Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Ryan’s Debate Strategy
National Review ^ | 10-15-12 | Bob Costa

Posted on 10/15/2012 6:47:49 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic

Did Paul Ryan prepare for Biden’s bluster?

You bet, his aides say, and they credit Ted Olson, a former United States solicitor general, for coaching the Republican veep candidate.

For weeks, the 72-year-old Olson played Biden during mock debates. During intense 90-minute sessions, Olson mimicked every mannerism of the vice president, from his hand gestures to his sneer.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: 2012debates; 2012veep; biden; debate; olson; ryan
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 next last
To: Ken H
I think it was a brilliant performance on the part of Ryan. He had to avoid sinking to Biden’s level without appearing to be intimidated. He threaded that needle about as skillfully as it could have been done.

I reacted like most men who have sat in a tavern with an obnoxious drunk, I ignored him.

I never even thought that women would react totally different.
The contemptuous loudmouth attacking Ryan brought out the motherly instinct in many of them.
If Ryan meant to play it that way, it was brilliant because he got the male and female support.

21 posted on 10/15/2012 7:08:48 PM PDT by oldbrowser (An empty chair attracts a stadium full of empty chairs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: afraidfortherepublic
Ryan did an excellent job - much better than I would have done. I would have gotten out of the chair and pummeled Bozo into submission. The bimbo would have had to pull me off of him...

There's a reason that I'm not in politics. :-)

22 posted on 10/15/2012 7:10:11 PM PDT by meyer (It's 1860 all over again - the taxpayer is the new "N" word)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: what's up

Ryan was average at best. He had the truth on his side, but to win in a debate many times you have to get the last logically coherent word in and he didn’t do that. Two examples: Biden was dead wrong on the “Iran doesn’t have a missile to carry a nuclear weapon” argument, but Ryan didn’t defeat this argument as he should have. Another example is the Romney tax plan - Ryan made his point but was cut of when Biden said “Now you’re Jack Kennedy”. Ryan needed to come back to that issue with the facts to hammer his argument home and “win” the issue.


23 posted on 10/15/2012 7:11:17 PM PDT by PAR
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: afraidfortherepublic

Ryan dis what you are supposed to do when your opponent is self-imploding - let him!


24 posted on 10/15/2012 7:11:46 PM PDT by Thickman (Obama - President Ubiquitous (a.k.a. P.U.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: arrogantsob
I think the values and priorities of a future R/R administraion were evident in the choice of Olsen for this key role:

Bush Solicitor General Ted Olson Hails Obama Gay Marriage Shift

25 posted on 10/15/2012 7:13:24 PM PDT by madprof98
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: madprof98

Apparently Olsen did the job he was hired to do very well.


26 posted on 10/15/2012 7:17:17 PM PDT by arrogantsob (The Disaster MUST Go. Sarah herself supports Romney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: tatown

You better not let her see your post.....could be trouble.


27 posted on 10/15/2012 7:17:30 PM PDT by HerrBlucher (Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of Creation)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: arrogantsob

If the election goes as hoped, it will not be the last position he holds in the R/R camp.


28 posted on 10/15/2012 7:19:16 PM PDT by madprof98
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: HerrBlucher

Shhhh. Haha


29 posted on 10/15/2012 7:39:42 PM PDT by tatown ( FUMD, FUAC, and FUGB)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: madprof98
Are you suggesting he may be asked to 'squeal like a pig'?

How utterly droll.

30 posted on 10/15/2012 7:42:01 PM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: PAR
Don't agree.

Biden's Jack Kennedy remark was so silly that the best strategy was a quixotic look in response...Ryan nailed it.

And Ryan didn't argue further on the Iran topic because he sensed Biden's credibility was finished; he was right...Biden looked like a fool as he blabbered on alone.

The general opinion of the debate was that Biden looked like an idiot...Ryan's strategy to allow him space to do that was the perfect one IMO.

31 posted on 10/15/2012 7:54:53 PM PDT by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: tatown

“About 15 minutes into the debate my wide turned to me and said ‘Biden is and ass and women will hate him’”

My wife was absolutely beside herself while watching ol Joe. Every other minute she was exclaiming how utterly irritating and condescending he was.

Before the debate her enthusiasm was so-so. Now she’s buying yard signs, sending emails - she’s fired up!

Thanks Joe!


32 posted on 10/15/2012 7:57:04 PM PDT by jonno (Having an opinion is not the same as having the answer...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: tatown

Our non-political friend is our litmus test for reactions; as she reacts, it’s a sure bet most women did. And it was like your wife - 15 minutes in and she was antsy in the kitchen, calling Biden a jerk, a**hole, etc. She sat through most of it but was totally disgusted by Biden and had to walk away quite a few times.


33 posted on 10/15/2012 8:09:17 PM PDT by Ladysmith (The evil that's happening in this country is the cancer of socialism...It kills the human spirit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: tatown
...your "wide" turned to you...

Are you married to your own Moo-chelle? (Apologies to Mrs. TT)

34 posted on 10/15/2012 8:16:48 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: what's up

“Biden’s Jack Kennedy remark was so silly that the best strategy was a quixotic look in response...Ryan nailed it.”

Ryan didn’t nail it. He should have used his time on the very next question to point out the under Jack Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush (in 2003) tax cuts all resulted in increased tax revenues. He then should have stated that the the democrats’ characterizing Romney’s refusal to admit his plan results in $5 trillion deficit as a lie is itself a lie because the HISTORICAL DATA show Romney to be correct. This is an important enough issue that such a response was absolutely necessary in order to squash Biden like the bug he is. Ryan did not do that.

“And Ryan didn’t argue further on the Iran topic because he sensed Biden’s credibility was finished”

The way to finish off his credibility is to demolish his argument with facts in a calm, collected manner (contrasted to Biden’s bombastic demeanor). Ryan had the opportunity to do that regarding Biden’s ludicrous Iran argument and didn’t do it.


35 posted on 10/15/2012 8:34:45 PM PDT by PAR
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Ken H

I thought he was just great. He know his job and he executed it. A smaller man might have tried to go in for a TKO and lost.


36 posted on 10/15/2012 8:37:32 PM PDT by stanne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio

The 15 year old with whom I viewd the thing is so gratified to learn that others saw Biden the same way.


37 posted on 10/15/2012 8:39:06 PM PDT by stanne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: PAR
Ryan explained MUCH.

To explain TOO much tunes people out and would have cut in on Biden's stringing his own noose.

Gotta know when to stop talking...and Ryan did IMO.

38 posted on 10/15/2012 8:42:12 PM PDT by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: PAR

Point taken, but I do think ryan was going with the Twain strategy of, “Do not argue with an idiot they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

NO kidding. and I believe it worked.


39 posted on 10/15/2012 8:43:24 PM PDT by stanne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: afraidfortherepublic

How come Romney and Ryan are trying to cover up the fact President Obama has let Wall Street get away with murder?


40 posted on 10/15/2012 8:54:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson