TORONTO – The stakes are high for Vice President Joe Biden Thursday night as he faces off with Republican Paul Ryan.
It’ll be a fight between Biden, the stalwart Democrat hoping to regain lost ground from Barack Obama’s fumbles last week, and Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman who’s making his debut on the national debate stage.
While the pair sweat under the spotlight in a 90-minute debate at Center College in Danville, Ky., here’s what to watch for:
Will Joe Biden get the Democrats on the scoreboard?
Pundits and instant reaction polls were unanimous in handing Romney the first debate win last Thursday.
It was a rude awakening for the incumbent president after headlines such as “Romney annihilates Obama” and “Scoring Obama’s Debacle” surfaced after his lacklustre performance.
Analysts say Biden needs to go on the offensive and take advantage of his experience in debating – or in Business Insider’s terms, “Joe Biden needs to kill it” in the debate.
According to Pew Research, only 34 per cent of people think Biden will beat Ryan tonight.
“I think Ryan’s going to eat him alive,” the Washington Post quotes one eloquent retired teacher from Toledo.
ABC News lists three goals Biden needs to take on to claim a win in tonight’s debate: convince the electorate that Obama is capable and worth re-electing, play hardball, and remind voters of his record as vice president.
“Ultimately, Biden needs to do what he does best: connect with real voters. And he needs to show that, despite a lackluster debate performance, Obama is capable of doing the same,” the article says.
Take a look at Biden taking on Sarah Palin, then Republican vice-presidential nominee, in 2008:
Will Paul Ryan hold his ground in his first national debate?
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A 42-year-old Ryan is looking fresh-faced and eager next to debate heavyweight Biden, who is 69 years old.
Biden has a near 40 years of debate experience under his belt, including multiple debates during his two runs for the presidency.
To put things in perspective, the National Post even notes that Ryan is the same age as Biden’s youngest son.
USA Today asks readers, “Paul Ryan, too young for prime time?”
The national media agency says Ryan is one of the youngest national nominees in history, who has never run statewide and has never been on a debate platform this size.
Here’s Ryan offering a keynote speech at the Republican National Convention in August.
A numbers game
Paul Ryan is the Republicans’ tax policy and government spending whiz. He knows his way around proposals and budget plans as House Budget Committee chairman – it’ll be difficult for Biden to wade his way around Ryan’s manipulations around numbers.
Still, Ryan has some worries. Critics say he needs to use his economic smarts stealthily.
“He needs to talk about numbers and fiscal policy in a way that people understand. He’s comfortable talking about the budget, but Ryan needs to avoid wading so far into the weeds that he sounds wonky and distant,” ABC News suggests.
Gaffe Watch 2012
Romney’s had his share of mess-ups along the campaign trail, and with so much pressure on both VP candidates, spectators are counting on some slip-ups tonight.
While pundits suggest Ryan’s been groomed and polished in the days leading up to the debate, but they’re counting on an often excitable, off the cuff Biden to be on a tight leash.
“The popular conventional wisdom holds that it’s Biden that should be kept on a leash, because, after all, he is Gaffe Gafferson, the mayor of Gaffe Town, where they manufacture gaffer tape, right?” The Huffington Post quips.
Or take a look at Slate’s interactive graphic that documents each camp’s gaffes, antics and controversies along the campaign trail.
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