I really do personally like Joe Biden, but he came across as a braying Biblical donkey tonight on stage in Kentucky. It was made worse by a moderator who lost repeated control of the debate.
Up front, I have to say I’m hung up on one big thing. Joe Biden said the intelligence community got it wrong in Libya, but he says we can trust those very same people on Iran. That’d be a gaffe, but Joe Biden says he always says what he means.
I really don’t think this debate changed anything and would really be surprised if undecided voters stuck around the whole time. Joe Biden was insufferable and Paul Ryan came across very earnest, but never having debated on this stage showed.
I think Ryan’s demeanor will play better at home than a rather manic and angry sounding Joe Biden who by the end was yelling and smiling at everybody.
Honestly, had I not had to watch this debate for work, I would have turned it off. I don’t really want to be yelled out for an hour and a half and that’s what Biden spent the whole time doing overcompensating for Barack Obama’s lackluster performance.
This debate changed nothing. I think Paul Ryan did a great job. But many Democrats will think Joe Biden did a great job. And I think most undecideds will have thrown their hands up in frustration half way through.
The quiet, pensive Joe Biden during the abortion question I think would have played well with undecideds. But they got the braying Biblical donkey till the end and probably tuned out well before then. And way to throw the intelligence community under the bus in Libya Joe, while saying we should believe them about Iran.
In the end, Paul Ryan gave a much stronger closing statement than Joe Biden primarily just citing Obama’s record of failure.
Hilariously, like Barack Obama, Joe Biden whined about equal time and more time, but the debate clock showed Joe Biden spoke more than Paul Ryan.
Closing point: Al Gore’s debate performance in 2000, with his sighing and what not, did not have an initial impact, but over several days came to hurt him. I think Joe Biden’s performance will have a longer term negative impact, but even initially, both CNBC and CNN showed more voters thought Paul Ryan won the debate and, more significantly, a very clear margin thought Paul Ryan was more likable.
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