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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Joe Biden wins debate by not losing and ‘malarkey’ accusations fly -- Biden, Ryan donnybrook was a debate to really remember - VIDEO

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Joe Biden wins debate by not losing and ‘malarkey’ accusations fly -- Biden, Ryan donnybrook was a debate to really remember - VIDEO

Posted on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 08:15 AM

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Joe Biden & Paul Ryan in last nights debate
(Credit: AP/Charlie Neibergall)

A CBS poll of undecided voters gave last night’s debate 50 to 31 percent to Joe Biden while a CNN poll of all voters gave it to Ryan by 48 percent to 44 percent.

I think Joe Biden shaded the debate last night by just being himself and clearly not losing. That’s not a load of "malarkey", ie hot air. The Irish expression somehow made it into the middle of the presidential debate, though some spell it "mullarkey".

Biden is one of the most liked men in politics, and that is what came across in the debate.

I have met Biden many times, interviewed him once when he was a senator, and always came away impressed with his easy manner and basic decency.

He has an easy Irish charm, hail-fellow well met and the Vice Presidency suits him well.

That was what came across with the Ryan stand-off. He was keeping Paul Ryan under pressure but managed it in an amiable way and he “righted the ship” as political editor Gloria Borger on CNN noted.

Biden accused his fellow Irish American of "malarkey" at every opportunity and kept Ryan off balance enough so that he never got to do a Romney and slam home unchallenged assertions.

Biden accomplished what Obama never did, aggressively challenging fundamental Republican policies.

The fear of Democrats on the way in was that Biden would collapse like a burst balloon as Obama did in the first debate.

Near panic had spread through Democratic ranks after Obama’s faux pas. The slippage in the polls was a nightmare scenario come true.

There has been a tendency on the right to paint Biden as a buffoon liable to go rogue at any moment but he proved far from that.

Read all the Election 2012 news here.

Biden proved a hardy road warrior, well versed in the key debate issues.

Ryan is an extremely smart politician who comes across as robotic at times, but is very much in command of his facts.

It was a fascinating debate, full of substance, superbly moderated. It was everything the first debate was not.

The key moment for me in the Vice Presidential debate was when they both dealt with their religion and the issue of abortion.

It was an intensely personal moment, devoid of the accusations and reams of figures that each can spout.

Ryan made clear that he was personally opposed based on his experience of listening to his first child’s heartbeat at seven weeks.

Biden referred to Catholic social teaching but also stated that he was personally opposed to abortion but would not impose his views.

It was hard not to accept both men at face value and understand they were sincere in their sentiments.

Biden has bought Obama time, a precious commodity, but Tuesday night’s debate in Long Island now takes on even more importance.

Bring it on!

Complete Vice Presidential Debate 2012: Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan - Oct:

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99 comments

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Pittsburghkid | Oct 13, 2012, 03:34 PM EDT

Biden was on medication. Ryan was talking about the War, and Biden was laughing. Is War a funny matter. Everyone knows Social Securtiy is going bankrupt. Ryan is presenting plans, and Biden is laughing. Is this the reaction of a rational man.

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paddyRanger | Oct 13, 2012, 02:43 PM EDT

eiriamach.....absolute nonsense, Before Ryan could even speak in the opening 5 minutes Biden came out with three whoppers.Biden claimed that Ryan “cut embassy security in his budget by $300 million below what we asked for.” Biden is exaggerating. In fact, the budget for embassy security, construction and maintenance came out $264 million lower than requested. And, as the name says, this is not only for security. First lie,. Another incorrect statement by Biden on Libya came when he said, “We weren’t told they wanted more security there. We did not know they wanted more security” shocking utter lie, not only did they ask for more security they did it a half dozen times, perhaps Biden should check what is being testified in front of congress right now.Ryan called out President Obama for not calling the assault on U.S. ambassador Stevens a terrorist-attack: “ It took the president two weeks to acknowledge that this was a terrorist attack.” he only referred to it as a reaction to the video — even in his speech at the United Nations. And Biden lied over that too saying the Intelligence Community told them this, which is a huge lie the Intel said the NEXT day it was a terror attack

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shop tom | Oct 13, 2012, 11:16 AM EDT

Winning by not losing is a silly assumption. Biden lost by being boorish, immature, and unfactual. But then, nobody expected anything different.

