I thinPaul Ryan was the winner He kept his focus spoke his plan and had a sense o dignity' where as Biden acted like it was a circus and kept smirking and distracting and came across with hostility at times. Ryan was the winner and shows diplomacy and a plan for a greater America in all levels

I think most of America will agree that VP joe Biden won this debate. Both men came out aggressively, but when it comes to content Biden destroyed Ryan. Ryan failed to offer specifics, and failed to demonstrate how his policies will be better than Obamas. Ryan hid behind lies, telling the American people that the economy is getting worse and that unemployment is rising.

OBAMAS' bad enough but what's very frightening is that the buffoon BIDEN is only a heart-beat away from the Presidency! God help us if they get a second term.

Dan Devine, I agree. And I'm glad you let Rudy play the last series against Georgia Tech.

I didn't watch the whole debate. It was too close to bedtime to risk having to fall asleep with the image of Joe Biden's disturbing smile. So I turned to the radio. Still could not shake Biden's pearly whites. Plus I could still hear him laughing.
I'll have to watch and pay close attention to what he found so funny.

Biden was so disrespectful last night he clearly lost.

Oh people can't you see? One guy CLEARLY won. Oh no wait, the other guy won.

They both lost and both choices in every race are poor, we are going to end up in another great depression.

If you like the crazy-uncle-in-the-attic routine, then Biden is your man. He laughed and interrupted throughout the entire so-called debate. For me, Paul Ryan did well under the circumstances. The circumstances being: the crazy uncle and a moderator who clearly favoted the crazy uncle. Although interrupted and talked over many times, Ryan managed to get some points across. Biden, when not foolishly laughing, made some valid points also. Bottom line: there was nothing memorable about this debate.

FYI: CNN polls gave Ryan 48% to Biden's 44%. CBS polls favored Biden by a greater amount. Mark Halperin of Time magazine gave Ryan a B to Biden's B-... if any of it matters.

@Michael: "jet-black obviously dyed hair"

Paul Ryan is 42 and has always had black hair. The hair was probably wet down with a product to keep it in place which tends to make it appear darker. He is not a man who needs hair plugs.

Sorry that the color of his hair disturbed you. How about the eyes? Do you like the blue eyes?

How interesting that nearly all the comments here refer only to the participants' affect or to their looks, yet there are few on this board discussing the substance of the debate. To me, this shows that Americans now put as much thought into choosing their candidates as they do voting for a contestant on American Idol. as a result, you will get the President you deserve.

Andy I think it is important to talk about how rude Biden was to Ryan. It shows what kind of a person he is.

Now that I have watched it, I can comment on the substance. I did not hear anything new. I found they agreed more than disagreed.
It seemed the moderator was tougher on Ryan regarding specifics. I think it is near impossible for anyone to give specifics in a 90 minute debate with so many questions on very broad and complicated subjects. So we should not expect specifics. So we are left with style.

Yes Biden was rude. His smile disturbing and his laughter inappropriate. I think Ryan held his own. In fact, I think he did quite well given the circumstances. Win goes to Ryan.

Personnaly I wouldn't give either of them the time of day.

Game set and match...Benghazzi will be Barry's achilles heal

Romney and Ryan are not worthy of a vote until we get details. Anyone can promise puppy dogs and unicorns, or even Hope, but until the facts are in front of us it's just another used car sales pitch.

Regarding specifics, Stoughton if you recall, Romney, Ryan asked for specifics for a budget. As you know, there hasn't been a budget for 3 years. They were referred to the press office who then sent them a copy of a speech Obama gave. They're all so silly.

To me it looked like the Old Codger and the Young Buck....crazy smirking Joe vs. Ryan being too polite....basically a draw. Had Ryan executed a perfect put down, he'd have been the outright winner.

82 interruptions by B. Huiessen Obamas VP.
The only question that should have been asked was

"Since the current policies are bankrupting the country, what are you going to change".
What a surprise we never heard that with the lib moderator.

Biden was a certified jerk.

Biden stuttered and stammered and at one point MADE UP A WORD. What does convated mean, Joe??? Why was he laughing so hysterically? No one else was!

Biden clearly won. When the right has to say Biden lost because of his smirking/laughing or due to the moderator you definatly are trying distract from the fact that Ryan lost on the facts and substance. The left did the same last week.

cheezy litte frat boy lost. All he had is lies and distortions about Obama administration.
Biden won by a mile. Nothing like years of experience in government and 'being in the room'--there when historic decisions were made. Biden was far more knowledgeable and convincing.

