...not a debate, I know, but looks like Lil' Ryan can get a bit pissy if he's asked a question he doesn't feel he should have to answer - see the thread in Video & Multimedia:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101765603

I hope he tries to pull that crap during the debate!

If he's that easily rattled, Joe ought to eat his lunch handily.

I readily would have conceded pre-debate last week that Obama isn't at his best in debates, even when he's doing his best, if that makes sense. But Joe Biden is damn good. And he has great appeal to older voters. Older, whiter voters. He just knows how to talk to them. So I hope that he brings his best game to this debate, because when Joe's on, he's beautiful to watch. (His Giuliani takedown still sends shivers up joy up my spine.)

Anyway, I'm just curious about Ryan. He seems like such a snot-nosed kid that I'm counting on Joe schooling him. But I'd love to hear from some DUers who have seen him in action.

They will frame him positively regardless of how it turns out.

Biden won't "go after him" per se. But, Biden will be forceful and tough overall.

I suspect Ryan will be OK. Not great, not bad.

He COULD be brittle. He is a young pup who has lived in the republican bubble, and does have some history of not liking it when he is challenged.

I don't foresee him, however, having his feet held to the fire by the moderator, or from Biden, who again, I don't think is going to "go after" him per se.

Minus a pretty clear brittle moment, they media will just remember his pretty blue eyes, hair cut and pseudo bookish manner and say he "won" because he "held his own."

He lures his audience with homey 'middle-class' values, and then sets his hooked barbs in the form of euphemistic codewords in mouths expecting only the sweetness of transubstantiated goodness.

Extremely so, very dry. Watched a lot of his videos on youtube on his speeches. He never had to debate in a big debate before. His district was always safe.

Ryan is smarter then Palin and yet slightly empty when pressed for actual facts. He thinks he is smarter then he is. Being smarter then Palin is a give me for most people. Ryan has an unearned rep for being super smart. Biden has an unearned rep among Repubs for not being intelligent, for "gaffes". Joe is actually smarter then people give him credit for while Ryan is less so.

Yes! You nailed it - and I'm hoping this becomes abundantly clear during the debate.

What Repubs miss about the VP is that Biden tends to gaffe when he is comfortable, in front of a friendly crowd. Debate-Biden is pretty disciplined, not to mention way more experienced than his little twerp of an opponent.

Good to know. I know one of the theories pre-debate last week by realists was that Obama would be rusty since he hasn't debated since 2008, while Romney had a lot of practice earlier this year. I do wonder if that dynamic did play out to Romney's advantage, so I got to wondering if Ryan had much experience in that kind of forum.

We know Joe's been pretty damn good at it in the past, and I'm really hoping he pounds that little blue-eyed snot with everything he's got. But I did start wondering.

I know a lot of people get down on Biden, but I love the guy. I credit him greatly for winning over both my mom and my sister to Obama four years ago, as both of them love the guy as well. He has such a connection to the white working-class voter, and he really can take command of a debate stage. I seem to recall the consensus of the Edwards-Cheney debate was that Cheney beat the crap out of the younger, less experienced Edwards. I'd like to see Joe do the same. And Joe can do it without looking like the Dark Lord!

That is the debate technique where you overwhelm your opponent with the sheer volume lies, so that he/she cannot even begin to refute them all.

And then to top it all off, Ryan will accuse Joe of lying.

He doesn't have to carefully walk any lines this time. I don't believe in a million years he would EVER let Ryan or anyone walk over him. If Ryan tries that, and I hope he does, Joe will cut him off at the knees. I really believe that.

I know the President disappointed many for not going for the jugular, and maybe he should have. But it would have been a risk either way for him. Joe doesn't have to hold back. The accepted theory going into the VP debate is that this is where the bloodbath should take place. The VP candidates are supposed to be attack dogs. That's the expectation. And Joe is a damn good attack dog - and he does it with that big charming smile on his face.

I really can't picture in any scenario that Joe would sit back and let Ryan "Gish Gallop" him.

but I am looking forward to the debate.

http://m.journaltimes.com/news/local/journal-times-editorial-ryan-should-debate-zerban/article_a2c16a90-02a6-11e2-b5ba-001a4bcf887a.html

"Two years ago, when U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan was up against John Heckenlively, who mostly ran because no one else was, Ryan took the stage and debated his opponent for Congress.

Two years before that, Ryan debated Democratic candidate Marge Krupp, a businesswoman, and before that he debated Jeffrey Thomas, a Janesville surgeon.

This year, however, there is no word on whether Ryan will debate his Democratic opponent Rob Zerban, who undeniably is the most serious candidate the party has run against Ryan since he was elected to Congress in 1998."

The condescending head tilt and smirk with a slight nod. Ugh, that makes me want to slap him!

he is going to have to have a pretty clear brittle moment, or they will declare victory because HE HELD HIS OWN!

His lying out of his arse part, aside.

is a little under 3 hrs.

right about now!

he's never had a serious challenger to his house seat so that tells me he has less debates than the President.

...memorize 6 or 7 Repug talking points, and a couple of zingers.
When it's his turn to talk, recite the talking point that seems to him to be the most appropriate.
Never actually answer a question, or actually engage in debate.
That's what Palin did. After it's all over, right-wing pundits will praise him for being "on message!"

When he is being interviewed for instance, he seems to get annoyed pretty quickly if there are follow up questions or an implication by the interviewer that what he just said doesn't make sense or may possibly be untrue. Then he starts to stammer and dart those baby blues around, widening his eyes and seeming to get a little agitated. That's when he says things like, "If I did the math, people would change the channel." Or "I don't have time to do the math." And it is said with an edge to his voice. Even a novice can pick up his tone and the underlying anger.

I hope Joe or the moderator DO get under his skin. It is when he is CHALLENGED that he gets frustrated and shows it.