With roughly 51 million Americans tuning in to the Vice- Presidential debate this past Thursday, it is safe to say each side was eagerly awaiting the performance of their respective candidate. Interestingly though, I see the two parties as having slightly different definitions of victory. This dynamic is likely to have led to the differentiating results of post-debate snap polling.
While a CNN poll of registered voters gave Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan the narrow win, Joe Biden prevailed more handily in a CBS poll of uncommitted voters. Now, to whatever end the President’s overly-calm demeanor was meant to serve in the following debates, it left his party with quite a bit to be desired. Governor Mitt Romney, on the other hand, benefited from low expectations and rode a wave of captivating enthusiasm in contrast to a very reserved President Obama. Coming into this debate, liberals were looking for a much more offensive, no-nonsense approach to engaging Congressman Ryan and Biden appeared to deliver. For conservatives, a win by Ryan would mean reaffirming Governor Romney’s “Five-point plan,” thwarting attempts to brand his Medicare overhaul as a “Voucher Program” and doubling down on their economic policies.
Ryan, whose demeanor was praised by many conservatives as dignified and poised seemed, at times, to be the result of being experientially and factually outmatched. While conservatives needed Ryan to essentially do no harm, liberals were looking to rough someone up and hold their opponent’s feet to the fires of truth and past record. With respect to each party’s candidate I would say they both won or, at the very least, neither of the respective parties was or is willing to admit their candidate lost. Vice President Biden, if one must be decided, won by a smidge. This is partly due to the contrast between disappointment over the President’s performance and Biden’s take-no-prisoners and, at times, flat-out dismissive demeanor during Thursday’s debate. Also, and this is where I make note of my potential bias, I believe that ultimately the President and Vice President stand behind a more viable platform. In short, I believe Biden was more factual, articulate and clear in his arguments and thus I believe his performance will better stand the test of fact-checking and 24-hour punditry.
