Howard Fineman
Obama needs Biden to be merciless at the debate or something
That means that Biden not only has to take on Ryan, but more crucially, if by proxy, Romney.
He has to: rebut Romney’s unanswered attacks, such as the notion that federal job-training programs are wastefully duplicative; call Romney out for his brazen effort to sound like a bipartisan moderate, after a year of industrial-strength sucking up to the Tea Party; tout accomplishments of the Obama-Biden administration in ways the president mysteriously failed to do; and better explain to voters why the next four years would be better in Democratic hands than they would be under the GOP.
Is Biden up to it?
No one knows what will happen Thursday, but in theory, yes.
Blowback
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Odds of Biden coming off like an unhinged lunatic: approaching 100%
The Count on October 9, 2012 at 7:44 PM
Cling to that Joe Biden life-preserver, Howard! Cling to it!
Punchenko on October 9, 2012 at 7:46 PM
Odds of Biden coming off like an unhinged lunatic: approaching 100%
The Count on October 9, 2012 at 7:44 PM
This
DiscePati on October 9, 2012 at 7:46 PM
Oh yes, keep ratcheting up expectations for Biden.
That will make his inevitable lunatic meltdon rantings ever so much more delicious.
Rebar on October 9, 2012 at 7:47 PM
If Biden studies hard and stays on his meds for a week, he might be able to manage “barely coherent.”
Marxism is for dummies on October 9, 2012 at 7:47 PM
Why is Obama putting all the pressure on crazy Joe, especially after Barry’s poor performance?
Axion on October 9, 2012 at 7:48 PM
Blameshift
cozmo on October 9, 2012 at 7:49 PM
This is going to be great. The only thing I can imagine we have to watch out for is Ryan coming across as a snippy know-it-all. Judging by the campaign’s debate prep team’s performance though, I think we’ll be alright.
WeekendAtBernankes on October 9, 2012 at 7:50 PM
Biden will spout absurd claims with conviction… and smile smugly when he delivers the whoppers.
onlineanalyst on October 9, 2012 at 7:51 PM
His Secret Servive code name is “Celtic” nuff said.
*huffinggluepost
VegasRick on October 9, 2012 at 7:51 PM
Joe’s gonna need a little blow after this.
faraway on October 9, 2012 at 7:52 PM
I remember “Biden the Merciless” for the old Buck Rodgers serials.
hawkdriver on October 9, 2012 at 7:52 PM
That depends. Is he going to use the Indian accent or the black accent?
Rational Thought on October 9, 2012 at 7:53 PM
Biden is coming out with knives in both hands. Team Obama is putting him on a suicide mission, slash and burn Team Romney, while keeping Obama out of the gutter.
El_Terrible on October 9, 2012 at 7:53 PM
Actually, Biden doesn’t totally suck at a format like this. Off the leash, he’s a nutbag. But in close quarters, when he’s paying attention…well. He’s a professional politician with decades of experience. He can pull off the “silver fox” thing for ninety minutes, probably.
S. Weasel on October 9, 2012 at 7:53 PM
The odds of Mr. Biden becoming incontinent of urine are quite high, thus I would recommend that he wear a dark suit.
turfmann on October 9, 2012 at 7:54 PM
Actually if you look at the 2008 debate, Biden is not a bad debater. He can spew some lines with fake outrage.
faraway on October 9, 2012 at 7:54 PM
The sharia media moderators at ALL of the remaining debates are going to
allowdemand hoots and applause for Joe and catcalls for Ryan from the audience, so it will be a different environment. Crazy Joe could go out there and recite the alphabet, the stacked audience will roar its approval, and the sharia media will scream “Joe won!”Rational Thought on October 9, 2012 at 7:56 PM
If Biden pulls a Ming the Merciless against Ryan I think it hurts his ticket.
Biden…if possible…needs to show people not the Crazy Joe side voters already know and don’t like, but Cool-Headed Veteran Joe ready to be President if/when Obama gets impeached in term 2.
I do think its a good idea for Biden to not necessarily debate Paul Ryan, but keep coming back in all his remarks to the supposedly withering anti-Romney comebacks Obama needed but was too Choomed-Up to deliver last week.
Sacramento on October 9, 2012 at 7:57 PM
They are wastefully duplicative like many government programs. Is Howard proposing Biden lie?
The man never renounced Romneycare and would have easily lost the primary had the field not been so damn weak. Tea Partiers still don’t trust the guy, but Obama has to go.
Like what exactly? All his economic policies and regulations have failed, Obamacare is unpopular, and Bin Laden is dead but so is a U.S. Ambassador.
What is Biden going to do, tell more black people they’ll be put back in chains if Romney wins?
LOL, let him loose, I’d love it.
Daemonocracy on October 9, 2012 at 7:58 PM
In other words, distract, attack, lie, and make false promises. Loudly. I think Biden is up to it.
RedRedRice on October 9, 2012 at 7:58 PM
I have no doubt that he can be sharp when he tries. However, how is he going to defend stimulus no workee, Ocare shoved down our throats, massive spending increases on everything, to name just a few? He didn’t look all that great against Palin, and Ryan is very good with not getting tripped up.
arnold ziffel on October 9, 2012 at 7:59 PM
He could be if his opponent weren’t there or, at the very least, was in the audience and not allowed to respond.
rogerb on October 9, 2012 at 8:02 PM
Obama needs Biden to
be mercilessWEAR HIS PANTS at the debate or something.Hey, if Biden can manage to show up for the debate on the right day, fully clothed, he will have surpassed obama’s performance.
