Biden, Ryan exchange ideas, insults in only VP debate

DANVILLE, Ky - If you were done watching Major League Baseball and bored watching the Tennessee Titans, Vice President Joe Biden and Republican Vice Presidential pick Paul Ryan didn't disappoint.

During their only 90-minute debate a Centre College Thursday, each candidate hurled insults, smirks, and smiles while debating foreign policy and domestic spending. But perhaps the bigger story of the night was how aggressive Biden was when answering Ryan's criticism of the Obama Administration.

Vice President Joe Biden (left), ABC's Martha Radditz, and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Photo: AP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biden labeled Ryan's version of the events in Libya as "a bunch of malarkey." He also smiled and frequently interrupted Ryan throughout most of the debate - leaving conservatives fuming, liberals cheering, and pundits wondering whether it would help or hurt their re-election campaign.

But perhaps the biggest thing Biden pulled off was that he would not allow anything charge from Ryan to left unchallenged - something that was lacking during the first debate between President Barack Obama and Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney.

"Facts matter," he said.

At the same time, Ryan kept his cool responding to Biden and answering questions from ABC's Martha Radditz, the debate's moderator. Later, Ryan told Biden that he was not only "under duress to make up for lost ground" from last week's debate performance from Obama. He lectured Biden that people would become better informed from the issues without interrupting each other and then zinged him.

"Sometimes the words don't come out of your mouth the right way," Ryan said.

On Twitter, Facebook, and television, pundits called this a tie for both candidates heading into next presidential debate on Tuesday.

Other observations:
- Biden is 69 while Ryan is 42. It's the largest age gap between vice presidential candidates in an election year, according to NBC's Brian Williams.
- Like Obama, Biden wore a blue tie while Ryan sported a red tie like Romney.
- Biden sat on the right side of the debate table while Ryan sat on the left. Romney sat on the right side during the first debate and showed passion and energy against Obama, who lacked passion and attempted to play it safe like Ryan.