This time, there was no slam-dunk debate winner.
In a Patch FlashPoll of influential Connecticut politicos taken in the hours after the first — and only — vice-presidential debate in Danville, KY, Republicans and Democrats alike thought their party’s candidate emerged victorious.
Ten of the 12 Red Nutmeg Survey respondents thought Ryan won the day, with two declaring the contentious session a tossup. Despite these sentiments, six GOP respondents thought the national media would consider Biden the winner.
Eight of 10 Blue Nutmeg Democrats thought Biden bested Ryan, while two called it a draw. Seven out of the 10 thought Biden would be crowned the winner in the media.
‘Biden’s Arrogant Smile’
The story of the debate among Red Nutmeg respondents, though, seemed to be not the candidates’ stance on the issues, but Vice President Biden’s aggressive tactics.
GOP respondents were pointed in their criticism of Biden’s strident attitude. One cited the vice president’s “rude, condescending tone, his facial expressions, (his) laughing at Ryan and his self-serving demagoguing” as something that will stick in the craw of Connecticut conservatives. Others noted “Biden’s arrogant smile while Ryan was speaking,” and his “constant interrupting” as clarion calls to the state’s Republican base.
Biden’s aggressiveness, some GOP respondents warned, could backfire among swing voters in the state.
“Joe Biden’s constant interruption of Paul Ryan and the moderator (and his) loud and aggressive tone, I believe, will turn off swing voters who are tired of the partisanship and lack of action from Washington, D.C.,” one said.
Another said “Biden with his irritating smirking and condescending attitude was a turnoff.
Blue Nutmeg respondents, for their part, focused mostly on the issues when describing what would resonate with progressives and swing voters, citing “the discussion about the drawdown of troops in Afghanistan” and “Biden pointing out continuing inconsistencies in Ryan’s voting record and his new statements as a VP candidate.”
One Democrat pointed to the lack of specifics given by Ryan on his tax plan.
“Congressman Ryan wants voters to trust that the math adds up,” the Democrat said.
Debate Bump?
Republicans’ opinions varied, though, on whether Ryan’s performance would garner more votes for the Romney-Ryan ticket in Connecticut, a traditionally Democratic state. Three strongly agreed that the debate would gain Romney-Ryan votes in the state, while six “somewhat agreed” and three were “neutral.”
One Republican went further out on a limb: “Ryan was very much on point, so much so I think he may be a better presidential candidate than Romney.”
Another agreed.
“Ryan stayed composed and made the point that Obama has not kept his promises. Our economy is in trouble, and the present administration has not helped middle-class America.”
Democrats, though, were in lockstep in thinking that Biden’s aggressive tactics would help Obama’s cause in Connecticut. All 10 of them strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that Biden’s performance would help the Obama-Biden ticket.
“(The debate was) virtually a tie, but Vice President Biden brought momentum and made up for President Obama’s lackluster performance last week,” one Dem said.
Still, the overriding sentiment among Republican respondents to the FlashPoll was that Biden’s tone and constant interruptions were disrespectful.
“I was embarrassed for VP Biden due to his smirking, inappropriate laughing and smiling at the wrong times,” one Republican respondent wrote. “I expected more from our vice president. I thought Paul Ryan was a class act.”
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Patch’s surveys are not a scientific random sample of any larger population but rather an effort to listen to a swath of influential local Republican and Democratic activists, party leaders and elected officials in Connecticut. All of these individuals have agreed to participate in the surveys, although not all responded to Thursday night's questions. Surveys were conducted between 10:30 and midnight on Oct. 11.
Patch will be conducting Red Nutmeg and Blue Nutmeg surveys throughout 2012 in hopes of determining the true sentiment of conservatives and liberals on the ground in Connecticut. If you are an activist, party leader or elected official and would like to take part in weekly surveys that last just a few minutes, please email Regional Editor Corey Fyke at corey@patch.com.