Pork-Chop on October 9, 2012 at 8:02 PM
I agree. Odds of overcompensation are extremely high.
lorien1973 on October 9, 2012 at 8:06 PM
The irony.
Is Fineman paid by the Obama campaign??
CW on October 9, 2012 at 8:07 PM
Remember, in the mind of the modern Democrat party, objecting to trillion-per-year deficits is an “extreme” position.
visions on October 9, 2012 at 8:08 PM
It’s pretty foolish of them to put all their eggs in one Biden. If he fouls up, it makes Obama look even worse. If he swings for the fences and gets lucky, it makes Obama look… worse.
Complicating factor: Joe ’16?
Seth Halpern on October 9, 2012 at 8:12 PM
Chain, chain, chain…
Chain of fools…
Rixon on October 9, 2012 at 8:12 PM
You rang for Ming the Merciless?
faraway on October 9, 2012 at 8:14 PM
Merciless, insightful, and focused… like a blind dog in a slaughterhouse.
petefrt on October 9, 2012 at 8:17 PM
I hate to risk the let-down that comes after overconfidence, but for the life of me, I cannot imagine Biden coming out well from this debate.
Extra popcorn for all.
petefrt on October 9, 2012 at 8:21 PM
Gird Your Loins!!
jaime on October 9, 2012 at 8:23 PM
Biden was game during the John Roberts nomination hearings. He was the one with the famous 20-minute “questions.” This was back when he was widely considered an operator with a six-pack common-man shtick, well before he revealed himself as a ——- idiot with chronic verbal diarrhea when forced to opine at length and breadth in public as VP.
The upshot of all this is that I expect Biden to come off as much smarter than his portfolio indicates. If Ryan is really clever, he’ll focus less on winning the debate on substance and more on saying something that will lead Biden off-message – it’s not hard – but it’s more likely Ryan will be focused on his own message and Biden will manage a draw by loading up on zingers.
HitNRun on October 9, 2012 at 8:25 PM
Biden is a better debater than Obama (who isn’t??), but the best debater in the world has to at some point be tethered to a record. That is what the lefties do not understand. They have been in office 4 years and are asking for 4 more. The audience expects answers to questions, like what are you planning for the future or why is the deficit so high under your watch? They have no answers whether they are feisty or stoned.
txmomof6 on October 9, 2012 at 8:26 PM
I’ll wait patiently for Biden to address Paul Ryan as “son”.
JPeterman on October 9, 2012 at 8:31 PM
What I’m looking forward to is Ryan being free to attack on Libya and Fast and Furious since this debate encompasses all topics. This stuff NEEDS to be tied to Obama in front of a big audience. Plus, an attack of this nature gives Ryan the best chance to ruffle Biden and get him angry. For the most part, I think Biden will be fine. He’s experienced enough to know what he has to do. I feel a lot better with Ryan on our side though.
RepublicanInMA on October 9, 2012 at 8:32 PM
Okay, Joe, three words:
That’s French for “fewer thanks,” you know.
de rigueur on October 9, 2012 at 8:44 PM
Don’t be cocky. Don’t take anything or anyone lightly. There are still a lot of work to be done till Nov 6.
bayview on October 9, 2012 at 8:47 PM
I remember the Bork hearings. Biden is a lying bully – he’s a real bigshot tough guy can when no one can answer back. He’s a p*ssy – all bluff and bluster. A PROVEN liar and thief. He’s not a nice old man – he’s mean and selfish, along with his phony “DR” wife. Really, an Ed.D and you use “Dr.” to be introduced? Pompous asses both.
hamnj7 on October 9, 2012 at 8:48 PM
That’s going to take some fancy footwork since the debate is supposed to focus on foreign policy.
onlineanalyst on October 9, 2012 at 8:51 PM
THE BIDEN-RYAN DEBATE
What Biden Is Preparing…
de rigueur on October 9, 2012 at 8:57 PM
Don’t see ‘ole Joe coming off like Lord Humongous.
Mohawk’s little boy love slave maybe.
LincolntheHun on October 9, 2012 at 9:08 PM
Biden will be prepared and extremely aggressive.
Among other things, Romney’s line about the 47% will be thrown at Ryan. Biden will talk up the Obama administration’s “achievements” while suggesting that a Romney administration will cause all kinds of untold harm. We may even hear that the Republicans are waging a “war on women.”
Ryan will do well, but people are making a mistake if they think Ryan will “mop the floor with Biden.”
The debate will likely be a dog fight.
Just my two cents worth.
john.frank on October 9, 2012 at 9:09 PM
The VP debate is for both domestic and foreign policy issues.
Also do not forget the role of the moderator of the debate, who may be inclined to help Team Barry stops the bleeding. The question is how blatant that will be.
bayview on October 9, 2012 at 9:18 PM
If he can figure out how to lock the entire country into a storage closet, Biden has a chance.
Left Coast Right Mind on October 9, 2012 at 9:55 PM
As a Tea Party type myself, I have to say that Romney appealed to me and the principles I stand for during the debate. I never really got the feeling Romney was trying to win my vote in the primary season. I was going to vote for Romney against Obama (but I would have voted for a bag of wet cement against Obama) anyway… but last week’s debate was the first time I actually came away actually wanting to vote FOR Romney. So I don’t know what the hell Fineman is talking about.
Salted Meats on October 9, 2012 at 10:16 PM
Who’s going to sit on Joe’s lap during the debate?
Baerwulf on October 9, 2012 at 10:25 PM
Fineman?
claudius on October 9, 2012 at 11:08 PM