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Michael Medved: The VP debate was bad for politics

BY Alyssa Kleven  on October 12, 2012 @ 8:53 am (Updated: 12:29 pm - 10/12/12 )

AP: be6e7d77-5ee1-44ca-a1c2-2b993dc618eb
Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan listens to Vice President Joe Biden during the debate Thursday evening. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Michael Medved thought the debate was terrible. It's not because the left is praising the rough-n-toughness of 'Uncle Joe,' claiming he was the victor. Medved thinks the candidates tied.

What has the KTTH host riled up is all of Biden's interruptions (82 by some counts,) and his snickering disguised as a laugh.

"I think it's bad for politics and it's bad for the country. And I think it's also a tremendous miscalculation by Biden," Medved told Seattle's Morning News the day after the debate.

Biden's laugh spawned Internet memes overnight, but while some have been referring to it as a chuckle, Medved called is a snicker, often posed and maniacal.

"There was not question of disrespect or rudeness," said Medved. "This crossed the line of congeniality and decorum."

He cited a long list of debates in which the Democratic candidate treated the GOP candidate as a joke. The behavior of Biden, according to the host, was unprecedented.

So appalled by the direction of the debate, Medved estimated that many viewers likely tuned out after the first 30 minutes.

But that's not how everyone felt.

Tom Tangney thought the first presidential debate was far more dull and more likely to cause viewers to walk away. "I thought last night's 90 minutes flew by and covered a lot of material."

If Tangney had been Biden's coach, he would have told him to tone it down a little bit, yes. But despite the affronting attitude of the Vice President, Paul Ryan clearly held his own.

In the light of day, Medved expressed concern. "I think the long term damage for both campaigns could be serious."

MyNorthwest.com 2012 Voter's Guide

Alyssa Kleven, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Alyssa Kleven is an editor and content producer at MyNorthwest.com. She enjoys doting over her adorable dachshund Winnie - named for Arcade Fire front-man Win Butler.
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Comments (17)


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  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    So Medved - you've got nothing more substantial to complain about than his 'attitude'
    October 12, 2012 11:56 am
    Shows how little you care about the substance of the debate that the only place your willing to go is to whine about his behavior....
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  • Sir Wesley wrote...
    The VP debate
    October 12, 2012 12:21 pm
    I know of few things moe meaningless than the VP debate. Having said that, Biden did the thing he does best. He was rude! Remember when Sarah Palin creamed him the last time he was in a debate? He obviously wasn't going to let that happen again. The only one on stage last night with even a hint of class was Ryan.So glad he didn't take the bait Biden was dishing up.
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  • hnuh wrote...
    Biden
    October 12, 2012 12:17 pm
    refused to engage. Throughout the debate Radditz protected him. The few times he did engage the lack of versimilitude in his argument made him look dishonest. They have nothing, simply nothing. A group of empty suits pretending to run the country. Disgraceful.
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Medved ,Whats BAD for the country
    October 12, 2012 2:51 pm
    Is the LYING GOP Party.You should be pointing out the LIES and half truths that the GOP tell the American public on a daily basis.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Messiah ? You really are starting to believe your self, aren't you. ?
    October 12, 2012 6:26 pm
    Had Biden clucked like a chicken of school girl chimed 'I can't hear you'. you'd have thought it was statesman-like.

    As for lies, the little man behind the screen is one of the best. Just keep repeating and repeating and eventually enough people will believe you ???

    That's worked for every successful dictator throughout history. ... At least, until it didn't.

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  • cdbtx wrote...
    I'm not sure if it was bad for politics
    October 12, 2012 3:39 pm
    but it was bad for America. I saw Biden as a person drunk on power, narcissisitic, self-centered. A person though that probably woke up this morning, as if from a drunk stupor and wonders what he did last night.

    The liberals and liberal media shared that drunkeness.., the White House

    Those blinded by ideology are unable to see what "Americans" saw last night.

    I'm willing to bet that we'll see the polls reflect a couple point drop for Obama on Monday... and continue on until election day

    The debates took the liberal media out of the picture and Americans had the opportunity to see Obama and Biden "Live and Unplugged"

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    cdbtx
    October 12, 2012 4:38 pm
    First of all I don't believe Biden drinks if Ryan doesn't he may have started after last nights poor performance.Now do you actually have any comments about the things Biden said that you disagree with or are you going to continue this nonsense?And how did you like that revelation that Ryan asked for the Stimulus money for some people in his district
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Messiah - why do you think it's wrong to help the people in your district?
    October 12, 2012 7:08 pm
    Much as you might like to believe, the world is NOT 'D's good / 'R's evil. And a program is neither. Would you begrudge a family on hard times taking food stamps - just because they voted republican? ... Besides, a lot of those 'stimulus' programs were signed in by Bush in the first place.

