It’s been a tough few weeks for those of us following the never-ending trainwreck that is American politics.
The presidential debate was a harrowing spectacle of insincere half-smiles, stammered apologies and enough pithy “zingers” to fill a half-hour of an Aaron Sorkin script.
It was enough to make a young political junkie swear it all off — that is, until Thursday night, when the call of the vice presidential debate proved too much to resist.
It was all set up to be the battle of the campaign. Republican boy genius Paul Ryan duking it out with crazy Uncle Joe, bare-knuckled after the timid sparring of their running mates.
For the most part, it didn’t disappoint.
Moderator Martha Raddatz largely controlled the proceedings well while also allowing plenty of elaboration and back-and-forth between the candidates. You can, however, tell the debate commission misses the days of widely known, well-respected journalists like Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings.
The debate as a whole was an interesting clash of two styles – Biden’s folksy, personal approach to politics against Ryan’s new-school emphasis on theory. Politics aside, it was this battle between two generations that produced the night’s most memorable moments.
It was a tight competition, unlikely to change anyone’s mind, but it did give us some insight into the workings of both campaigns and the minds of the second men on the ticket.
Ryan gave a strong account of himself and toed the line well, but Biden’s overriding charm and humanity ultimately won the night.
Ryan came across as well-coached, giving clear and concise answers right from the beginning, while Biden took some time to find his rhythm. Biden mumbled and stuttered his way through the first questions about foreign policy, which really should have been one of his advantages over Ryan.
Romney’s attack on the president’s response to the attack on the Libyan consulate was disgracefully cynical in a time that called for national unity, and Biden failed to play up that angle. Instead, he rambled about Afghanistan and allowed Ryan to take control of the issue.
Biden only started coming into his own by calling Ryan out on his “malarkey.” This was where Obama failed in his debate, by staying silent and staring at the floor while Romney blatantly lied.
Throughout the debate, Biden was unafraid to interrupt Ryan and Raddatz when he had a point to make. In the more relaxed setting of the vice presidential debate, it only helped his image as a straight talker.
Ryan had the zinger of the night, quipping about Biden’s famous ability to misspeak on the campaign trail, though I was also a fan of Biden’s “Oh, now you’re Jack Kennedy?”
If we learned anything from this debate, though, it’s that quick thinking and witty replies aren’t everything. Biden’s constant hounding about every fact Ryan got wrong and his insistence on setting the record straight proved much more powerful than any amount of pre-planned one-liners.
I mean, who even remembers the guy who told Dan Quayle, “You’re no Jack Kennedy”?
The debate’s most powerful moment came near the end, and, like most of the debate, did not fall clearly to one side or the other. On a question about their personal views on religion and abortion, Biden and Ryan both set politics aside for a moment so we could see the men underneath.
For the first time ever, both vice presidential candidates are Catholics, and in answering this question, we saw a few moments of real empathy between the two.
It was a fitting ending to a contest where each candidate showed off their strengths.
Neither party will benefit hugely from the debate, but both sides will feel confident that they better know the man behind their candidate.
