Tonight, voters will have the opportunity to watch the one and only vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. Most pundits have noted that these debates don't change the race very much, but in 2012, the debate is now being seen as a bit more important.
That's because a "win" for Paul Ryan will continue the Republican resurgence that followed Mitt Romney's win in the first presidential debate. Of course, a win by Biden will help shore up support for Barack Obama, and maybe recapture some voter support that was lost in the battleground states after last week's debate.
While not considered terribly important, the vice presidential debates have occasionally become famous for dramatic lines or memorable moments.
In the 1988 campaign, VP candidate Dan Quayle had been regularly pestered about his relative lack of experience to serve. During the debate, he again was asked the question about his qualifications to be Vice President (and by extension, President), and he responded by favorably comparing his experience with John Kennedy's before Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Bentsen responded, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." This brought a huge response from the audience, and has been considered one of the great debating retorts of all time. Of course, Bentsen and his running mate Michael Dukakis still lost the 1988 election to George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle.
In 1992, third party candidate Ross Perot was invited to participate in the presidential debates, and his running mate Admiral James Stockdale participated the vice presidential debate. When the moderator asked Stockdale for an opening remark, Stockdale said, "Who amI? Why am I here?" This drew lots of laughs and applause, but Stockdale didn't really perform very well in that debate, and those opening remarks became real questions in the minds of many voters -- indeed, why was he there?
Hope you enjoy tonight's debate. Tomorrow, we could be talking about a major surge in voter support of the Republican candidates, or a return to the support of the candidates we had seen prior to the first debate.
John Klemanski
That's because a "win" for Paul Ryan will continue the Republican resurgence that followed Mitt Romney's win in the first presidential debate. Of course, a win by Biden will help shore up support for Barack Obama, and maybe recapture some voter support that was lost in the battleground states after last week's debate.
While not considered terribly important, the vice presidential debates have occasionally become famous for dramatic lines or memorable moments.
In the 1988 campaign, VP candidate Dan Quayle had been regularly pestered about his relative lack of experience to serve. During the debate, he again was asked the question about his qualifications to be Vice President (and by extension, President), and he responded by favorably comparing his experience with John Kennedy's before Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Bentsen responded, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." This brought a huge response from the audience, and has been considered one of the great debating retorts of all time. Of course, Bentsen and his running mate Michael Dukakis still lost the 1988 election to George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle.
In 1992, third party candidate Ross Perot was invited to participate in the presidential debates, and his running mate Admiral James Stockdale participated the vice presidential debate. When the moderator asked Stockdale for an opening remark, Stockdale said, "Who amI? Why am I here?" This drew lots of laughs and applause, but Stockdale didn't really perform very well in that debate, and those opening remarks became real questions in the minds of many voters -- indeed, why was he there?
Hope you enjoy tonight's debate. Tomorrow, we could be talking about a major surge in voter support of the Republican candidates, or a return to the support of the candidates we had seen prior to the first debate.
John Klemanski
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