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eiriamach | Oct 13, 2012, 11:14 AM EDT

PaddyRanger, Joe Biden straightforwardly tagged the lies told by Paul Ryan. Among them, just on taxes (there was much more on health care and other issues): Romney's 20% cut in taxes across the board is not workable without huge cuts in govt services, as explained by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center's August study. Ryan's claim that "six studies" have shown it is workable refers to bloggers, campaign staff writers, and Bush administration "economists' words, not to the work of any independent research economists. Biden also countered Ryan's lie that Obama's tax reform would “tax about 53 percent of small-business income” with the truth that Ryan counts multimillion-dollar hedge funds and thousands of other high-income enterprises as “small businesses"-- a particularly deceptive lie for the mom-and-pop shop owners. Ryan uses biased sources for his "data," and Biden responded with facts, accurately stated, for the most part.

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paddyRanger | Oct 13, 2012, 10:41 AM EDT

eiriamach"Surgical precision," precisely! Biden was flush with facts….Nonsense, Biden was the biggest liar there, he was called out on the biggest lies all night, his did not know they requested security in Benghazi, did not know it was a terrorist attack, only what the Intell told him, unfortunately for him the Intel said the NEXT day it was a terror attack….BIDEN also lied about the Catholic organistation’s he is called out time and time again as a liar and you think he was flush with facts,….only flush here should be someone needs to flush the turd Biden and you down a toilet

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pilib04 | Oct 13, 2012, 10:14 AM EDT

Got to watch the Biden Ryan debate at Dempsey's Restaurant in Columbus with the NUNS ON THE BUS. Great to see such a crowd come out in support of Catholic Social Justice and Healthcare for all. Place was packed. The crowd definitely felt that Biden not only held his own, but clearly delineated the necessity for healthcare and the problem with Romney's 47% issue. Go raibh maith agat to the Nuns On The Bus!

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Nicoletta | Oct 13, 2012, 08:31 AM EDT

He came across as patronizing and overbearing. His position on abortion is akin to: "I would never commit murder myself but don't think I have the right to stop others from committing murder." With his views. he cannot honestly claim to be a Catholic.

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BippyBellito | Oct 13, 2012, 07:40 AM EDT

Joe Biden is a sad, protypical Crazy Mick Uncle who started drinking too early in the day to make any sense later on. He came across mor like R.P. McMurtry (see Jack Nicholsen's role) than James Joyce. Joe Biden is the quintessential Irish American Idiot, himself full of malarkey but smelling it on others.

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anglo-norman | Oct 13, 2012, 01:15 AM EDT

Gotta say Niall you are very objective NOT. Biden was a disgrace & looked like a clown.

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anglo-norman | Oct 13, 2012, 12:23 AM EDT

Thank you EK for showing how the obama paid soldiers cannot be objective.

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EphraimKibbey | Oct 13, 2012, 12:18 AM EDT

Joe Biden, you are a NATIONAL TREASURE!!! Finally someone fact checking these bozos in real time. This is what a REAL debate looks like. America has been spoiled with lights and buzzers for too long. A DEBATE is not two guys alternately each giving prepared speechs about a handful of talking points. When you debate, you ARGUE your points back and forth just like Joe did and Ryan tried to do. Unfortunately for Ryan, Romney's positions are all lies and Joe countered them expertly. Ryan's lack of knowledge on Foreign Policy showed that he is definitely NOT ready to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the United States of America and Biden's in depth knowledge showed exactly why he IS. Why is it that the GOP are such cry babies when they lose and LOSE Ryan surely did.

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irishpjk | Oct 12, 2012, 11:28 PM EDT

If you ask what I think why is it that when I agree with what you write my comments stay, and if I disagree they disappear very quickly? Just wondering and am I the only one this happens to I doubt it.

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irishpjk | Oct 12, 2012, 11:11 PM EDT

wtf. Why I believe Joe Biden was a looser last night, as a citizen of this country I was embarrassed by the condescending attitude of my vice president which he chose to display by laughing while Paul Ryan was speaking. By his ignorant and arrogant interruptions of Mr. Ryan, I also believe he stretched the truth by quite a bit; I am too polite to say he may have lied about a few things. He also insulted my Irish heritage which will cost him a vote in November.

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patrickesq | Oct 12, 2012, 07:44 PM EDT

I trust Biden/Obama on all the important issues of national security without additional warfare, a tax code based on one's ability to pay, reasonable access to quality health care and health and income security for senior citizens. The vague promises of Romney/Ryan on these issues cannot be trusted.

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joan1954 | Oct 12, 2012, 07:42 PM EDT

Granted Biden was arrogant and unfortunately this is not my parents Democratic Party. Gone are the days that the Dems understood the working class, they have alienated themselves from the likes of the independets.

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