Red Nutmeg Roster: Mark Gill, Kevin Dombrowski, John Rodolico, Mike Cherry, Mimi Peck Llewellyn, Fred Camillo Allyn Jr., Fran Lowell, Julia Cronin, Bob Beaver, Mark Zacchio, Thomas Harrison, Britta Lerner, Lisa Bigelow, John Shaban, Ward Mazzucco, Dan Carter, Harry Thomas, Don Patterson, Harold Cummings, Brian Motola, William Nicholson, Mark Kalina, Adam Weissberger, Christine Vincent, Jack Scavone, Laura Roberts, Andy Powell, Anthony Candelora, Michael Doody, Rose Angeloni, Vin Candelora, Abbe Smith, Denise Hall, Peter Martin, Steven Adler, Burke Doar, Jay Sarzen, Meredith Trimble, Phil Dunn, Frank Morse, Todd Cusano, Marti Stiglich, Malvi Lennon, Jeff Ingram, Aaron Jubrey, Lisa Boccia, Jason Buchsbaum, Vinny Toscano, David Freudmann, Ric Hossak, Beverly Miela, April Holinko, Tony Lent, Jason Perillo, John Anglace Jr., Ross Mandell, Nathan McKay, Dorry Clay, Wendy Bury, Stephen Bessette, Christopher Davis, Chris Fryxell, David Reed, Sharon McLaughlin, Janet Wieliczka, Jeff Gutman, J.P. Sredzinski, Robert Yamin, Joe Cavo, Mark Boughton, Shay Nagarsheth, Michael McLachlan, Norbert Fay, Dan Steward, Kathleen McCarty, David Lewis, Alan Wilensky, Tim Herbst, Suzanne Testani, Susan LaFrance, Paul Lavoie, Diane Pomposello, Kristin Ingram, Stacy Geist, Jay Berardino, John Szewczyk, Jeremy Renninghoff, Pat Dinatale, Ed Bailey, Scott Kaupin, Patrick Droney, John Kissel, Tom Kienzler, Greg Stokes, Peter Tesei, Livvy Floren, Fred Camillo, Steven Warzoha, L. Scott Frantz, Frank Szeps, Bryan Perry, Ed Munster, Eloise H.P. Killeffer, James M. McLaughlin, Valerie M. Saiz, Nancy Haase, Charles Haberstroh, Avi Kaner, Michael Rea, Jonathan Steinberg, Lisa DiLullo, Mike Digrego, Michael. S. Casey, Pam Staneski, Tom Jagodzinski, Matthew Galligan, Timothy Becker, Mark Tweedie, Cheri Pelletier, Darren Cunningham, Sean Askham, William Stokesbury, Brian Ladouceur Jr., Cathy Durdan, Paul Henault, Len Cahill, Phil Williams, Phil Sengle, Vincent Cimino, Charity Folk, Stephen Walko, Daria Novak, Diane Carney, Linda Davis, Leora Levy, Aundré Bumgardner.
Blue Nutmeg Roster: Wendy Howard, David Peña, Daryl Worobow, Linda Merlin, Michael Freeman, Neal Bobruff, Edward Haberek Jr., Dorry Clay, Corey Sipe, Don Maranell, Dee Dee Martin, Nick Kapoor, Susan Koneff, Alan Vaglivelo, Kelly Plunkett, William D. Saums, Michael Graner, Rebecca Graebner, Kenneth Koe, Stephanie Calhoun, Dave Holdridge, Sheri Cote, J.W. "Bill" Sheehan, Cheryl Larder, Andrea Kanfer, George Peteros, Tony Silber, Roy Fuchs, Mary Beth Thornton, Nancy DiNardo, Richard W. White, Karen Cheyney, Michael Doyle, James McLaughlin, Allison Dodge, Laura Williams, Drew Marzullo, John Blankley, David Rafferty, Anthony R.J. Moran, William Satti, Rich Martin, George "Bud" Bray, Dan Pickett, James Albis, Jack Stacey, Sharon Hightower, Peter Kochenburger, William Ryan, Mark LaPlaca, Toni Moran, Andrea Epling, James Ezzes, Jonathan Steinberg, Jan Rubino, Rick Field, Bob Pagoni, Josh Freeman, James Maroney, Richard Smith, Kim Rose, Richard Roy, Paul Davis, Robert Hoffman, Kathleen Devlin, Francis Devlin, Ted Graziani, Tracey Kiff-Judson, Mike Pohl, Josh Howroyd, Dave Dumaine, Ryan Barry, Mike Farina, Doreen Richardson, Darleen Klase, Bill Herzfeld, Brandon McGee, Al Simon, Kevin Cavanagh, Alan R. Mordhorst, Phil Sylvestro, Bill MacDonald, Frank Farricker, Tom Gugliotti, Jeff Blumenthal, Peter Mahoney, Marie Herbst, Thomas DiDio, Michael Winkler, Ethelene DiBona, Jennifer Wolfer, Dolly Mezzetti, Joe Mezzetti, Jeff Tindall, Hal Schwartz, Kevin Coyner, Craig Nussbaum, Catherine Zamecnik, Jane Scully Welch, Leon Karvelis, Barbara Reynolds, Bob Schrage, Mark Lewis, Gayle Weinstein, John Hampton, Lisa Heavner, Helen A. Garten, Tricia Evans.
