People hoping that Thursday’s vice presidential debate would have lessened the ferocity between Republicans and Democrats sadly had their hopes dashed after only a few minutes.
The debate, characterized by interruptions, gaping disagreements and thinly veiled attacks, left many Americans with no clear winner in mind. One of the many hot issues of the night was Syria and its own “civil war,” according to moderator Martha Raddatz.
Joe Biden argued against the use of force and military intervention in Syria, citing the fact that if Syria did fall to an inside or outside group, turmoil would ensue. Biden also asserted that a Mitt Romney administration would entertain the possibility of putting American “boots on the ground” in Syria.
Like true politicians, Biden and Paul Ryan disagreed. Ryan said that Romney had never advocated putting troops on the ground.
He also said that Russia was supplying weapons to Syria and made a rather strange assertion about the United Nations.
In Ryan’s response to Biden, he said that America has “outsourced its foreign policy decisions” to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Regardless of how one feels about Putin, they should know that what Ryan said was untrue. When the United Nations Security Council formed in 1946, only five countries were given exclusive veto power. Those countries were, and still are, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The United States has not given any power to Russia, as Russia has had the power to veto any resolutions, including ones regarding Syria, since 1946. Perhaps Ryan should check his facts.
Another major disagreement of the night came near the end of the debate, when the two candidates discussed abortion.
The candidates, both practicing Catholics, took completely different stances on the issue.
Biden, while agreeing with the Catholic Church’s view on abortion, said that he did not feel comfortable imposing his view on all women in the U.S.
Ryan disagreed, citing that a Romney administration would be opposed to abortion except in cases of rape, incest and danger to the life of the mother.
It is clear that on most of the issues, Biden won the debate. Biden’s experience of being a vice president for four years clearly showed. Ryan, while enthusiastic and intelligent on some issues, did not look as strong as Biden.
I had hoped that this debate would reveal the candidates as two men whose sole missions were to help America grow.
This just wasn’t the case.
Ryan and Biden were polar opposites on nearly everything.
Sadly, the political environment is just as virile as it has been the past few years.
The only thing that I think Americans can agree on is that Martha Raddatz out-moderated Jim Lehrer, something I’m sure the candidates would agree with too.
Shane Newell is a sophomore journalism major and assistant city editor for the Daily 49er.