    Oh, and by the way. 'drunk with power' is an euphemism. I don't think anyone is accusing Joe of drinking.

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Ron P
    October 12, 2012 7:28 pm
    The poster used variations of the word DRUNK 3 times in his comments,Sean Hannity also made a reference to Biden drinking when interviewing Mitch McConnell.Its a slime ball inference that the Right is attempting to interject into the conversation.I agree that a Politician should go after money for people in his district but obviously you missed the denial by Ryan of asking for any funds in fact he said he would never ask for funds from programs he was strongly against or had voted against that shows anyone with a lick of sense that Ryan holds himself above the true interests of his own district.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    OK, messiah, let's take this OUT of politics for now - for the 'drunk' part.
    October 13, 2012 5:28 am
    I'm a non-user also, but I don't get overly sensitive to the use of the word 'drunk'. ... Yes, I know Joe hasn't used for at least 30 years (and good for him !) but 'W' was a non-user, too and people still make their jokes. ... Slime-ball, yes. But slime-ball on both sides. ... Just worry about yourself. .. Joe can do just fine (at least not drinking).
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  • Cigarillo wrote...
    @Messiah
    October 15, 2012 8:04 pm
    Biden drinks like a durn fish! Few had the opportunity to see video of the Veep entering the famed Crowley/Gates "Beer Summit" with a comically large beer bong under his arm. It took three secret service agents to pry it out of his hands and that part of the video was quickly removed from YouTube by the administrations publicity goons. The real tragedy of this is that if Vice President Biden was allowed his customary chugs, he could've started singing "The Villages" theme and settled the argument as to whether it was him or not in the famed video.
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  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    I guess when all you can complain about is his 'attitude' you sure know who won the debate!
    October 12, 2012 4:18 pm
    Gee Medved- if all you can complain about is his attitude, that would mean that your boy lost is _ss in this debate...
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  • maplefish wrote...
    Won the debate...LOL
    October 15, 2012 10:48 am
    If being totally rude, interrupting (82 times) yelling, grunting laughing, moaning, mugging and just being a flat out obnoxious asshole is a WINNER, well that speaks volumes about you. He's the old guy in the office that thinks his still cool and is actually totally irrelevant. As soon as he leaves the room, everybody laughs at him...Biden is a washed up old fart and a JOKE. Fake teeth, bad hair plugs and all, he proved to the world why we need term limits.
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  • forbes wrote...
    VP debate
    October 12, 2012 4:53 pm
    Michael, Ryan needed some Krav-Maga lessons, he looked like someone kicked sand in his face.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    My comment on Boze's column is appropriate here as well...
    October 12, 2012 5:40 pm
    I thought this was a debate from a VP point of view and a guy who would be VP point of view so I watched it in that perspective. Now, everyone knows that the VP does a lot of things but the ONLY thing that the Constitution mandates as a job requirement is to be the presiding officer of the Senate. Or, as Sarah Palin famously said, the "President of the Senate". So, voters should be evaluating a candidate's ability to do this job as a priority goal. What I saw last night was one man who laughed and mocked, grumbled and insulted, badgered and belittled, and seemed determined to ignore any semblance of debate rules or decorum. And, I saw another man, who was respectful and polite, calm and direct, focued on policy that Congress and the Senate can address and who, if one took the time to listen through the constant interruptions, was promoting a budget framework that would allow the Democrats and Republicans work on cuts and adjustments together, rather than ramming a predestined plan down their throats. So, for me, if the primary and Constitutionally mandated role of VP is to preside over and set the tone for the Senate, Ryan is the clear winner. Biden represented every petty partisan roadblock Americans have been forced to endure for so many years. Romney has proven bi-partisan abilities as governor, Ryan certainly represented the best of how mature lawmakers should behave. I give Ryan a hire.
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  • MarinaBob wrote...
    Stay with movie criticism
    October 13, 2012 1:39 pm
    Another stunning "analysis" from the brilliant author of Son of the Golden Turkey Awards."
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  • Cigarillo wrote...
    @Bobby
    October 16, 2012 12:43 pm
    Care to elaborate further? The rules of the forum allow you more space to articulate your point.
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