The thing is, Dems believe Joe won the debate, but he may have helped them lose the election. His anger and rude, condescending behavior, treating opponents with total disdain, and absolute COLDNESS to real human economic suffering--let alone to the needless slaughter of 4 Americans in Benghazi--perfectly epitomize exactly what the Democratic party of today has become. In stark contrast, Paul Ryan was calm and respectful, even-tempered and even Presidential in bearing. All but the most diehard hateful dyed-in-the-wool Dems saw that, and the Romney/Ryan "Comeback Team" definitely won this one with the Independents, whom this election depends upon! Romney/Ryan are now WINNING Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Virginia, with Obama only a sure thing in 7 states!!
I wonder how foreign powers react to him if half of America thinks he escaped from Sesame Street
And Romney/Ryan are winning in the swing states according to your biased right wing polls. The fact is NO poll is accurate. We'll find out on election day how the American people viewed your candidates performance. My guess is they'll see through his BS and move forward.
To not offer any plan is shameless. When asked "Why not raise the age over time?" by the moderator, he failed to respond and instead grinned and said "Obamacare makes medicare solvent to 2024". Not 2124. 2024. That's twelve years away and based on their rosey "savings" projections. I'm offended by a lot of repug positions and they acted like drunken sailors a short time ago. But we can't do much else if we have a severe fiscal crisis. We need to get on track. Any credible plan would be of interest. No plan is unacceptable and merely matches the pathetic Senate that has failed to provide a budget in years. Speeches are words. Watch actions and the results of these actions.
"My neighbor gave the best summation of the debate I’ve heard so far. Referring to VP Joe Biden’s rude-a-thon, he said: 'At church dinners, I’ve sat a table away from that guy a hundred times. He’s the guy everyone wants to get away from.'...The Republicans knew they had comedy gold and quickly put out this: "'The sheer jerkiness of the man certainly comes through. But there is an issue going beyond Biden’s abject rudeness'".... "David Brooks...put it this way: 'This is not just an issue of manners. It is: How are we going to practice the kind of politics that will help us avert the so-called fiscal cliff? How are we going to balance the crosscutting challenges, like increasing growth while reducing long-term debt? A lot of people will look at Biden’s performance and see a style of politics that makes complex trade-offs impossible."... "Moreover, the obvious contempt with which both halves of the Democratic ticket hold their opponents (Obama couldn’t even look Mitt Romney in the eye) reinforces the impression that Obama can’t get along with political opponents. The president’s complete inability to work with Congress...and his hyper-partisanship have characterized his four years in office....a formula for gridlock and ongoing acrimony. This is what many voters despise about politics." http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions
1. What is Obama/Biden's plan for saving the entitlement programs for the next generation? CBO indicates current not sustainable. Just google and do research. Most folks are living 15 years longer, demographics have changed, etc. 2. Health care is 18% of our economy and impacts the entire economy. Why didn't Obamacare focus more on controlling costs vs insurance reforms? That is, malpractice reforms (reduce costly defensive medicine), consumer incentive for everyone, a ban on cost shifting (medicare/medicaid only pay 80% of COST so hospitals need to transfer the 20% cost to private insurers - Maryland banned this?). Healthcare is 18% of our economy and impacts 100%. Looking back, was it handled properly or rammed through sloppily. So, still waiting for detailed answers for: (1) What are your plans for tax reform? (2) What are your plans for entitlement reform? (3) What are your plans for overall spending reforms? Until either candidate offers, no reason to make a solid decision.
The Republicans , though offer a bit more of a pragmatic approach to entitlements. They try to hide it a bit, but at least they show a bit of an understanding that its going to go broke, and the debt is going to eliminate a lot of opportunity for the next generations. The democrats just talk to seniors as though the republicans will steal the program from current seniors. Is that what they believe? Or is it what they think might be a good chance to win?
Oh, and if you want to know what foreign powers think of Mittens, just check for news sources about the multiple times he put his foot in his mouth when he was overseas.