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| Vice-presidential debate: Biden and Ryan meeting holds added significance | Vice-presidential debate: Biden and Ryan meeting holds added significance |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Debates between the vice-presidential candidates are usually quickly forgotten, becoming an election footnote at best. But Barack Obama's poll slide has transformed Thursday's confrontation between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan from a sideshow into one of the most important vice-presidential debates ever. | Debates between the vice-presidential candidates are usually quickly forgotten, becoming an election footnote at best. But Barack Obama's poll slide has transformed Thursday's confrontation between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan from a sideshow into one of the most important vice-presidential debates ever. |
| But Obama's poor performance in the first of the presidential debates has changed the dynamic and Biden is under pressure to produce a combative display that will, at a minimum, secure a draw and, the Chicago campaign headquarters is hoping, a clear-cut win. | But Obama's poor performance in the first of the presidential debates has changed the dynamic and Biden is under pressure to produce a combative display that will, at a minimum, secure a draw and, the Chicago campaign headquarters is hoping, a clear-cut win. |
| The debate in Danville, Kentucky, has grown in importance not only because of the consequences for the present campaign but because both Ryan and Biden are potential contenders for the presidency in 2016. | The debate in Danville, Kentucky, has grown in importance not only because of the consequences for the present campaign but because both Ryan and Biden are potential contenders for the presidency in 2016. |
| Clash of styles | Clash of styles |
| The two seem to be evenly-matched, both with extensive congressional experience. There is not a lot of debate in Congress, with politicians more used to standing delivering speeches uninterrupted than engaging in vigorous argument, but both have done their share down the years during campaign events. | The two seem to be evenly-matched, both with extensive congressional experience. There is not a lot of debate in Congress, with politicians more used to standing delivering speeches uninterrupted than engaging in vigorous argument, but both have done their share down the years during campaign events. |
| The Kentucky debate pitches two opposites against each other: the younger, wonkish, Ayn Rand-inspired Ryan, against the much older, gaffe-prone Biden. But they also have a lot in common: both are from blue-collar backgrounds, more so in the case of Biden rather than Ryan, whose family had extensive business networks in his hometown. | The Kentucky debate pitches two opposites against each other: the younger, wonkish, Ayn Rand-inspired Ryan, against the much older, gaffe-prone Biden. But they also have a lot in common: both are from blue-collar backgrounds, more so in the case of Biden rather than Ryan, whose family had extensive business networks in his hometown. |
| Biden, who has twice stood for the presidency, is a known debating quantity, having debated against Sarah Palin in 2008. That might not seem an onerous task, but he had to find a balance between taking her on without patronising her – something he succeeded in doing. | Biden, who has twice stood for the presidency, is a known debating quantity, having debated against Sarah Palin in 2008. That might not seem an onerous task, but he had to find a balance between taking her on without patronising her – something he succeeded in doing. |
| Although Biden does often go off message – he presented the Republicans with a gift two weeks ago when he said the working class had been buried by the economy over the last four years – but he is much forceful than Obama in debate, and has a sense of humour that can be an effective weapon. | Although Biden does often go off message – he presented the Republicans with a gift two weeks ago when he said the working class had been buried by the economy over the last four years – but he is much forceful than Obama in debate, and has a sense of humour that can be an effective weapon. |
| Preparations | Preparations |
| Given what is at stake, the rival campaign teams have largely dispensed with the usual theatrics of talking up the opponents in an effort to raise expectations. | Given what is at stake, the rival campaign teams have largely dispensed with the usual theatrics of talking up the opponents in an effort to raise expectations. |
| Ryan said he expected Biden to come at him like a cannonball but other than that there has not been the same amount of game-playing as there was in the run-up to the Obama-Romney debate. | Ryan said he expected Biden to come at him like a cannonball but other than that there has not been the same amount of game-playing as there was in the run-up to the Obama-Romney debate. |
| Biden, who arrived in Lexington, Kentucky, Wednesday afternoon, has been locked up in his debate camp in his home state of Delaware, practising his lines against Ryan stand-in Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic congressman from Maryland. | Biden, who arrived in Lexington, Kentucky, Wednesday afternoon, has been locked up in his debate camp in his home state of Delaware, practising his lines against Ryan stand-in Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic congressman from Maryland. |
| Ryan, holed up in Virginia and Florida, has been preparing against Ted Olsen, the former US solicitor general who is standing in for Biden. | Ryan, holed up in Virginia and Florida, has been preparing against Ted Olsen, the former US solicitor general who is standing in for Biden. |
| The issues | The issues |
| Biden, in his role as vice-president, has been used more than Obama as a Democratic attack dog, taking on a more political role than his boss. The expectation is that in the debate he will hit Ryan with some of the issues that Obama failed to put to Romney last week. | Biden, in his role as vice-president, has been used more than Obama as a Democratic attack dog, taking on a more political role than his boss. The expectation is that in the debate he will hit Ryan with some of the issues that Obama failed to put to Romney last week. |
| He has plenty of material to go at; Ryan is the author of a Republican House budget plan to make extensive cuts to the deficit and also to reform the healthcare programme for those over 65, Medicare, a proposal that has created concern among the elderly. | He has plenty of material to go at; Ryan is the author of a Republican House budget plan to make extensive cuts to the deficit and also to reform the healthcare programme for those over 65, Medicare, a proposal that has created concern among the elderly. |
| He is also expected to press Ryan on how he can square billions in tax cuts for the wealthy while still reducing the deficit. He can also press him on Romney's disavowal last week that the tax cut for the wealthy would amount to $5bn. Ryan is vulnerable, having to defend both Romney's economic plan and his own, while explaining the gap between the two. | He is also expected to press Ryan on how he can square billions in tax cuts for the wealthy while still reducing the deficit. He can also press him on Romney's disavowal last week that the tax cut for the wealthy would amount to $5bn. Ryan is vulnerable, having to defend both Romney's economic plan and his own, while explaining the gap between the two. |
| Biden, from his time in the Senate, has more experience on foreign policy than Ryan and this should tell in expected exchanges on the killing of the four Americans in Libya, Iran and other crisis issues. | Biden, from his time in the Senate, has more experience on foreign policy than Ryan and this should tell in expected exchanges on the killing of the four Americans in Libya, Iran and other crisis issues. |
| Past debates | Past debates |
| There have been few memorable vice-presidential debates but the best known quote is the one in 1988 between Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle. | There have been few memorable vice-presidential debates but the best known quote is the one in 1988 between Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle. |
| Quayle said: "I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency." Bentsen quickly put him down: "I knew Jack Kennedy; Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." | Quayle said: "I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency." Bentsen quickly put him down: "I knew Jack Kennedy; Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." |
| The debate in 1992 involving Admiral William Stockdale, vice-presidential running mate to independent candidate Ross Perot, also produced the memorable: "Who am I? Why am I here? I'm not a politician." | The debate in 1992 involving Admiral William Stockdale, vice-presidential running mate to independent candidate Ross Perot, also produced the memorable: "Who am I? Why am I here? I'm not a politician." |
| About the only line anyone remembers from the 2008 debate was Palin's disarming opening: "Can I call you Joe?" | About the only line anyone remembers from the 2008 debate was Palin's disarming opening: "Can I call you Joe?" |
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