Ryan was far more dignified than Biden - he, at 42, had far more "gravitas" than the laughing harlequin the Democrats sent. Ryan looked a lot more, well, presidential than Biden. And that's a factor to anyone who thinks the VP's main job is to be able to step into the #1 spot if he has to.
It's a pity Biden's "I always mean everything I say" comment didn't come earlier in the debate; Ryan could have turned that to his advantage, especially Joe's recent comment about the middle class being "buried" for the last four years. ("Joe was right - and we all know who's in charge, who actually BURIED them for the last four years, don't we? After all, more than a year ago it was Joe who said WE OWN THIS ECONOMY!")
The only real criticism I have of Ryan - who held his own against both the buffoon and the moderator - is that he may have come off a little bit "wonkish" . . . a little too much detail ("Seven point four million" instead of "Over seven million" and his comment about electric cars in Finland (US stimulus money west to Fiskar's FOREIGN operation) probably went right over the heads of 99% of the viewers who had no idea of what he was talking about.