Must be the first "old white guy" you've ever had a good word for. Read your hate sites for the day?

Biden had the decency to answer the question about the older veteran disgusted with partisan politics by directing his answer to this person, as an example of what many people were feeling. Go back and watch this. Biden has decency and respect. Wet behind the ears gives lip service and forgets the real person he's supposed to be answering. He launches into the prepared series of lies/talking points his masters filled him with.
You can't win if you forget the decency of the people who served this country and are now disillusioned by the hyper-partisanship that the Right, since Gingrich was Speaker of the House, foisted on the American electoral system.

Gretch's credibility has long since dipped below the Mendoza line.....
Let's recap: "Gore won Florida by 5,000 votes" and if you oppose The Messiah, Barack Hussein Obama, Emporer of 57 States, and the smartest man in the room, you are racist. Now, (Plugs) "Biden by a mile"......good god, you can't make this stuff up !

Ken, ridicule gets you nowhere
please have the decency to call me by my right name

Biden was far from having decency and respect during this debate, in fact, it was Ryan who was the epitomy of those qualities.

Joe Biden was a rude, aarogant jerk who kept interrupting Paul Ryan, and this guy is our Vice President?? Paul Ryan won this debate, he kept his composure while Biden was acting like a childish fool.

R. Hood. Really? $250 thousand a year and you are just geting by? The median income is $50 thousand. Some people make less than $10 thousand. And I bet they work really hard as well. How do you think they are doing? How do you think they buy goceries, much less pay college tuition? Should people not be entitled to eat?

Jane Street, Really? - That's what food stamps & E.B.T. cards are for.

joe biden won by a mile wake up america joe biden was honest thats who he is.

Lady, open your mind, there's 41 MILLION PEOPLE on food stamps. The first estimates for food stamps was the bottom 1%. That's 3 million who gov planners thought would need the program. The lady getting crab legs, Peruvian scollops, roast beef, fresh cheese, and bacon @ Market Basket and paying with a EBT card, she looked neither disabled or malnourished. My country is running out of money, spend more is a ticket to bankruptcy. Thank you B. Hussien Obama.

that's rightwing propaganda. Keep chewing on your hate.

Do away with all the EBT cards and freebees for the freeloaders who don't want to work and are abusing the system. Eliminate all freebees for illegals and start sending them on the boat to where they came from!

you guys are obsessed with this myth

What you call myth is actually the truth; then again you would rather get your information from CNN, ABC, NBC,CBS, MSNBC, NPR which are all liberal left wing media hacks for the Obama administration.

Ladies and Gentleman, elitist Richard Lunt gets his news from Fox, that paragon of veracity. This myth is as old as Reagan. Get over yourself, will you. Get some new talking points, will you. I understand Newt Gingrich has a lot of them going cheep. These lost all luster 3 decades ago.

Elitist?? Wow, have you got me pegged wrong on that one. I'm far from being an elitist; however, I'm trying to work on it though but due to the miserably failed liberal socialist policies of the Obama administration, job growth is stagnant and even non existent.

Richard: your hate-the-poor rhetoric hides the reality of hunger and want in the US. And republicans want to cut food stamps and school lunches, for starters.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/no_room_for_the_poor_in_this_election_20121011/

Gretchen,
I don't hate the poor, I just despise the people who are abusing the system and are buying lavish dinners and flat screen TV's with their EBT cards, there is a huge difference there. There are people who really need and deserve these programs and there are people who don't need these programs because they are able to work and fend for themselves; however, they choose to take the easy way, those are the people that I have a problem with which is why we need serious reforms in the welfare system.

