Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
The Vice Presidential Debate; Biden, Ryan Offer Different Styles; VP Candidates Debate Tonight; Watching Jill Biden & Janna Ryan; Biden vs. Ryan; Tonight, Biden Versus Ryan; Prepping for the Next Debate; What to Watch for in Debate Tonight; Debate Moderator Has Tie to Obama
Aired October 11, 2012 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Suzanne Malveaux. We are counting down to tonight's first and only vice presidential debate. We're going on get the latest on the last minute debate preps from both camps. Vice president Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan facing off at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. It is not the first time this small town of about 16,000 people have been in the political spotlight. Danville hosted the 2000 vice presidential debate between Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman. Well, tonight, vice president Biden, Congressman Ryan going to be trying to win over those undecided voters. Some polls putting their numbers around 12 percent.
Our reporters, analysts breaking down the issues. What's at stake here? We're going to have live reports from Dana Bash, Brianna Keilar and our own Wolf Blitzer.
So, Paul Ryan saying he has been doing his homework. Doesn't feel intimated going into tonight's debate. Our Dana Bash, she has got the details of his meticulous debate prep, when she sat down to interview with the Congressman. She's joining us from Danville. And, Dana, really fascinating , fascinating what you actually did because you talked to the Congressman about everything from how he prepares for hunting to how he prepares for the debate. Give us the sense of if there's even a connection here.
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is a connection. They're very similar, in fact, let's listen to what he said about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: I want to start by telling you what a source who I spoke with said about you and how you prepare for hunting. You wash your clothes in non-scented detergent. You shower in non-scented soap. You spray special non-scented stuff on your boots. Now, I know that this is somewhat typical for hunting but that you take it to a whole other level.
PAUL RYAN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you're into archery and into bow hunting, that's the way to do it to be successful. I like the strategy of bow hunting and it takes a lot of preparation. And I do take it seriously because I am much more successful if I do things properly and prepare the right way.
BASH: How does that speak to how meticulous you are in doing anything in your life?
RYAN: Yes, I mean, I've always just believed if you are going to do something, do it well. You're talking about the debate, I suppose. Joe Biden has been doing this for a long time. He ran for president twice. He is a sitting vice president. He's been on this big stage many times before, so that's new for me, and I'm just doing my homework and studying the issues, and, I mean, I know how he will come and attack us. The problem he has is he has Barack Obama's record he has to run on.
BASH: Are you intimidated at all based on --
RYAN: No, --
BASH: -- the background that you just described?
RYAN: -- I'm not intimated. I'm actually excited about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Tell us what you learned, Dana.
BASH: Now, there you heard -- oh, I was just going to say that you heard the expectations game that we've heard so much from both candidates, from both camps saying, oh, the other one is great, no, the other one is great. But in honesty -- in all honesty, it is true that Joe Biden has debated on a national stage several times before, but it is also true that Paul Ryan is a member of the House of Representatives. He debates all the time on the House floor. He has debated on a much, much smaller stage in Congressional campaigns before, so he certainly says he is comfortable.
But that's another thing that I thought was interesting is the generational difference you're going to see tonight. Joe Biden is a generation plus older than Paul Ryan. I asked about that about whether or not that is, you know, potentially problematic for him. He said that because he went to Congress when he was 28 years old, he is used to being with people who are much older than he, and so that won't necessarily be a problem, but, you know, he sort of plays it down, but he has been working very, very hard. He has been doing those mock debates with his sparring partner --
MALVEAUX: Right.
BASH: -- who is Ted Olson. He is, of course, the former solicitor general, a very good litigator. They've been doing it all over the country, Suzanne, in hotel rooms from Oregon to Virginia to Florida. Today, he is -- he is resting with his family, but he is working very hard to prepare for tonight.
MALVEAUX: And, Dana, tell us one of the things -- I know he is a big P90X guy, he likes to work out. He is not shy about it, and we've seen "Time Magazine" is going to out with these photos that appear on the newsstands tomorrow. And explain a little bit about this here because some might look at this and say, you know, he risks not really appearing presidential in some of these photos. Explain how these photos came about, why "Time Magazine" put them out now and how the campaign is responding.
BASH: If he looks like he's not presidential, it's because when he took these photos, he wasn't even close to being on the presidential ticket. He took them about 11 months ago when "Time Magazine" was preparing for their man to be or their person of the year now, their issue. And he was one of the final contenders, and so they went and took photos of him. He did agree to take those pictures, which his campaign certainly is not thrilled about given where he is now on the vice presidential stage.
