy lost. He's an idiot, and a traitor.
JimT| 10.11.12 @ 10:46PM
Spot on, succinct analysis of the debate and likely result.
DRed| 10.11.12 @ 10:48PM
Malarkey
Simon Templar| 10.11.12 @ 10:54PM
The American public saw a rude, weird, jackass by the name of Biden and you and your ilk will be held accountable for your obvious bad behavior and sabotage of this debate. Americans do not like rudeness, bullying, and lying arrogance.
DRed| 10.11.12 @ 11:06PM
Aw, gee shucks, Simon, that Paul Ryan fella sure is a nice boy. Why was that old man giving him such a beating?
what was your favorite part? I think mine was policy wonk genius Paul Ryan couldn't explain how the Romney budget math works. But I also really liked when Biden gave little Paulie Ryan a scolding for his lying about asking for stimulus money. Did you see Ryan whimper when Biden asked if he though he was Jack Kennedy? That was also pretty awesome.
Simon Templar| 10.11.12 @ 11:30PM
Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
Joe, seriously, STOP SMIRKING. This is serious stuff. Be Vice-Presidential. #PMTdebate
11 Oct 12
The Daily Beast's Kirsten Powers also isn't impressed:
kirsten powers
Biden laughing while Martha talks about Iran getting the bomb is just weird.
11 Oct 12
What's funny, Mr. Vice President? It only gets worse... The Washington Post's Erik Wemple:
ErikWemple @ErikWemple
Biden really pushing it with his interruptions.#vpdebate
11 Oct 12
Philip Klein @philipaklein
If Biden's strategy was to come off like a complete jerk, he's succeeding brilliantly.
This is what the rest of us saw, even the Liberal talking heads.
He was a joke, a unpresidential, weird, and rude idiot and America saw it loud and clear.
Troll somewhere else, loser.
DRed| 10.11.12 @ 11:36PM
Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
My CNN colleagues all seem to think it was a draw. I don't agree. Biden clearly the winner.
Piers Morgan is a wanker, but you should at least quote the relevant tweets.
Simon Templar| 10.11.12 @ 11:45PM
Yeah, ignore the others and accuse me of misrepresenting something. Typical projection and lib manipulation. The point, comrade, is how people perceived Biden's bizarre behavior and unpresidential behavior at that.
You are the wanker....
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:54PM
The only thing Biden won was the IMBICILE AWARD!!!!!
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:53PM
Yeah awesome like STUPID. One dead Democrat old idiot and one with one HAIR PLUG in the grave. Hypocritical old fool, since he and the dog excrement Kennedys are akin to horse manure. Budget math, idiot? Try 20% unemployment, businesses going bankrupt 24-7 from being overtaxed and over regulated by this totalitarian government, a defecit/debt from government welfare that is flushing our country down the fiscal toilet, moron!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 12:58PM
BS, which is about the essence of HAIR-PLUGGED MAN!!!!!!!!!
Simon Templar| 10.11.12 @ 10:50PM
What? Pugnacious? Close race? Slight victory?
More like incredibly rude, weird, unpresidential and completely lacking credibility.
The REAL issue here is the incredible level of bias and ambush by this moderator and her improper behavior and the 90 minute smirk and angry countenance of our current VP who acted like a jackass. You even had the MSM talking heads who were tweeting their disgust with Biden!
Did you watch the same debate?
CJW| 10.11.12 @ 10:51PM
Biden acted like Algore with his smirking, laughing, and was even more rude and condescending than crazy Algore.
Biden lied by blaming the CIA about Benghazi. He lied about the 716 billion taken from Medicare to Obmacare.
Biden even fought with the moderator, Raddatz, who fed him softballs while pressing Ryan for specific details. Biden kept interrupting, and acted very unpresidential. He had not answer why Obama did not meet with Bibi. He had not answer why he failed to negotiate an exit agreement with Iraq.
Raddatz is a lousy moderator for both sides.
Biden lost.
The only improvement over Obama is that Biden looked like he was on caffeine instead of weed like Obama.
