FOr those who love Biden (and not only)-Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan: Smart vs. Dumb Visions for America

[Inuca]

by Steve Clemons http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/08/joe-biden-vs-paul-ryan-smart-vs-dumb-visions-for-america/261049/# Great, detailed analysis.

i was infuriated when on Saturday I saw teh twitterverse get crazy with idiotic jokes about how Ryan will make minced meat of Biden in their debate. The righties were having a ball. A very, very, very prenature jubilation IMHO.

Mitt Romney has just made the same mistake John McCain made in picking a vice presidential candidate that folks will talk more about than they will talk about the top of the ticket. Romney has flip-flopped on so many issues, and seems so inchoate in his core views, that the clarity of running mate Paul Ryan will now define him.

Conversely, what has always been clear about the Obama-Biden ticket is that Obama defines in people's minds what the ticket stands for. What is less recognized but important is that Vice President Joe Biden is the one who has built out the policy parameters of the president's jobs and infrastructure bill, which will be the key weapon that Obama uses against the Romney-Ryan team.

The vice-presidential debate on October 11 at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, will likely be the most important of the ticket-vs.-ticket debates. This is because the divide between Paul Ryan's political agenda, as defined by his budget, and the smart investment strategy that Joe Biden and his former economic adviser Jared Bernstein have been pushing, will be starker than any of the issues that Obama and Romney will debate.

[Marcia Brady]

1. I hope you're right

The trouble is that Ryan is a policy wonk. He can spout facts, figures, sources, etc., etc., etc. He comes across as being VERY knowledgeable. VP Biden, love him or not, does tend to stick his foot in his mouth from time to time. Like--saying FDR went on TV in 1929 when the stock market crashed. The debate will come down to preparation.

[monmouth]

2. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. I don't know if you've been following VP Biden for any length of time but

let's just say I hope Joe doesn't eat a big meal prior to debating Ryan, he will have his fill on Ryan very quickly.

[SoCalDem]

3. What's at work here, is to give the VISUAL of young guy

versus the "old guy" who's been in DC "too long"..

The visual codes work as well as the spoken.. Think back to Kennedy/Nixon.. Those listening on the radio thought that Nixon had cleaned Kennedy's clock..

and remember too, that we are up against people who have no acquaintance with "fact"..

Watch the media clamor on and on about how YOUNG & FRESHFACED and EAGER Ryan is...and how blue his eyes are..and then how "tired" Joe looks..

[hifiguy]

4. Joe is going to destroy Ryan

and pick his teeth with the bones.