Vice President Debate – The questioning

Question 1: (Biden leads, Ryan follows) Was Libya a massive intelligence failure?
a) To Ryan (by host) – Is it appropriate to talk about the “weakness and apologies” of the Obama Administration in the middle of a crisis?
b) Biden interrupts citing inaccuracies in Ryan’s answer
c) To Biden (by host) – Why were administration talking about protest when the video was clearly showing an attack? (Cites intelligence community)
d) To Ryan (by host) – Should the US apologize about burning Korans, etc…

Question 2: (Ryan leads, Biden follows) How effective would a military strike on Iran be?
a) Ryan interrupts
b) To Ryan (by host) – Can you solve “this” (the nuclear build-up by Iran) in the first few months of taking office?
c) Biden interrupts
d) To Ryan (by host) – Bob Gates comment about “Could prove catastrophic”… (Biden interrupts)

Question 3: (To Biden, Ryan follows) Can you get unemployment under 6%, and how long will it take?
a) Biden response about Mitt wanting to let Detroit go bankrupt. Says Republicans/Congress in the way of getting programs passed that would help the middle class.
b) Ryan notes that Obama/Biden came in with one-party control of Congress.
c) To Ryan (by host) – when can you get it under 6%?
d) Biden interrupts
e) Ryan to Biden – was it a good idea to spend stimulus money to build cars in Europe or windmills in China?

Question 4: (To Ryan, Biden follows) Will benefits for Social Security/Medicare change/decrease for recipients?
a) Ryan notes the deduction in Medicare by Obamacare
b) Biden interrupts
c) Ryan interrupts to chastise Biden for interrupting
d) To Ryan (by host) – How do you make up the difference for current beneficiaries under your plan.
e) Biden interrupts (multiple times)
f) To Biden (by host) – Why not very slowly raise the Medicare eligibility age as Ryan proposes?
g) Ryan quotes Obama: “If you don’t have fresh ideas…”
h) To Ryan (by host) – You backed Bush’s plan for privatization of social security…
i) Biden “They guys haven’t been big on Medicare from the beginning…”
j) Ryan corrects, “If you don’t get ahead of this problem…”
k) Biden interrupts, host loses control.

Question 5: (To Biden, Ryan follows) Who will pay more/less in taxes if elected?
a) To Ryan – How would you pay for the 20% across the board tax cut? Do you have the specifics?
b) Biden interrupts
c) Biden cites capital gains taxes (calls it “loophole”)
d) Ryan and Biden spar (without completing sentences)
e) To Biden (by host) – What you suggest beyond raising taxes on the wealthy? (Biden doesn’t answer question, host repeats.)
f) To Ryan (by host) – And you’re going to increase Defense spending… segue

Question 6: (To Ryan, Biden follows) How do you do increase Defense spending?

Question 7: (To Ryan, Biden follows) Why not leave Afghanistan now?
a) To Ryan (by host) – What conditions would justify staying?
b) To Biden (by host) – Do you think the Taliban are taking advantage of the 2014 timeline?
c) To Biden (by host) – What was the military reason for bringing the surge troops home?
d) Ryan goes into discussion about “fighting seasons”
e) Biden interrupts
f) Host tries to change topics, Biden challenges Ryan

Question 8: (To Biden, Ryan follows) Why doesn’t the same logic apply to Syria as it did in Libya (as far as intervention)?
a) Biden – We’ve been working for months that humanitarian aid was getting in…
b) To Ryan (by host) – What would happen if Syrian leader stays in power?
c) To Ryan (by host) – What is your criteria for intervention?

Question 9: (To Ryan, Biden follows) What role has your religion played in your views on abortion?
a) Ryan clarifies between Religious positions and Policy positions.
b) To Ryan (by host) – If Romney/Ryan is election, should those who believe in abortion be worried?
c) Biden – Two seats in the Supreme Court might come up in the next term. How safe is Roe-v-Wade?

Question 10: (To Biden, Ryan follows) Are you ever embarrassed by the tone of the campaign?
a) Biden interrupts
b) Host interrupts Biden
c) Ryan interrupts Host

Question 11: (To Ryan, Biden follows) If you are elected, what would you bring to this country as a man/character that no one else could?

Closing statements (Biden first, Ryan follows)