Ich Weis| 10.11.12 @ 10:57PM
DRed - looks like fun-time drunk Uncle Joe was replaced with "Angry Drunk" Uncle Joe. Nice touch. Glad to see you're still adorable, cigarette.
DRed| 10.11.12 @ 11:10PM
Don't steal Timmy's fag joke. I know you're probably sore from that spanking, but you're better than that.
Ich Weis| 10.12.12 @ 12:04AM
Timmy's funny - you're still a cigarette.
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 12:59PM
Is a cigarette.....STUPID?????????
Occam's Tool| 10.12.12 @ 1:52PM
DRed: I have outlined many times exactly how Iran could destroy a port city. Unlike Biden, I HAVE tromped around Galveston harbor and seen the CCCP ships. The design of a bomb is easy. Getting the fissiles is the hard part. A 20% purity bomb could hit with a few kilotons of force, which would be sufficient in Galveston bay. Texas City is the site of a huge portion of our refinery capability. THE 3rd largest refinery in the US, DRed. They lie across the bay from each other.
Let me turn this over to Stuart, Ken, or SUBVET for more explanation.
Our port security sucks.
Occam's Tool| 10.12.12 @ 1:53PM
Medical School, UTMB Galveston, graduated 1988. Yeah, I've spent some time in Galveston/Texas City.
Kingofthenet| 10.11.12 @ 10:57PM
Did we watch the same debate? Biden CRUSHED Eddie Muenster...
CJW| 10.11.12 @ 11:15PM
King
After Obama's disaster, Biden looked great compared to Obama. They should reverse the ticket. Biden would have been a better president than Obama.
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:01PM
At least Eddie Muenster has a BRAIN [that is not diluted from too tight HAIR PLUGS]!!!!!!!
rightasrain| 10.11.12 @ 10:58PM
Ryan did very well tonight. Biden did much better than Obama did last week and scored some points. Fortunately for us though, those points will be largely erased by the discussion of his bizarre behavior.
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:06PM
No Biden did not score points. He simply excremented the same old, tired, worthless socialistic liberalism that some of us have been bored with for the last fifty years. If these MF'er want to turn over their bank accounts to the indigents for their votes, let them [but don't demand that me and mine be included through forced taxiation]. This GD government is way too large/expensive, and as Ryan said in his closing last night, the middle class had better be prepared because these socialist domestic terrorists will be coming after them via tax increases upt the kazoo if re-elected [and this BS about "TAX THE WEALTHY ONLY" is only a masquerade]!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ich Weis| 10.11.12 @ 11:01PM
Quin - whilst I'll take on DRed, I'll take you on too. You didn't see the pissy, bitchy Joe Biden? People today are about as bright as Dred, which is like saying a candle provides light in the cosmic void. What it takes to win them over is to be more likable, presidential, etc. Today let me certainly know that the guy who'll be a heartbeat away from the Presidency just doesn't need to be a reincarnation of Dana Carvey's Grumpy Old Man routine: "We said we'd leave Afghanistan before we surged....AND WE LIKED IT THAT WAAAYY!"
Quin Hillyer| 10.12.12 @ 10:29AM
Thanks. I didn't go into that, but that's what I was referring to in my very first sentence: "Paul Ryan was much more likeable tonight than Joe Biden."
Simon Templar| 10.11.12 @ 11:09PM
CNBC Post Debate Poll: Ryan Crushes Biden By 20 Points
DRed| 10.11.12 @ 11:19PM
That's a web poll where little trolls like you go to vote, Simon. CBS, which pays for a real poll, had it 50-31 for Biden. Keep on spinning, my friend.
Simon Templar| 10.11.12 @ 11:32PM
Oh, real poll? You mean like the ones with D+11 and registered voters and independents polled at 5 percent? Troll? Projecting once again.
Simon Templar| 10.11.12 @ 11:38PM
A CNN focus group of undecided likely voters split their votes evenly. 1/3rd Biden, 1/3rd Ryan, 1/3rd Undecided.
CNN just announced the results of their scientific post-debate poll. That also showed Ryan winning 48 - 44%.
