Low debate expectations a boon for VP

by Holly Robichau, bostonherald.com
October 8th 2012

Could Vice President Joe Biden, the biggest gaffe machine ever to be one heartbeat away from the presidency, win Thursday night's debate? Unfortunately, it may be easy for Democrats to declare victory — which is no reflection on Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's quality candidacy.

Last week every time Biden got close to a microphone, he handed ammunition to the Romney campaign.

First, it was "the middle class has been buried over the past four years."

He followed it up with the statement, " 'Obama and Biden want to raise taxes by a trillion dollars.' Guess what? Yes, we do."

Now no one is expecting a flawless performance by Biden.

In fact, they're bracing for a jammed packed roll-your-eyes extravaganza. The bar for Biden is set so low only an ant could crawl under it.

You have to wonder whether last week's gaffes were a brilliant strategy to lower expectations even further for the president's attack dog.

Most people forget that Biden became an attorney a year before Ryan was even born and he started serving as an elected official on the county council the following year.

When Ryan was just 3 years old, Biden was sworn in as a U.S. senator.

He has 26 years more experience than Ryan of speaking at chicken dinners and dedication ceremonies and debating in the Senate. The vice president's long career also includes serving as chairman of the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nomination hearings for Judges Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas and chairing the U.S. Committee on Foreign Relations for three years.

He has run unsuccessfully for president twice, and during the past four years Biden has been on the national stage constantly.

While most people will tune in to witness a car wreck of a performance by the vice president, they instead will see Biden deliver a competent series of stinging blows claiming that the GOP hates seniors and the middle class.

Of course, Ryan is no slouch. As a 13-year policy-wonk of a congressman, he can go toe-to-toe with the vice president.

But the expectation game for him is so high the jolly green giant couldn't get over it.

It will be big if Ryan wins Thursday night's exchange with the seasoned vice president.

However, you cannot expect the mainstream media to play it that way — especially after last week's exercise in giving every excuse in the book for President Obama's lackluster performance.

Original Page: http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/20221008low_debate_expectations_a_boon_for_vp

Shared from Pocket

Victor Cuvo, Attorney at Law

770.582.9904

(sent from new iPad)