you, sir, are either misinformed or willingly choose to believe lies

should brush up on your history. Lets start with famine: We could do the same with floods, earthquakes, fires drought and war. Only recently have governments begun to respond.
1996 North Korean famine.[83][84] Scholars estimate 600,000 died of starvation 1998 1998 Sudan famine caused by drought Sudan 700470000000000000070,000[82]
1998–2000 Famine in Ethiopia. The situation worsened by Eritrean-Ethiopian War Ethiopia
1998–2004 Second Congo War. 3.8 million people died, mostly from starvation and disease Democratic Republic of the Congo
2000–2009 Zimbabwe's food crisis caused by Mugabe's land reform policies[86] Zimbabwe
2003 Famine in Sudan/Darfur (Darfur conflict) Sudan
2005 2005 Malawi food crisis Malawi
2005-2006 2005–06 Niger food crisis Niger
2006 2006 Horn of Africa food crisis Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya
2008 Myanmar food crisis. Cyclone Nargis devastated Burma's major rice-producing region.[87] Myanmar
2008 North Korean food crisis[88][89] North Korea
2008 Horn of Africa food crisis[90][91] Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya
2008 Afghanistan food crisis[92] Afghanistan
2008 Bangladesh food crisis[93] Bangladesh
2008 East Africa food crisis[94] East Africa
2008 Tajikistan food crisis[95] Tajikistan
2009 Kenya food crisis[96] 10 million Kenyans face starvation.[97] Kenya
2010 Sahel food crisis [98] Sahel
2011 Horn of Africa[99] Somalia and neighboring countries
2012 West African Famine. Mali and Niger.

The presidential election is not a sporting event, as much as what passes today as the media would have us believe. Once, there was media analysis of the policy issues that really matter. Once there was a clear difference between news and entertainment. The media saw its role as having a serious responsibility for informing, not simply entertaining the American people. There were actual grownups that made up the media.

It is clear that what actually happened in this debate, or any debate, is not an issue in the alleged "votes" above. Most comments are no more than spleen-venting of preconceived ideas. These comments are repeated again and again by the same people, regardless of the paticular Patch article. If there is one single identifiable danger to the survival of our republic, it is the irresponsibility of the media in fanning these flames of division with the "sporting event" mentality. Media refusal to be properly critical and informative is the greatest danger of all to the future of the country. Voters cannot make responsible decisions without real information upon which to reflect and make informed decisions. I vote that the media won and the American people lost---again.

http://www.bread.org/media/releases/food-insecuirty-2012.html
Washington, DC, September 5, 2012
New data released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveal that 14.9 percent of American households —including one in six Americans—suffered from food insecurity in 2011. Food insecure households are those that struggle to put food on the table and often don’t know where their next meal will come from. In 2011, 16.7 million children lived in such households.

“These figures are unconscionably high, but virtually unchanged since 2008,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “Federal safety net programs are working to keep hunger at bay even as unemployment and poverty remain high.”

Nutrition programs like SNAP (The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps), WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) and school meal programs have kept more Americans from going hungry. The U.S. food insecurity rate reached an all-time high in 2008—the highest on record since the USDA began recording in 1995. The figures remained at that level through 2011 .
ead.org/media/releases/food-insecuirty-2012.html

All good reasons as to why we need to change to the Romney/Ryan 2012 team.

Teach Venture Capital to students. Teach terms like: Seed Money, Angel Investors and IPO's. The market is flush with capital, you just need to know where to look for it.

Enough of the nanny state mentality. It's time for a change in leadership. Tiime to put our country back where it belongs, as the leader.

what Catholics are concerned with -- and it's not what the Republican and Religious Right, including the bishops assume

http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/news/pr/2012/NewPollRevealsHowCatholicsViewKeyElectionIssues.asp

It Amazes me that a generation that fought communisim and socialism are running toward a party, Dem, that is embracing them. Like moths to a flame. Greatest Generation???? I think there is still time to defeat the godless hoard......

Aid was originally meant for Widows and Orphans! Not for everone who feels s/he is entitled or wants things such as a nice car, cable and a new tattoo or fake hair and nails. The United States of America used to be a place where poeple were welcome to come as long as they assimilated and worked the same as our own citizens. Now people come and refuse to learn the language and our "Leaders" perpetuate that by printing ballots in multiple languages and every bank and voicemail now prompts us to "Press 1 for English." We must return to a time when churches and community organizations take care of those who are in true need and we welcome those who want to become citizens in every way including learning the language and participating in and appreciating our work ethic and customs. People think things that are free, aren't worth anything. In other words, when forty-seven percent of the citizens are NOT paying any taxes, of course they see nothing wrong with complaining about their "free" stuff and demanding more. As I tell my kids, if you want that so much, earn it.

you insult immigrants who come here with such a desire to make a life here and succeed, who struggle and work harder than many American couch potatoes. Stop blaming everyone else. Immigrants built this country and do work that no one else will do. You just need someone to dump on!!! something to gripe about. That's why I call the Tea Party the Pity Party. Worse bunch of crybabies I ever saw. All negativity all the time.

