Since Vice President Joe Biden took the presidential ticket in 2008, he has held nothing back in debates and has often been criticized for his aggressive personality.
On Oct 10, Vice President Biden debated Governor Mitt Romney’s running-mate, Paul Ryan in Danville, KY. As the debate commenced it became an ongoing episode of Biden rolling his eyes and laughing at Ryan.
Second-year Writing major, Hannah Twery, said, “Biden laughed and rolled his eyes at Ryan whenever he [Ryan] avoided answering questions or said misleading and untrue facts.”
Matt Taibbi, a blogger for the “Rolling Stones” commented, “He was absolutely right to be doing it [laughing]. Most of their [Romney/Ryan] platform isn’t even a real platform, it’s a fourth-rate parlor trick designed to paper over the real agenda – cutting taxes even more for super-rich d***heads like Mitt Romney, and getting everyone else to pay the bill.”
During the debate, Paul Ryan avoided answering specifics about Romney’s 20 percent tax-cut plan.
MS RADDATZ: Well, let’s talk about this 20 percent.
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well – (laughs) –
MS RADDATZ: You have refused yet again to offer on how you pay for that 20 percent across-the-board tax-cut. Do you actually have the specifics, or are you still working on it, and that’s why you won’t tell voters?
REP. RYAN: Different than this administration, we actually want to have big bipartisan agreements. You see, I understand the –
MS RADDATZ: Do you have any specifics? Do you have the math? Do you know exactly what you’re doing?
REP. RYAN: Look – look at what Mitt – look at what Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill did. They worked together on of a framework to lower tax rates and broaden the base, and they worked together to fix that. What we’re saying is here’s our framework: Lower tax rates 20 percent – we raise about $1.2 trillion through income taxes. We forgo about $1.1 trillion in loopholes and deductions. And so what we’re saying is deny those loopholes and deductions to higher-income taxpayers so that more of their income is taxed, which has a broader base of taxation.
MS RADDATZ: No specifics, yeah?
So, Mitt Romney has promised a 20 percent tax-cut plan without saying how it will be paid for. He has also said he will deny loopholes and deductions to higher-income taxpayers without specifying what loopholes and deductions.
But some SCAD students are not happy with the Obama Administration, and more specifically, Joe Biden and his controlling approach to the debate.
Third-year Writing major, Amber Ornelas, said, “I thought it was very disrespectful the way Biden laughed the entire time and made a joke out of everything. I am definitely voting for Romney. One thing that frustrated me with Joe Biden is how he lied about the Benghazi incident [assassination of U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens], how people at the embassy were requesting more backup. Biden said they [the Obama administration] never knew about that. That was a lie. They did know.”
On Friday, White House spokesman Jay Carney answered questions from reporters.
QUESTION: So, I’m wondering, what – what did the vice president mean? What did he mean by we? Did he mean the administration? Did he mean the White House?
CARNEY: He was speaking directly for himself and the president. He meant the White House.
Again, if you look at the testimony, there was no discussion of requests for personnel made here. Those are things that are handled by security personnel at the State Department. So that, I think, is – is very clear if you look at it in context in terms of what the vice president was responding to.
QUESTION: After that testimony it would seem he could have at least conceded –
CARNEY: I think the attack by and what has largely been a political attack by Republicans – in this case by Congressman Ryan – was to try to suggest that the president and the White House was responsible for assessing security in a diplomatic facility in Benghazi.
Father of ambassador Chris Stevens said, “It is abhorrent for my son’s death to be politicized in the presidential campaign.”
Stevens continued, “I’m not sure exactly what [Romney’s] been saying and not saying, but our position is it would be a real shame if this were politicized. Our concern now is memorializing Chris and remembering his contribution to the country.”
“I don’t trust Romney. He shouldn’t make my son’s death part of his political agenda,” said Barbara Doherty, whose son, Glen was killed in Benghazi. “It’s wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama.”
But Chris Stevens’ death has been politicized. Ryan and Romney have criticized Obama numerous times for Stevens’ death.