VP Debate

I think I have my thoughts sorted out on the VP debate a day later. As this would indicate, I am conflicted with what went down.

In many ways, the outcome was desirable, in many ways, to both Biden and Ryan. It's all game theory of human behavior. Both participants are highly rational and highly informed.

Biden
Biden did bully Ryan, but this was to be expected. He leveraged his seniority into a patronizing, and at times, sneering tone. While there is a part of me that appreciates this due to rampant GOP mendacity, I wish stylistically Biden took a higher road. He played the "fed up" with the BS role. And it is easy to do with a younger opponent such as Ryan.

In the end, I have a soft spot for Biden that is non-partisan. I enjoy his gaffes. He really does embody the goofy uncle with a heart of gold. While one should take anything a politician takes with a grain of salt, I trust Biden over a large swath of national politicians. Did you know he was one of the "poorest" US Senators? Usually not a mark of a dirty dealer, right? Cough cough... Darryl Issa.

Ryan
Ryan did only what he could do. He was respectful, calm, and polite. He was forceful, appearing sincere at times. But he isn't. He's a liar. This is largely irrelevant, as we've seen from the first Presidential debate this year. I did laugh at Ryan's canned zinger about words coming out of Biden's mouth that Biden didn't mean. But it was funny for 2 seconds, as it was clearly planned.

Ryan did what was best for Ryan - which was to appear as a rising star, and potential rising star as Presidential candidate for the Republican party in the future. He really wants nothing else. If he becomes VP, great, but I don't think he is playing his cards assuming it will happen. Ryan, lies notwithstanding, has a prominent role to play in our fact-free society. I'm still waiting for high level numbers on how he plans to balance the budget. (He made them up -- we all know that.)

Facts vs. Fabrication
Lying is almost irrelevant at this point in the election cycle. All style very little substance.

Spectators of the US VP debate are going to have a hard time discerning fact from fiction. With so many facts thrown so quickly to viewers, many don't know what to believe. Facts seem to have an increasingly water-like quality. Hard when you want them to be, soft, or gas.

I wish there were more "fact checking" services, and then and aggregator of these fact checkers that normalizes it. Sort of a Real Clear Politics for facts instead of polls. (Hey, this is an idea... anyone?)

As I'm finishing this Saturday morning, it's clear that the VP debate has become history, and won't be remembered for anything other than Biden's wide grins and barreling over Ryan, and Ryan holding his composure.

Whatever happens, let's hope it is best for the world. I happen to think it is Obama/Biden. But I am one voice out of many.