But, look, the reason "Time Magazine" did it I think is because, you know, they're in the same business that you and I are. They're in the news business, and they know that today is a big day for Paul Ryan. They had these photographs and they put them out. The public reaction from the Ryan campaign is muted trying to sort of take this in stride. I will read you a quick quote from Ryan's spokesman, Michael Steele. He said, Paul Ryan takes his health seriously. Clearly, judging by these silly pictures, he doesn't take himself too seriously. There you have it. Not exactly the image that they want today, --
MALVEAUX: All right.
BASH: -- but sometimes you can't control these things when you're in the campaign.
MALVEAUX: I'm sure we'll be seeing a more serious side to him later in the evening with the debate. Dana, thanks, as always. Excellent interview, excellent work. We're all going to be looking and watching this debate very closely. You can see Dana's full interview with the congressman, Paul Ryan, tonight, that's during CNN coverage of the vice presidential debate. Coverage beginning at 7:00 Eastern on CNN and CNN.com.
Also, to Paul Ryan's opponent, vice president Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, touching down in Kentucky. This happened about -- these pictures taken about a half hour ago. We watched them get off the plane at Air Force Two. We also have an exclusive photo that we just got in. This is of Biden who is prepping for the debate. He is actually practicing with Congressman Chris Van Hollen who knows Ryan pretty well. And just before he left his home state of Delaware this morning, Biden was asked about the debate. Here is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT: I'm looking forward to it. Nice for you guys to be here. Are you on the plane with us?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
BIDEN: All right. Well, all right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of us are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those guys who paid (ph), you ever seen me rope-a- dope?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAEUX: I want to bring in Brianna Keilar in Danville, Kentucky. Brianna, tell us, first of all, the reference -- the rope-a-dope reference. We've heard about that. It's something from -- that Mohammed Ali used to do it back in the day, and he was originally from Kentucky. But it's a debate strategy, yes?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And not just from Kentucky, from Louisville, Mohammed Ali is, and this is being billed here, this debate tonight, as the Thrill in the Ville between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. So, that may be why all of the boxing references. But back to that exclusive photo. This is a look that you can only see here on CNN of the setup that Joe Biden has had for the last few days setting up for this debate. If you wonder where has Joe Biden been? Haven't seen a lot of him. That's because he's been holed up for the last four days and what's really been an intensive debate camp at the Wilmington Delaware Sheraton. He had kind of a schedule where he would prepare in the morning at his house, has a house there, of course, in Delaware, and he then he would go and do some prep in the hotel.
And it's fascinating in this photo, because you can see the lengths that they went to -- that his team went to to really replicate the conditions that he'll face here in Danville, Kentucky. That's a picture taken in a second story, or pardon me, a second floor ballroom. And up to the carpet that you see there, that's very similar to the stage here. The table is exactly the same dimension and shape as we're going to see here. And in the photo, you can see that Joe Biden is on the left as you see here. Paul Ryan played by Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
KEILAR: So, very familiar with Paul Ryan, who is the chairman, he is there on the right. And then, the woman that you see from behind, playing the moderator, is actually Shayla Murray, the vice president's communications director, also a former "Washington Post" reporter standing in as Martha Raddatz.
MALVEAUX: And, Brianna, real quickly here, because we are running our time, but do we expect to hear the vice president address some of the things that they had expected to hear from President Obama? Namely, the 47 percent, Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital, and how much taxes Mitt Romney actually pays?
KEILAR: You know, certainly, we are waiting for that, Suzanne, and the truth is I can't tell you the answer to that because his team is playing very close to the vest maybe what he may sort of bring up. And, certainly, we aren't privy to the questions that Martha Raddatz is going to ask, but it certainly was noted that President Obama did not bring up the 47 percent at his debate.
Now, what I think is really interesting is going to be foreign policy, that wasn't part of the debate last week in Denver. It is going to be a part of the debate here, and this is very important to keep an eye on because it's a big strength for the vice president. But, at the same time, the Obama administration is facing a ton of criticism over Libya from the Romney, Ryan ticket. And so, he is also vulnerable and we'll be seeing how that pans out tonight.
MALVEAUX: All right, Brianna Keilar. Thank you, Brianna, appreciate it.
Watch the vice presidential debate. It is happening tonight right here on CNN, CNN.com. Our coverage starting at 7:00 Eastern. And here's what we're working on for this hour.
(voice-over): The perception battle, it'll happen the moment Biden and Ryan take the stage, and the age gap between the two will be front and center.
While their husbands take the stage, the wives will be sitting on the edge of their seats. We'll look at the lives of Jenna Ryan and Jill Biden.
Plus, she's moderating tonight's debate, but Martha Raddatz is facing criticism for knowing President Obama too well. He attended her wedding back in the '90s.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: When Joe Biden and Paul Ryan step up on the stage pour tonight's debate, and one perception issue they face is going to be about age. Joe Biden is 27 years older than his opponent, and how is the generation gap going to play out in debate? Well, our own Wolf Blitzer, he's joining us from Washington. And, Wolf, you and I are both spring chickens, we don't have to worry about this kind of thing. But Joe Bidin, 69 years old, Paul Ryan, 42. Largest age gap between candidates in a pretty long time. Do you think it matters?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No, I don't really think it matters. I think they will both be at the top of their game. They have been really, really preparing, both of them, in depth now for -- not just the last few days, but for weeks and weeks and weeks. They knew this moment would come. And the pressure is clearly on the vice president given the relatively poor performance of the president last week. He's got to step up to the plate.
And Paul Ryan is really qualified. He is smart. He knows what he's talking about. This is going to be a strong debate. The area that I think Biden will have the advantage in is in foreign policy, national security. He's got a wealth -- a much greater experience in those areas. He knows the subjects a lot better, international affairs, than Paul Ryan knows those subjects. And Martha Raddatz, who's the moderator, she's a foreign policy expert herself. So, in that area, I suspect Biden will have the advantage. MALVEAUX: Wolf, let's talk a little bit about personality differences. We know that President Obama, and you know all of these people fairly well, that he is much more buttoned up. He's more formal. Joe Biden is a lot more accessible, pretty easy going, but prone to gaffs. And then you've got Romney, again, he is more formal, especially in -- and then Ryan more appealing to younger voters here. Who do you think has the upper hand when it comes to like ability, which seems to be pretty important in debates?
BLITZER: Well, there may be a generational issue as well. I think Biden can relate with a lot of older people. Now, older people vote in bigger percentages than younger people, and in an election like this, they're more important because they tend to show up and actually vote. Younger people, they don't necessarily go out in those kind of percentages and vote. And Ryan's got a lot of issues with older people, especially once Biden starts bringing up Medicare and his decision to try to create these vouchers for people who are 55 and younger. That's going to be an area that I suspect Biden will be hammering away on Ryan. But Ryan's got some strong responses in that area, just like Mitt Romney had last week. Medicare is going to be a big issue tonight.
MALVEAUX: Sure. And one of the things that this mano-a-mano challenge does is that it really puts them in the spotlight and perhaps calls into question their own political futures. Do you think that either one of them is thinking about 2016?
BLITZER: I don't necessarily think they're thinking about 2016 right now, although Vice President Biden has left open the possibility of running in 2016. I suspect Hillary Clinton might be thinking about that as well. He's 69 now. So he'll, what, be 73 years old at the time, which is not necessarily unprecedented. Ronald Reagan was in his 70s when he ran for president as well.
So, I think Biden is an ambitious guy. He's tried to run for president twice before. It didn't exactly work out. But he is the vice president. Paul
Ryan's a young guy. As you say, he's only 42 years old. I suspect even if Romney-Ryan loses, he's got a huge future out there. He's very popular with the conservative base of the Republican Party. He's intelligent, smart, good-looking. So, I suspect he's going to be moving as well.
But right now they're not worried about 2016. They're worried about tonight.
MALVEAUX: All right. Some people describe you that way, Wolf, too. So I just thought you should know.
BLITZER: I'm starting to think about 2016 and our coverage of these campaigns in 2016. I know, Suzanne, you'll be with me side by side.
MALVEAUX: Oh, yes, it will be a lot of fun. We're in it for the long haul.
Wolf, good to see you, as always.
BLITZER: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Biden and Ryan, they've got one thing in common, the support of their wives. We're going to look at the two women who will be on the edge of their seats tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Excitement intensifying ahead of tonight's vice presidential debate. Paul Ryan trying to keep the new Republican momentum going. Joe Biden, of course, trying to turn the tide. Joining us from Washington to talk about it, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, Republican Strategist Ana Navarro.
Good to see you both. CNN contributors.
So, we think that millions, 70 million last go round, maybe it will be more, 70 million for the last vice presidential debate, will be watching tonight. And the two who are going to be watching closest, we anticipate, I'm sure, Janna Ryan and Jill Biden, the wives.
What do we know, Ana, first of all, about Janna Ryan, because she comes from a Democratic family.
ANA NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Suzanne, all I'll tell you is I think the people that will be watching the closest is President Obama and Mitt Romney. Second to them will be Janna Ryan and Jill Biden.
What do we know about Janna Ryan? We don't know much. She has been a private person even during the campaign. I think that's by design. They've got three small children and I suspect she's very much trying to protect their privacy.
Look, these two ladies, though, seem to be fantastic. We do know a lot about Jill Biden. About Janna, she is a tax lawyer. She's no -- you know, she's no ditzy blonde. She is a very smart woman. Got her tax law degree. She worked in Washington. They have three small children. And she's chosen to do the same thing that Jill Biden did when Joe Biden was elected senator, which is to keep the family at home, to keep the family at the district, which is something a lot of congressional spouses do as they feel that the family and the kids grow up more grounded.
MALVEAUX: Donna, tell us a little bit about Jill Biden. Obviously she's on the public stage and she's a professional in her own right regarding education and she's often in the spotlight. What does she bring to the table here?
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, discipline. I think she's the discipline -- you know, the teacher, the educator. She's a wonderful, witty person. She loves teaching, but, as you know, as the second lady of the United States, Mrs. Biden has been focused on military families, working with the first lady, Michelle Obama, and reaching out to these individuals all over the country. But she cares deeply about children, about issues that involve young people. And I admire her because she spends time each week on college campuses. So I think she will bring a great deal of fortitude to this race. She's already been out there and I admire her so much.
MALVEAUX: Let's turn the conversation here obviously to the debate that we're going to be watching. And people are -- they're still talking about the presidential debate and how disappointed they were with President Obama. He tried to explain that he was too polite during his -- during the debate, and he explained this on "The Tom Joyner Morning Show." Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): The debate, I think, it's fair to say I was just too polite because, you know, it's hard to sometimes just keep on saying what you're saying isn't true. It gets repetitive. It's fair to say that we will see a little more activity at the next one."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: All right, Donna, so we're looking forward to the next one here to see what it looks like, what it feels like. Do you buy that case that he's making, he was just too polite?
BRAZILE: I think he was deferential. Look, he left so many items, you know, off the table that he could have really gotten under Mitt Romney's skin on. Not just the 47 percent, but the fact that, you know, Mr. Romney has not been forthcoming with some of the ideas that he's proposed on the campaign trail.
The problem, I think, is that Mitt Romney shows up, and you think that you're going to be fighting a severe conservative, or whatever he calls himself, and then you got Mitt the moderate and you don't know -- well, wait a minute, you sound more like me than you sound like yourself two days ago. I think President Obama needs to just stay focused on the issues, talk to the American people, tell us where you plan to take us over the next four years and ignore all of those ridiculous claims and lies that we keep hearing from the other side.
MALVEAUX: So, Donna, one thing that nobody is ignoring is Bill Clinton. The former president, Bill Clinton. And he was definitely a stand-out. We all saw it at the Democratic National Convention. There were folks who came up to me and said, could he run again? Unfortunately, he can't. Here's what he's been sounding like lately on the campaign trail. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I had a different reaction to that first debate that a lot of people did. I mean, I saw -- I thought, wow, here's old moderate Mitt. Where you been, boy? I missed you all these last two years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Ana, is this their secret weapon here? I mean the more he talks, the more people seem to be generating enthusiasm and they seem to be getting on board?
NAVARRO: Well, first of all, let me confess, I am a Bill Clinton loving Republican, and I love to see his complete rehabilitation. I think Donna was being too polite in the last answer. President Obama wasn't being too polite. He was too dead, too flat, too slow, and I think that Bill Clinton is terrific. We are -- you know, nobody's got the touch on the stump, the touch with the people. None of the four running on this ticket have the kind of touch that Bill Clinton does with people.
But putting Bill Clinton out also does something that's not helpful to President Obama. And it is that we make the comparison. And we see that President Obama, well, he ain't no Bill Clinton.
MALVEAUX: All right. We've got to leave it there, but we will all be watching very closely. Of course, we'll bring you guys back on the other end of this to analyze it as well.
Thanks, Donna, Ana, good to see you both.
BRAZILE: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Is it mission impossible, Joe Biden trying to turn things around, change the momentum on the campaign? We'll see.
Don't forget, you can watch live on your computer and while you're at work. Head to cnn.com/tv.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Tonight, debate night in America. It is the vice presidential candidates' turn. Joe Biden, Paul Ryan, live coverage right here on CNN starting at 7:00 Eastern. We want you to take a look at this exclusive photo here of the vice president preparing for the debate in Delaware. We are told he has been in an intensive debate camp, even reproducing the desk, the stage, having folks fill in as the moderator and his opponent. The place for tonight's debate, Danville, Kentucky. It is on stage at a small college campus.
Want to bring in David Freedlander. He is in Danville right now. He's a senior political correspondent for "Newsweek" and "The Daily Beast."
David, great to see you.
DAVID FREEDLANDER, SR. POLITICAL CORRESP., NEWSWEEK/THE DAILY BEAST: Good to see you.
MALVEAUX: You've got a great seat there. Of course, you're going to be watching it, of course, center stage. Now, you wrote a really interesting article. And you really put it squarely on the vice president's shoulders to fix the damage essentially done to the two- party ticket here. How does he do that tonight?
FREEDLANDER: Well, you know, we talk a lot in politics about people being happy warriors. And Joe Biden is kind of the quintessential happy warrior. He can smile and stick the knife in at the same time. MALVEAUX: Describe it. What does that look like?
FREEDLANDER: Well, I mean, I think, you know, it's really, for him, it's going to be a matter of not letting Mitt Romney get away with things that many Democrats thought -- or, sorry, not let Paul Ryan get away with things that many Democrats thought Mitt Ryan -- Mitt Romney got away with the last time. Really going to try to nail them down on their budget, their policies and their priorities heading into, you know, the rest of the campaign.
MALVEAUX: I want you to watch this. This is Joe Biden debate action over the years. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hey, Bill, 1979, I was -- I led a delegation of 19 Senators to negotiate in the START agreement with Brezhnev. I was deeply involved in Bosnia as the first lady and now-Senator Clinton will tell you. I was negotiating while you were still in Congress, man.
The notion that somehow, because I'm a man, I don't know what it's like to raise two kids alone, I know what it's like to have a child that you're not sure is going to make it.
Rudy Giuliani, probably the most under-qualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency --
(LAUGHTER)
-- is here talking about any of the people here. Rudy Giuliani! I mean, think about it. Rudy Giuliani -- there's only three thing he mentioned in his sentence, a noun, a verb, and 9/11.
(LAUGHTER)
There's nothing else. There's nothing else.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: I mean it sincerely. He is genuinely not qualified to be president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, David, that was very interesting because we saw a number of things that he did there. He used personal stories. He got emotional. He used attack lines very effectively. I mean, he is very experienced in debating. First of all, what does he need to do tonight, and how does Ryan, how does he counter this?
FREEDLANDER: Well, to your second question, someone described it to me as brains versus brass. And have you in Joe Biden someone who is really able to connect, I think, with voters, especially in the heartland, those kinds of middle class, middle-income voters. You know, that second clip you showed of him with Sarah Palin, that was one of the more effecting debate moments I have ever seen. And the third one noun, verb, 9/11, that's the sort of catch phrase from the 2008 primary debate.
So, you know, we'll need to see. I think with Paul Ryan we'll see just him roll out a lot of facts, figures, and probably try to moderate a lot of what he has said, a lot of what some of the hasher aspects of the Ryan budget.
MALVEAUX: We've also seen Ryan. He is very much into the numbers, obviously. We've also seen him be appealing to younger folks, and he seems to draw them in, and bring them in a little bit more so than Mitt Romney. How important is that tonight?
FREEDLANDER: I think it's very important. Obviously, there's a big for Republicans on younger voters. Most younger voters will vote Democrat. But anything they can do to break apart that coalition, pull some of those voters on to their side, will be to their benefit in November.
MALVEAUX: All right. David Freedlander, good to see you. We'll be watching. And ask for you on the other end, after it's all over.
FREEDLANDER: Suzanne, thank you very much.
MALVEAUX: Thank you.
As we said, Joe Biden no stranger to vice presidential debates. Remember this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
SARAH PALIN, (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR & FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nice to meet you.
BIDEN: Thanks. Thank you.
PALIN: Hey, can I call you Joe?
