Saturday, May 18, 2013 | 2:51 p.m.
Hi, (not you?) | Member Center | Sign Out
Posted: 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012
By Jamie Dupree
After last week's Presidential debate that featured a good performance by Mitt Romney and a less than stellar outing by President Obama, the focus now turns to Vice President Joe Biden and Republican running mate Paul Ryan, as they debate at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.
The Obama campaign was putting out word that they expect Biden to be aggressive on Thursday night, which would be in stark contrast to his boss the week before; what might be the message?
"Mitt Romney will say anything to win this election," was on the President's Twitter feed on Wednesday night, all part of a social media offensive on Wednesday designed to (again) portray Romney as a flip flopper.
Using the hashtage "The Real Romney," Democrats pushed the theme that Romney has been saying one thing in the past and another since the Denver debate.
That could well be one line of attack from the Vice President.
Of course, history shows us that often, not much happens in these VP debates, though we have memorable lines like Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle ("Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine...") and Admiral Stockdale ("Who am I? Why am I here?").
Do you remember much from the Biden-Palin debate four years ago? Probably not.
But as we saw last week, they play the games for a reason.
As for Paul Ryan, he said in recent days he thinks that Biden will come at him "like a cannonball," though Ryan is certainly no rookie when it comes to thinking on his feet, as both Ryan and Biden have filled up the Congressional Record while in the House and Senate.
One thing that many Ryan supporters are almost counting on is some kind of Biden verbal error; that might be a mistake for a simple reason - Biden usually gets in trouble when he is ad-libbing, but in this debate situation, it may be more like a recitation of very familiar talking points.
Playing Ryan in Biden's debate prep has been Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who has sparred with Ryan for several years on the House Budget Committee.
"I know he has an extreme vision for this country," Van Hollen said in a video produced by the Obama campaign.
Look for Biden to attack Ryan's budget and his plans for Medicare; but Ryan is no slouch when it comes to numbers and arguments, as he's been the point man for the GOP on budgetary issues for the last few years.
Can either one of these men "win" the election for their leader? Probably not.
But could they screw things up? Sure they could.
We'll see if they make any lasting headlines on Thursday night.
One final note - don't forget that Ryan is also still running for his House seat in Wisconsin, and evidently his opponent will be outside the debate venue in Kentucky, hoping to get Ryan to debate for the Congressional race as well.
Jamie Dupree is the Radio News Director of the Washington Bureau of the Cox Media Group and writes the Washington Insider blog.
Connect with Jamie Dupree on:TwitterFacebook
Send Jamie Dupree an email.
© 2013 Cox Media Group. By using this website,
you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices
.
Already have an account? Sign In
{* #registrationForm *} {* traditionalRegistration_displayName *} {* traditionalRegistration_emailAddress *} {* traditionalRegistration_password *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirm *}Already have an account? Sign In
{* #registrationFormBlank *} {* registration_firstName *} {* registration_lastName *} {* traditionalRegistration_displayName *} {* traditionalRegistration_emailAddressBlank *} {* registration_birthday *} {* registration_gender *} {* registration_postalZip *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordBlank *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirmBlank *} {* agreeToTerms *}We have sent you a confirmation email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account.
We look forward to seeing you frequently. Visit us and sign in to update your profile, receive the latest news and keep up to date with mobile alerts.
Don't worry, it happens. We'll send you a link to create a new password.
{* #forgotPasswordForm *} {* forgotPassword_emailAddress *}We have sent you an email with a link to change your password.
We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Your existing password has not been changed.
To sign in you must verify your email address. Fill out the form below and we'll send you an email to verify.
{* #resendVerificationForm *} {* resendVerification_emailAddress *}Check your email for a link to verify your email address.


You're Almost Done!
Select a display name and password
{* #socialRegistrationForm *} {* socialRegistration_displayName *} {* socialRegistration_emailAddress *} {* traditionalRegistration_password *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirm *}Tell us about yourself
{* registration_firstName *} {* registration_lastName *} {* registration_postalZip *} {* registration_birthday *} {* registration_gender *} {* agreeToTerms *}