Vice President Joe Biden and Republican nominee Paul Ryan contested in a scrappy, loud, bullish and ultimately indecisive debate on Centre College’s stage Thursday in Danville, Ky. The debate was hosted by ABC News’ Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz.
Despite the much anticipated and oft indecisive answers from both candidates, there were still several worthy points of acknowledgement in the debate.
Biden’s offense was something to take note of — especially after the lackluster performance of President Obama in last week’s presidential debate. He used remarks like “bunch of stuff” when referring to Ryan’s facts, and repeatedly referred to Ryan himself as “my friend”
Biden managed to keep up his theatrics throughout most of the evening.
Ryan responded to Biden’s remarks without much venom, yet he held his ground throughout the debate. He relied on a great deal of verbal cues to hold strong in his defense such as his repeated use of words like “values” to instill a sense of trust in the Republican candidates. He also made a point to emphasize how Romney was a “job man,” and asked viewers across the nation, “Isn’t that what we want?”
Points of significant disagreement were plentiful throughout the debate. Biden assured people to “all calm down… we will not let them [Iran] get nuclear weapons. Period.” Ryan used a different strategy, suggesting that with Obama’s administration acting the way they are, Iran is “moving faster toward nuclear weapons.”
Both candidates lacked specific evidence to back up their claims. With his regard to Medicare, Biden focused little on his plan, but instead knocked his opponent’s plan, condemning the Republicans plan as simply “old and bad.” Ryan did not present fair support for his claim of a “25 percent tax cut.”
In all, the vice presidential debate served its purpose: it brought to light important issues regarding the economy, Medicare, foreign policy and even visited the topic of abortion toward the tail end.
If you missed the debate, you can watch it on The New York Times website.
Presidential Debate:
Available on ABC, C-SPAN, ABC News Online
WHEN: Oct. 16
WHERE: Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.
TIME: 9-10:30 p.m.
Presidential Debate:
WHEN: Oct. 22
WHERE: Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla.
TIME: 9-10:30 p.m.