Gretchen, I am R. Hood's cousin from California. I have first-hand knowledge of immigrants. I work with both immigrants and those "American Couch Potatoes" you referenced. I agree that some immigrants work very hard. My grandparents who emmigrated here worked many jobs at one time to make ends meet and they did so legally, waiting in line and they learned the language. No one gave them anything. California is bankrupt because of those who come illegally and we are forced to educate their children in our schools, provide free lunches for them, free healthcare and we are forced to pay people extra because we must employ people who speak their language because they refuse to learn English. There are entire communitites where you can't even order at the McDonalds because no one in the community speaks English - in America!

Hey babe, spin it all you want, 41 MILLION people in this ocean of wealth who say they can't feed themselves is an obscenity.
Don't blame the Tea Party for wanting people to "GULP" work for a living. If you ever had a productive job in your life you would agree.

Notre Dame Files Religious Liberty Lawsuit Related to HHS Mandate. Link found at:

http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/30962-notre-dame-files-religious-liberty-lawsuit-related-to-hhs-mandate/

DB, try not to be more of an ignoramus than you already are. How dare you accuse me of not having a productive job. That's rude, untrue, and typical of the hostility and judgmentalism that will cost the Republicans the presidency and the Senate.

R. Hood. Thank you for taking the time to explain your point of view. I learned something from your experience. And you gave me something to think about. Quick response is that California's problems are indeed serious and I need to learn more about it. But please don't extrapolate to all immigrants the Alabama has with its draconian laws.

Yet another big mouth, hate monger, name calling, unproductive lib. The truth hurts these types, but with such a closed mind who will everr know?
Go try and bankrupt someone else's country, babe.

Also, notice how the babe NEVER talks about the 41mil on stamps. But that would take something the babe does not possess, an open mind.

every hostile comment and every judgment needs to be applied to yourself. But I guess you are incapable of looking in the mirror and asking if what you are doing is productive or effective or just more of the negativity that Gingrich spawned

Bankrupt California Towns the Fruits of Liberal Leadership - article by Doc Vega, July 17, 2012; Stockton, California. Link found at:

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12615439-bankrupt-california-towns-the-fruit-of-liberal-leadership

there are bankrupt towns all over the country
seems biased/blind to blame one party
but I bet it's not your community going without
police, public schools, fire department...
Ever hear of Scott Walker??
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/20/why-u-s-cities-are-going-bankrupt/

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/20/why-u-s-cities-are-going-bankrupt/

Here's a link to the average food stamp benefits by states.
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?cat=1&ind=26

Anyone up for putting their state's figure up for a test?

Updated March 14, 2012
Determining Eligibility
Under federal rules, to be eligible for benefits a household's[1] income and resources must meet three tests:[2]

Its gross monthly income — that is, its income before any of the program's deductions are applied — generally must be at or below 130 percent of the poverty line. For a family of three, the poverty line in federal fiscal year 2012 is $1,545 a month. Thus, 130 percent of the poverty line for a three-person family is $2,008 a month, or $24,096 a year. The poverty level is higher for bigger families and lower for smaller families.[3]
Its net income, or income after deductions are applied, must be at or below the poverty line.
Its assets must fall below certain limits: households without an elderly or disabled member must have assets of $2,000 or less, and households with an elderly or disabled member must have assets of $3,250 or less.[4]
Yeah, these "moochers" are getting rich off our tax dollars. Anybody want to trade places with these folks? So much for what Jesus taught.

I just don't buy the grape story below. And as far as "...as one taxpayer to another....," substitute their favorite word "Christian" for "taxpayer."

BTW, babe I've prob got an IQ 40 pts higher than yours. What does that make you?

you are revealing how totally inadequate you feel inside. In republican circles this kind of juvenile put-down passes for comment but not among adults

As an undecided independent...and looking at these comments I honestly think that this whole country needs to be revamped. Supporting illegal aliens who mooch off the country....saying the offspring of illegals born in this country deserve to be supported.......folks using EBT cards to purchase such things as high priced food items..tattoos and recreational drugs seems a bit off to me....and all the skewed stats thrown around in here ...makes my head spin.
Debates, and politics, do bring out the worst if folks at times. All I saw in the VP debate was arrogance and disrespect reigning on both sides of the ball. Bidon came across as the old fashioned arrogant old man who was out of touch with the reality of the real world....standing for everything I don't believe in while Ryan just had an air of inexperience and arrogance about him as well. And here..the comments being lashed back and forth...the multiple topics on conversation and debate truly do bring out the worst in people.....They should legalize weed and everyone kick back..smoke a little and just relax. The country is going to hell in a bucket....there is a group taking advantage of whats being offered...call it freeloading or playing the system if it may be and there is another group who think that people who are here illegally actually have rights.....ya..they have the right to do things by the book and legally..(cont)..

