Update: 11:31pm
President Obama on Joe Biden’s debate performance: “I thought Joe Biden was terrific tonight…I’m really proud of him.”
It was one hell of a night!
Vice President Joe Biden and Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan squared off during the vice presidential debate tonight in Kentucky. Just in case you missed it, or want to relive the debate’s memorable moments, here’s a recap of what went down.
The debate was hosted at the Center College in Danville and moderated by ABC News Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz. From the start, the debate was on fire and both foreign and domestic topics were the focus of the showdown.
Joe Biden showed up, and he showed up to win! He dominated the first half of the debate speaking with rigor and intensity, frequently interjecting when Paul Ryan made statements which were sometimes false. He laughed nearly everytime Ryan spoke in the first half and often broke down concise arugements in syllables.
Ryan, on the other hand, noticeably struggled with the question of the Afghanistan War and couldn’t clearly articulate why he disagreed with US troops withdrawing in 2014. Ryan also lacked specifics when it came to the Romney-Ryan plan for Medicare and taxes.
Here’s a break down of the questions and topics that each candidate addressed:
The debate started off on the topic of the four US ambassadors who were recently killed in Libya.
Raddatz’s question was, “Was the attack on the consulate in Benghazi an intelligence failure?” Biden started off praising the way Obama handled the killing of four US ambassador’s in Libya speaking with aggression and conviction. “We will find and bring to justice the men that did this.” Biden closed off stating, “the last thing we need now is another war.”
Ryan attacked the president for blaming the anti-Islamic video for the attacks on the US embassies.
Here’s a clip.
The moderator also asked can you get unemployment to under 6% and how long will it take?
Biden responded honestly stating he doesn’t know how long it will take, but assured the American people that the Obama Administration is working on it. He also pointed out that Romney stated that we should let Detroit go bankrupt, whereas President Obama took the opposite approach and passed the stimulus package.
Ryan responded by attacking Obama’s stimulus package by calling it ineffective. That’s when Biden pointed out that Ryan, himself, wrote two letters actually asking for stimulus package funding.
Most noticeably, Biden brought up Romney’s infamous 47 percent comment AND Ryan’s “makers and takers” remark.
Will Medicare and Medicaid have to change in order to survive?
Biden clearly laid out the benefits of Obama’s Affordable Care Act stating, we cut the costs of medicare, stopped overpaying insurance companies and it gave seniors more benefits. Ryan fired back saying that seniors will lose benefits. Biden also directly asked senior viewers if they were happy with Medicare.
On taxes, Biden declared, “let the taxes expire like they’re suppose to on those millionaries” because wealthy people don’t need the help.
On Afghanistan, Biden declared “we wil leave in 2014” and pointed out that 49 of US allies agree that the US should get out of Afghanistan in 2014.
When it came to the issue of abortion, Ryan reinstated that he is a “pro-life” candidate and that he “believes that life begins at conception.” He also hinted at overturning Roe vs. Wade.
In closing statements, Biden talked about bringing relief to the American people. He bashed Ryan for calling 30% of the people “takers” and Romney’s 47% comment that half the nation are government dependents. But he vowed to fight with Obama to level the playing field.
Ryan, in his closing remarks, attacked Obama for a “government takeover of healthcare” and raising taxes.
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During the debate, Biden couldn’t help himself from laughing almost every time Ryan spoke, so of course, a laughing Biden Twitter account has already sprung up! Check it out: @LaughinJoeBiden.
Next week, President Obama and Governor Romney will face off for the second presidential debate, which will be held in a town meeting format on Tuesday, October 16 at Hofstra University in New York.
Here’s the debate in its entirety:
