D4

1. What policies did each candidate emphasize? Give at least two examples for each candidate. 

Ryan: Ryan pointed out the fact that other countries are gaining power in terms of nuclear forces. He believes that Iran is getting closer than ever in terms of making a nuclear bomb, and this would lead to an arms race in the Middle East. Leading off this this, he believes that the United States is essentially acting weak in terms of our stance. He believes that if Iran obtains Nuclear bombs, then there will be a domino effect, meaning other surrounding countries will begin to develop their weapons as well. "When they see us putting daylight between ourselves and Israel  that gives them encouragement (to make a nuclear bomb.) Ryan is also intent on reforming Medicare and Medicaid. He wants more coverage for the middle class, and total coverage for the lower class, or those in poverty. He goes on to bash Obamacare, saying that a panel could not suffice and make decisions on peoples lives because they have not had medical training.

Biden: On the other hand, Biden believes that war should be the last resort and should be used if and only if it is absolutely necessary. He stated many times that his overall goal was to get the troops out of the Middle East by 2014. According to Biden, this dream which many people thought could never actually happen is obtainable due to the path that they're on as a team. He also spoke about overturning the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. The goal of their party is to make the "playing field level".

2. Memorable phrase for both candidates. 

Ryan: In my opinion, Ryan didn't really have one particular phrase that struck out to me and made me actually say "wow". What was interesting though was how he it was as if he put Romney on a pedestal. For example, discussing the time he went to visit the family and then ended up paying for their college tuition. Even though this isn't a direct phrase, it still has the same effect.  

Biden: My friend. Every time he said this, I laughed out loud. Biden was absolutely perfect in the debate, and referring to Ryan as "my friend" made him seem more personal and warmhearted. Referring to him in this way was quite different than the approach that Ryan had, because Ryan was being Mr. Sassy-Pants, while Biden was being calm and courteous.

3. What was interesting about the candidates style? 

Ryan: Whenever Biden was speaking, Ryan would intensely stare into Biden's soul as some sort of act of intimidation. I can imagine that Biden felt a little bit awkward, because I most certainly felt awkward and it wasn't even directed towards me. When it was his turn to speak, Ryan would look directly at Martha (is that her name?) as if his only job was to convince her and not the rest of America.

Biden: As I previously stated, Biden would refer to Ryan as "my friend" which gave a more relaxed feeling. However, there was obvious sarcasm and irony underlying the words. As far as I know, they're not actually friends. By calling him "my friend", he was able to undermine Ryan without blatantly saying "I hate you. You suck." Biden also is a big fan of leaving spaces between his words to add an emphasis. For example, when the discussion topic was on Nuclear arms, Biden said "They. Do. Not. Have. Nuclear. Arms."

4. Wild Card 

Biden was laughing almost the entire time Ryan was talking. I assume this is a power play, and it worked because you could tell that towards the end of the debate Ryan was getting a little less confident after hearing laughter from all his ideas. I also noticed that Biden managed to get about 3 more minutes of talking time overall than Ryan, which is fine by me, however it's not necessarily fair. The entire point of an election is to have both candidates have an equal chance and by one person having more time to talk that gives them an unfair advantage.






















"he changes his mind so often"