Biden is the Joker!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

BIDEN IS THE JOKER!

by Steve Fair

The truth is just a handful of voters mark their ballot in a presidential election based on the running mate, but perhaps they should.  Last Thursday’s debate between Congressman Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden presented a stark contrast between the two philosophies of the campaigns. 

Ryan presented Mitt Romney’s five-point economic plan that calls for creating four million new jobs in America.  Romney’s five points for economic recovery are:

• First, take advantage of U.S. domestic energy resources and make America energy independent. 
• Second, improve education and job training, in part by increasing school choice and changing the way teachers are hired and evaluated.
• Third, curtail unfair trade practices by other countries, especially those of China who are manipulating currency and killing American jobs.
• Fourth, cut the federal deficit by reducing federal spending below 20% of GDP.
• Fifth, champion small business in America by cutting taxes and regulations, and by overturning Obamacare.

“Don’t raise taxes on small businesses because they’re our job creators,” Ryan said.  He also said that President Obama “thinks that the government ought to be able to take as much as 44.8 percent of a small business’s income,” but that he and Romney would limit the small business tax rate to 28 percent.

On his website, President Obama lists six tenets of his economic plan, but the Vice President really never presented any of them.  Biden spent most of his time interrupting Ryan and attacking Romney’s plan.   The Obama camp doesn’t spend much time talking about their plan, so for your information, the six points of Obama’s economic plan are:

• Invest in education, research and technology to grow the economy for the long term.
• Reform the tax code (tax increases) to create jobs and pay down the deficit.
• End wars and rebuild America. 
• Invest in clean energy made here in America(less oil/gas).
• Lead the world in college graduates by 2020.
• Expand access to affordable health care for all Americans.

One of the most interesting moments in the debate came when Martha Raddatz asked the two men about the issue of abortion.  Both are Roman Catholic.   “I don't see how a person can separate their public life from their private life or from their faith,” said Ryan. “Our faith informs us in everything we do.”  Biden appeared to agree.  “My religion defines who I am,” said Biden. “I’ve been a practicing Catholic my whole life.”

But their positions on abortion were very different.  Ryan said his faith – combined with “reason and science” – led him to oppose legalized abortion, and that “the policy of a Romney administration is to oppose abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.”

Biden admitted his views on abortion are in conflict with his church. “In the church’s judgment, life begins at conception, but I refuse to impose that view on equally devout Christians, Muslims and Jews, Biden said. 
“The next president will get one or two Supreme Court nominees,” Biden said. “That’s how close Roe v. Wade is. … Don’t you think Mitt is likely to appoint someone like Scalia or someone else on the court that is far right that would outlaw legalized abortions?”  Let’s hope so.  Legalized abortion in America is something that should be stopped and is a sin against our Creator. 
Throughout the debate, Biden was rude, condescending, unprofessional and generally a cranky old man.  Ryan was polite and at times a little reserved.  He did not get rattled by Biden’s over the top antics, but kept his head and answered the questions thoroughly.

The VP debate probably didn’t move voters much either way, but it should have.  The Vice President is just one heartbeat away from the Oval Office and Biden’s performance proved he would be a complete disaster as President.