"Let Biden Be Biden" Works for Vice President Biden

DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) shakes hands with Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) during the vice presidential debate at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

The vice-presidential debate (or joint appearance, if you prefer) Thursday night in Danville, Kentucky was like watching Goofus and Gallant.  There was Vice President Joe Biden, grinning and interrupting as he showed the world how much more polished and in command of the facts he had than his Republican opponent, Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan.  And he was.  Ryan, the comparative chiorboy, seemed to have only one expression besides quaffing a lot of water and defending his running mate, Mitt Romney.  At least they weren't discussing Big Bird.

In spite of acting like a little boy goofing off in class, Biden covered all the bases that President Barack Obama did not during his first debate (the 47%, keeping GM in business, etc.), thereby calming the Democrats' panic now that the presidential race is dead-even.  Biden seemed to take great pride in knocking down Ryan's arguments as Republican "malarkey".

Ryan did his best to present a calm, collected demeanor as he answered questions from moderator Martha Raddatz of ABC (for whom any comparison to Jim Lehrer at this point is just piling on).  Try as he might, Ryan just couldn't compete with Biden's antics.  But when it came to a question on what a Romney administration would propose on taxes, he couldn't do it without more Obama-bashing.

There are two more presidential debates to go, with the next one on Tuesday night.  We can expect both Romney and Obama to carry on in a professional manner and debate the issues.  But it won't be as entertaining as what we just witnessed Thursday.