but shame on the folks who give these illegals everything leaving the folks who are legal, with nothing....something is messed up with the thought process of people around here.....too much alcohol maybe? Maybe alcohol should be made illegal....oh ya..that's right..they tried that already...didn't work so it was legalized and taxed...just like cigs. what would happen if we didn't have that tax money?...No EBT Cards for the abusers to buy alcohol?...get a clue USA. politicians are the biggest crooks of them all in this country, biggest source of corruption and an honest politician is an oxymoron

Once a debate loses civility, it loses credibility, That is a major problem we have in this couintry today. The art of being able to "agree to disagree" and come to compromises has been lost. All sides have valid points that can be applied to the solution that benefits the majority. Compromising is no longer happening in DC. BOTH sides have dug their heals in and it hurting everyone. One thing everyone seems to have forgotten is the fact there is NO solution that can benefit everone fairly. We all, at times, have had to bite the bullet on certain issues. THat is the way life is, there really is no such thing as a UTOPIAN society. Time to get back to reality for the betterment of this country. I've done fairly well in my lifetime. I've learned that many of my WANTS are not really NEEDS. Far too many people believe that wants are needs. Everything can downsize without hurting people, waste has become a part of our way of life. Time to reverse this.

I think this thread has run it's course and a new one will start on Wednesday. I think we
can, also, agree that we're all in this sinking ship togther. Just that some of us favor stopping the leaks while others favor drilling additional leaks. Here's hoping our children, and grandchildren, know how to swim!

Joe Biden - Class Rank is 506th out of 688. That = 0.735.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden

Paul Ryan - Early Life & Education.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan

I'm going to vote for Obama as many times as I can, my dead dog and great great grand daddy will also be at the polls on November 6th.

R. Hood: There's no stopping the leaks. We will cut government spending and create additional unemployment. We will cut programs for low income people and deprive them of resources they need to purchase goods and help sustain the middle class. We will not cut military spending which creates fewer jobs than non-defense spending. We will cut the deficit by foregoing infrastructure repair and the transition to a non-fossil fuel society, thereby creating new and bigger leaks. We will continue to replace jobs for people with technology. We will continue to buy 5 cheap shirts made in China rather than one well-made American shirt. Happy Monday!

There are some very simple things we can all do to help assist and defray capital expenses. For instance, when it comes to road repair along the coastline, particularly state and private owned parking lots....why not use clam shells and broken clam shells (hence not sharp to puncture tires), and use this natural resource for parking lots along beaches here in New England, where possible. The $$$-savings alone on not paving these parking lots, adds up. That is just one small way, using common sense, where we can save money. I would prefer the clam shells, over pavement anyway.

Janet, good thought for local area and being porous it would help rainwater leach into the aquifer. But not practical for large scale...
There are lots of magazines and books on permaculture one could look at for practical more solutions that could and are being tried. Those are things we could all agree on, if and when we stop the war here. And if we are working for agreed upon facts, like climate change. It took Bush II years to admit there was such a thing as climate change and even so, I've seen people on local Patches saying it's a liberal plot, that we can't question capitalism.
If we hadn't questioned capitalism and their 'it will cost jobs' we never would have confronted the tobacco lobby about cigarettes. That was radical at the time but accepted now. Car safety and seat belts-- maligned as draconian government at its worst...now it's accepted.

ttgb

"The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."
John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian born American economist (1908-2006)

Dan Devine - just drive over the snow. That's what a 4x4 is all about.

What is pending approval mean Patch? You've turned this site into a Kos/moveon.scum/Mediamatters left wing hate site.

D.B.
I get that all the time....
only I don't over-react.

D.B. it means we are not earthy crunchy people

@Gretchen Robinson - thanks for your thoughts. Where the writer/blogger above @Carol Bragg commented on "infrastructure repair" - hence my comment was added suggesting using broken clam shells for coastal roads, paths, parks and parking lots when it makes sense to consider.

You might want to consider reading:

http://www.atmc.umassd.edu/researchandlabs/prism/

The ATMC at UMass-Dartmouth hosting Sean Bielat's recent debate. The high cost of these studies there, I offered a suggestion. We are already using the clam shells in some local marina's. A less expensive alternative that is environmentally friendly.

I got a kick out of @Dan Devine's comment above. Thanks for putting a smile on my face.