Here is my official opinion or verdict on the Vice-Presidential debates. Unlike the last debates, I actually watched this debate, in its entirety. I also have an opinion on them and it might actually shock you about how I really think about them. If you were are following me on twitter, you already know; so, this is for the regular blog readers who actually come here.
Unlike the last debate, which from what I have read and seen in the clips, Obama stumbled, while Romney get the upper hand. This debate was different, and it seemed that the moderator had better control of the debate. Biden and Ryan both were fully prepared and both represented their positions and their own set of facts very well.
At first, Biden kept snickering and making guffaws at Ryan’s statements, which I felt made him look horrible before the American people. Somewhere in the debate, Biden figured out that this was not helping him at all, so he stopped doing it. I felt that doing this, helped him out a good deal.
Biden did have a few stumbles and memory lapses which is understandable seeing the man is 69 years old and debating a young man who is only two years older than me! (Ryan is 42.) But for the most part, Biden was on his game. To be quite honest, Biden did better than I and many other bloggers thought he would. There was on funny moment, when Biden wanted to swear and said “stuff” instead of the word, for which farmers normally call fertilizer. Biden also used the word “malarkey” quite a bit too, which really does date Biden.
Ryan was wonky on policy and really did stand out, he never got angry at all. Biden was never angry, but did defend his policy positions very well and sometimes with a bit of force.
Alright, How did you feel about the Democratic Positions?
Well, obviously as someone who does lean a bit to the right, I would disagree with most of the Democrat’s positions. I did feel that it was good that the moderator started out with Syria and I was very much not impressed with Biden’s excuses for the failure over there with our embassy. Biden seemed to be wanting to place blame on the State Department and not on the White House where it belonged. Furthermore, I found the scaremongering by Biden on Social Security and Medicare to be quite predictable and typical for the left. I was not really surprised or shocked about anything that the Vice-President said at all.
So, my bottom line on the VP Debate: It was a draw; neither side scored a knockout blow. Both sides fought and counter punched very well. Points to Biden for defense, and points to Ryan for substance and articulation. Now, as for the impact; I really do not see this debate really making much difference in the polls at all. There really was no really impact event in the debate at all to case a big jump in the polls. Snap polls aside, I really do not predict any sort of long-term poll change at all.
I believe that if Romney or Obama comes out in the next debate swinging and does engage Romney that things could look for him. However, if he does what he did last time, the Democrats had better start planning for 2016. Personally, I predict that Obama is going to be tougher in this next debate. I think he was preoccupied with something else or possibly worried about coming off sounding like an angry black man. Either way, it will be interesting to watch.
There are my thoughts, how did you feel about these debates?
Update: Here is the round up of blogger reactions to the debate.
