"It profits me but little that a vigilant authority always protects the tranquillity of my pleasures and constantly averts all dangers from my path, without my care or concern, if this same authority is the absolute master of my liberty and my life."

--Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Ryan-Biden Debate - The Regular Guy DrunkBlogging!!

7:55 pm - Getting ready to drunk blog the debate.   I've got my Joe Biden doll, ready to stick pins into.   I've got my Paul Ryan life-size cutout, and I'm prepared to cuddle with it if he does a good job tonight.   Meanwhile, let's get a little Megyn Kelly to start us off on the right note:





































She reports; you decide.  


***

8:00 pm - Here we go!!!

Moderator Martha Raddatz looks like every liberal female professor and law partner I've ever had.

Ryan is as tall as Biden... for some reason I didn't expect that.

Starting with Libya!!!

Raddatz:  State Department has made clear that there was no protest... wasn't this an intelligence failure?

Wow!   That's a lot harder hitting to the President than to Romney/Ryan.

Biden:  defending the Benghazi gate by referring to Iraq/Afghanistan/bin Laden... hasn't answered the question.

Ryan's first answer is awesome!!! "Unravelling of Obama foreign policy."

Biden smirking, disrespectful.   Split screen not good for him.   Need to have poker face.

***

8:09 Biden responding.   "Obama has done everything he promised..."

"These guys bet against America."

8:10  Biden throwing the intelligence community under the bus regarding the Benghazi protests. 

"We weren't told they wanted more security..."  WHAT?   They testified today that they asked over and over again!

Raddatz is doing great as a moderator so far.

***

Biden will say anything.   But Biden tougher than Obama.  

***

8:12 pm - Moving to Iran.   Ryan:  "We put in tough sanctions despite the administration."

Not answering question regarding whether a military strike would be effective.  

***

Biden:  "Most crippling sanctions in the history of sanctions."

Biden doing OK.   Much better than Obama.   But smirking is off-putting and condescending.

Ryan more serious.  

Biden:  "President has met with Bibi Netanyahu a dozen times."

Again, Biden will say anything.  

***

Is Biden's smirking and laughing equivalent to Gore's sighing?

***

8:29 - Biden doesn't doubt Romney's personal generosity.... interesting... Ryan kind of suckered him into admitting that Romney is a good guy.  

If Republicans would get out of the way, we could fix economy.

Great recession came from two wars on credit card, prescription drug benefit, etc.

Biden has no shame.

***

8:33 - Biden defending cronyism.  

***

Ryan:  "Where are the 5,000,000 green jobs you promised?"

Ryan being too respectful?   Maybe.   But I think that will work long-term.

***

8:36 - Biden:  "I heard that death panel stuff from Sarah Palin."   He's a nasty man.   I hope it's coming across that way.  

This is almost the quintessential decision point for America.   If we end up thinking that this asshole is winning this debate with his demogoguery and interrupting... then we're lost.

I'm bailing... I can't take this anymore.

**

OK, I'm back. 
I take it back.   Raddatz is being harder on Ryan regarding specifics on tax plan than she's ever been with Biden.

Biden is an unbelievable jerk.

***

Key note:  I don't think Biden's interrupting plays well with suburban women.  They don't like it.  

Now Raddataz is interrupting Ryan.   Unbelievable.   The fix is in.  

***

I'm waiting for the war on women questions in the last half hour.  

***

Biden:  "We've decimated al Qaeda?

Chris Stevens:  "Not so much."

***

It's like Romney-Ryan are the adults, Obama-Biden the juvenile bullies.

***

Meme for the GOP to push:   Biden as bully.

***

Lots of foreign policy in this debate... is Raddatz trying to set Romney up to having to defend things Ryan has said?   They've stayed away from the key Ryan strength, the budget and the deficit.

***

Biden comes off as aggressive.  I think the hard lefties like it, the independents and moderates and women don't. 

Biden smirking and interrupting can't be helping him.   Unless I completely misunderstand what the American people want out of their leaders.

***

9:14 pm.   Raddatz asks about how Catholic religion informs his position on abortion.  Ryan gives good answer.  

Biden:  Catholic social teaching informs him.   I accept being pro-Life in my personal life, I believe that I shouldn't force others to conform to my religious belief... I can't judge this answer objectively because of my own beliefs.

***

Biden:  soldiers part of 47% who don't pay taxes... what? 

***

Ryan: You have a President who has turned his campaign into defamation... we've had four trillion dollar deficits... a debt crisis is coming... leaders fix problems.... Obama has not put forward a plan to tackle the deficit...

***

Raddatz interrupts Ryan, but not Biden.

***

Biden:  My record speaks for itself, I never say anything I don't mean.

OH, MY GOD.

I AM PUKING.

***

Ryan gets last word!   Biden closing statement:  we inherited a godawful circumstance.   Hitting Romney-Ryan about 47%... "all they're looking for is an even playing field."  

***

Ryan:  "We face a very big choice.   President Obama had his chance.   His agenda:  more spending, more taxes, government takeover of health care.   This is not what a real recovery looks like.   You deserve better.   Mitt Romney has solutions... uniquely qualified.   At the time when we have a jobs crisis, wouldn't it be nice to have a job creator in the White House.   We will not blame others... the choice is clear.   We ask you for your vote."

Great closing statement.   I think Ryan may have pulled it out at the end.




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