Free Republic

Last night during the United States of America lone Vice President debate, it was a very live wire performance. It was simply the difference between a calm, measured, adult, Rep. Paul Ryan in his responses and a Vice President Joe Biden who was if not acting like a “clown”, he was sure acting like a “drama king.” Overall, it looked like VP Biden was simply was “cracking up” under the pressure to perform as Vice President. Looks like Rep. Paul Ryan was not only speaking to the GOP/Republican base, but to the rest of the country as a whole and...

I think both candidates basically did what they needed to do in the vice presidential debate, which leaves the Republican ticket in a slightly better position—since Biden’s goal was damage control with the base and Ryan’s was reinforcing a positive impression with persuadable voters. After the calamity they experienced in last week’s presidential debate, liberals needed to be bucked up by the Obama campaign, and I think they got that tonight. It probably came at a real cost—I have a feeling that Biden’s hyper-aggressive and at times buffoonish performance (and perhaps especially his Joker grin, which seemed to me as...

Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan were the two candidates on stage at Thursday’s vice presidential debate, but a third character emerged: Joe Biden’s laugh, which didn’t escape the notice of tweeting politicos. (And led, of course, to at least three satirical Twitter accounts: Laughing Joe Biden, Biden Smirk, and yet another Laughing Joe Biden.) Weekly Standard’s Mark Hemingway: “Joe Biden’s laughing through talking about Iran sanctions?” TIME’s Michael Scherer: “Not sure debate cameras have been light tested for Biden’s teeth. Best to watch with sunglasses.” Washington Examiner’s Philip Klein: “Biden’s strategy seems to be to laugh at...