DRed| 10.11.12 @ 11:38PM
No, you don't have any substantive debates-you just spew insults. An internet troll is someone who does nothing but write inflammatory trash. Ergo, you are a troll. See-that's a logical argument. Try it out tomorrow-I'll be here.
Simon Templar| 10.11.12 @ 11:49PM
Comrade, stop trashing yourself like that. You have never made a logical argument in your life and you could care less about making one. Like your father, you are a liar and a thief. It was my mistake for feeding you troll boy.
DRed| 10.11.12 @ 11:58PM
Right-you're insulting my father, a far better man than either of us, because you're totally not a troll.
Ich Weis| 10.12.12 @ 12:09AM
DRed - I'm better than your father ever was, and I'm being polite to you.
DRed| 10.12.12 @ 12:12AM
You called me a fag like a total gentleman, Ich. I appreciate that.
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:22PM
In reply to old Joe lamenting last night about the his opponent insulting his father regarding the 47% remark issue, apparently [as the old saying goes] THE BEST PART OF HIM RAN DOWN HIS OLD MAN'S LEG
Occam's Tool| 10.12.12 @ 1:57PM
Note, DRed, I'm not insulting you---but Biden has NO clue as to what he is talking about on Iranian potential or what the Galveston/Texas City area looks like.
He lost this debate on Security issues. Very badly. Or, to put it another way, I trust Israel's Mossad to gauge Iranian nuclear capacity much more accurately thatn the Obama CIA. They are not as sanguine as Plugs.
Ich Weis| 10.12.12 @ 12:04AM
Dred - you're just mad because Joe forgot his "special helpers."
Ich Weis| 10.12.12 @ 12:12AM
No, you don't have any substantive debates-you just spew insults. An internet troll is someone who does nothing but write inflammatory trash. Ergo, you are a troll. See-that's a logical argument. Try it out tomorrow-I'll be here.
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:09PM
Ryan should have looked at HAIRPLUG JOE and said that if what you say about "BIN LADEN'S DEAD AND GM IS ALIVE", then what about Chris Stevens????????????????
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:47PM
There's a website where you and yours need to go to and stay there......it's called the NYT!!!!!
Kingofthenet| 10.11.12 @ 11:27PM
When Joe said, I and my Church have certain views, but we aren't going to impose them on you....BEST THING EVER in a debate.
CJW| 10.11.12 @ 11:56PM
Complete BS. In 1982 Biden voted for a consitutional amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade, which would have outlawed abortion. He also voted to ban partial birth abortions. He switched when he started running for president. Other Dems like Algore and Ted Kennedy were also pro life until the Dem party became the abortion party.
Ich Weis| 10.12.12 @ 12:06AM
Thank goodness - for a minute there, I thought he considered himself Roman Catholic. Glad to know he's no longer a member of that church!
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:11PM
Then what about the GD government under these domestic terrorists forcing Catholic institutions to fund abortions? Is that what you mean by IMPOSE????????????
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:45PM
Oh and Old Joe and the Democrats obviously have no qualms about IMPOSING their favored Sharia Law on Christians, right????????
Nick| 10.12.12 @ 12:14AM
O'Biden did nothing but lie for 90 minutes. Even Turban Durbin couldn't defend him. On MSLSD, no less!
When Joe Jackass realized his lies weren't cutting it, he started flaying like a madman. I'm surprised he didn't start drooling like Chris Matth-spews.
I'm sure women will love the way he wagged his bony little finger at Raditz throughout the night.
Real class act, Joe Putz.
Meanwhile....
The democrat party finally let Debbie Blabbermouth-Putz out of the attic they've had her locked in since their disastrous convention, letting her on a cable talk-show.
Too bad she stepped in it, again.
Oldefarte| 10.12.12 @ 1:15PM
Ryan should have grabbed old Joe by his HAIRPLUGS and hurled him out of his chair.......but then that would have lowered him to HAIRPLUG'S level. As Dick Morris said, the sad part is that Biden is only a heartbeat away from the POTUS!!!!!!!