Pressure is on Ryan to show he can lead the nation

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Rep. Paul Ryan has made news in the past as the author of budgets so controversial they've played major roles in campaigns far from his Wisconsin House district. But his debate this week with Vice President Joe Biden catapults him into a whole new league, requiring him to show he's capable of leading the nation.

"What debate?" Ryan, 42, joked with reporters over the weekend as he took his wife and three children to pick out pumpkins for Halloween at Apple Holler, a southern Wisconsin orchard and farm. "You know, I'd better get started. You just reminded me," he said, laughing.

In reality, Ryan had just come off more than three days of intense debate preparation in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, featuring former solicitor general Ted Olson as a stand-in for Biden, and more than a month of studying briefing materials and practicing with aides.

Romney building momentum after debate and new poll numbers
The pressure is on for the VP debate

GOP nominee Mitt Romney did so well last week against President Obama that some of the pressure on Ryan has eased. On the other hand, Biden's main task is to repair some of the damage done by Obama's listless performance - which means he won't be cutting Ryan any breaks.

Ryan himself has said that Romney's successful performance actually raises the bar for him. He has told several media outlets that after Obama's showing, he expects Biden to come at him "like a cannonball."

Biden's preparations include a "debate camp" in his hometown of Wilmington, Del. that kicked into high gear Tuesday. Before the last-minute cram sessions - made more urgent by Obama's weakness last week - he had done two mock debates with Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Ryan's stand-in.

"What I've been doing mostly quite frankly is studying up on Congressman Ryan's positions on the issues. And Gov. Romney has embraced at least everything I can see," Biden told reporters last week. He said he is focusing on factual accuracy. Biden has also read Ryan's book about rising conservative leaders, Young Guns, and watched his interviews and speeches, mostly since Ryan has become a vice presidential candidate, a campaign official said.

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[bbglow]

Scary ... the RNC counteracts their own scare tactics ... :|.

[2happy2ride]

Biden told reporters last week. He said he is focusing on factual accuracy.

Two words you don't much hear from a liberal, factual & accuracy.
Guess he won't be saying much...

[sharkboy234]

Joe Biden will win the VP Debate Thursday Joe Biden win the VP debate.

[randysanders]

So far it's a matter of opinion on who did best in the debate. Sure, polls indicate that Romney has made gains in swing states, but the majority of voters have yet to cast their vote. Early elections still show Obama ahead, as do some polls. Formal debate rules and how a candidate responds to each issue seems to have fallen by the wayside. As most reports have stated, Romney either misrepresented his positions or possible solutions to a given issue more times than not. This was Romney's plan all along. Some have called it gishing. Ryan's plan in the debate must be simiar to Romney's, "attack, state some position change on an issue, and attack." Romney and Ryans plan in the debates isn't formal debating as most debaters know it.

In normal debates, each candidate states their position on an issue with their proposed solutions then the other candidate is given a chance to rebut it. Then the candidate is given a chance to refute the others position or statements. Then they switch turns and whoever started first goes second.

Usually there are three rounds about three separate issues.

During Romney Obama's debate, Romney interjected during Obama's turn and the moderator didn't stop Romney once. The moderator then allowed Obama to have extra time.

I wonder if the same debate rules under Jim Lehrer will be in affect for the next debates and other moderators. If so, formal debating isn't a recognizable event anymore.

[seabass6251]

An open discussion of the issues is still important to many voters.

Obama thinks Social Security is sound.

Obama thinks taking $700B out of Medicare is prudent.

Obama thinks adding more than 50% to our national debt in less than 4 years is a recipe for success.

Obama thinks raising taxes on the middle class will improve the lives of the middle class.

To be quite honest, it didn't make much of a difference to me what Romney said in the debate because Obama eloquently explained what not to do all by himself.

[bluejacket2-2009]

Paul Ryan can lead all right, he is more than willing to lead the old and poor to the cliff... dead old and poor don't cost the government a penny!!

This is truley Paul Ryan!

[2happy2ride]

Apparently you have researched or read nothing. Your information comes from the 4 Pinocchio commercial put out by the same people that removed God from their platform, then read the results of the floor vote from a teleprompter, written BEFORE the vote ever took place!

[seabass6251]

If I were a senior, I'd be scared to death with Obama's panel of experts deciding what care you receive. The military has socialized medicine already, and my limited knowledge of it is not that it is received well. So, Obama figures if it doesn't work well, it must not work well for everyone so let's all give it a try.

[jaye63]

Ryan is going to have an easy time of it. Biden makes Quayle look like a genius.

[bluejacket2-2009]

I hope Ryan admits he doesn't want Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or food stamps any more... In effect, he and the tea party don't want a Federal Government at all!!! Let the old, poor, sick and helpless flounder on their own until they are gone...

[seabass6251]

The federal government was not established nor ever intended to take care of the old, poor, sick, or helpless.

[bluejacket2-2009]

Yeah, CBS should ask him if he can be an Army General!After he gets done slashing the non military government by 20% to pay for the tax cuts for the rich only the Army will remain...

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Funny how no republican supporter can cite ANY republican policy, bill/legislation that favors ordinary Americans over corporations, big oil, big pharma and the super rich. That questions has been asked for months and NO ONE HAS ANSWERED It YET

[jaye63]

I really dont care. The direction we are heading now has us becoming the next Greece in under 10 years if Obama gets re-elected. I would rather suffer Mitt for 4 years than to suffer Obama for one more day. And dont peg me as a GOP fanboi. I didnt vote for McCain, I did Vote for Clinton, I voted for Reagan twice, against Bush senior, and for Bush Jr once. Quit being a party fanboi and realize what's being done to our country.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Amazing that you are blind to obstrction by republicans in congress and senate that has caused much of the pain in the economy. Bust somehow republicans would magically start caring for ordinary Americans and passing legislation that favors them over corporations, big oil and the super rich?

Not much of a thinker are you?

[Charlie459]

I hope that people will look at Ryan's budgetary proposals, such as his idea to slash federal Medicaid funding by about one-third. Given the large number of nursing home patients across the country who rely on Medicaid, that proposal alone would create massive hardship for elderly people. So far, Romney has not been willing or able to stand up to the hard-right element in his own party, and I'm not confident that he would stand up to Ryan.

[billt13xx]

You are a moron, the President raped 778 billion dollars from Medicare, how come you don't mention that?

[sjc_1]

Bill,

You can not even get your lies right. The $716 billion over 10 years came from paying Medigap and Hospitals less than they were over charging. It saved the taxpayers money, there is an estimated $400 billion in waste and fraud with health care in the U.S. per year.