BIDEN: You certainly can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: 26 days until the debates. Things heated up fast. Even people in his own party were disappointed with President Obama's showing in last week's first presidential debate. Well, now the Democrats, they are hoping that Vice President Joe Biden is going to turn things around. He is going to square off with Mitt Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan. That happens tonight. It's not going to be the first time that Joe Biden has faced off with a tough competitor.
Anderson Cooper has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
PALIN: Nice to meet you.
BIDEN: Thanks. Thank you.
PALIN: Hey, can I call you Joe?
BIDEN: You certainly can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It started with a warm handshake and smiles all around. A friendly start to the vice-presidential debate in 2008 hitting Joe Biden against then relative newcomer to the national stage, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
BIDEN: John McCain said at 9:00 in the morning that the fundamentals of the competent were strong. 11:00 that same day, two Mondays ago, John McCain said we have an economic crisis.
PALIN: We're tired of the old politics as usual. And that's why, with all due respect, I do respect your years in the U.S. Senate, but I think Americans are craving something new and different.
COOPER: Biden was on his best behavior, carefully aiming his attacks at her running mate, John McCain, not at Palin herself. That was by design.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: He had to be careful not to be talking down to her in any way, want only because she didn't have any national experience, but also because she was a woman, and both of those things are a little tricky to deal with.
COOPER: Despite a lack of substance in many of her answers, analysts say Palin did just fine in that debate.
PALIN: Say it ain't so, Joe. There you go again --
COOPER: Partly because Biden didn't challenge her directly much.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: It's good to see you all.
COOPER: Biden will be on the debate stage once again against a much more seasoned politician this time, and he is expected to come out swinging.
RYAN: He is fast on the cuff. He is a witty guy. He knows who he is. He has been doing this for 40 years, so you're not going to rattle Joe Biden. Joe is very good on the attack. BORGER: Don't forget, the traditional role of a vice presidential candidate is to go on the attack. That's their job. So I think we'll see a lot more of that in the vice presidential debate than we did in the first presidential debate.
COOPER: Vice-presidential debates have been contentious in the past. In 1984, then-Vice President George H.W. Bush sending Condi against his opponent, Geraldine Ferraro.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me help you with the distance, Ms. Ferraro, between Iran and the embassy in Lebanon.
UNIDENTIFIED DEBATE MODERATOR: Congresswoman Ferraro.
GERALDINE FERRARO, (D), FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me just say, first of all, that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude --
(APPLAUSE)
FERRARO: -- that you have to teach me about foreign policy.
COOPER: In 1988, Dan Quayle's self-comparison to John F. Kennedy drew this blistering response there his opponent, Lloyd Bentsen.
LLOYD BENTSEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: The debate in 1992 was described as a free-for-all with Dan Quayle and Al Gore continually interrupting each other.
DAN QUAYLE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In foreign countries, foreign aid --
(CROSSTALK)
QUAYLE: Senator, it is in your book --
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No.
QUAYLE: -- on page --
COOPER: Vice President Dick Cheney and Senator John Edwards barely kept their debate civil in 2004, with Cheney blasting Edwards for his attendance record in Congress.
DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The first time I ever met you was when you walked on this stage tonight.
COOPER: Biden is expected to go after Paul Ryan on issues like Medicaid, Social Security and foreign policy.
BORGER: I wouldn't be surprised if he got a zinger or two from Joe Biden. I don't think he is worried about being perceived as talking down to Paul Ryan.
COOPER: And the personal moments could matter too. Biden showed his emotional side during his last debate.
BIDEN: Look, I understand what it's like to be a single parent. When my wife and daughter died and my two sons were gravely injured, I understand what it's like as a parent to wonder whether you're kid is going to make it.
COOPER: And because they've never gone head-to-head against each other, in this debate, just like last week's, anything could happen.
Anderson Cooper, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Watch the vice presidential debate tonight, live, right here on CNN and CNN.com. Our coverage starting at 7:00 eastern.
So what are the five things that you should look for in tonight's debate? We'll tell you up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We are looking at some fresh pictures. New video coming in now out of Danville. This is the site of the vice presidential debate. And this is actually the vice president's motorcade that is arriving there. You see the pictures. You have the police cruiser that, of course, leads the motorcade and then the two limousines there, both with flags. One is a decoy, and one is carrying the vice president and some of his top aides along with Secret Service and security detail, but the excitement is growing. It's building as now the vice president arriving there at the debate site. Of course, they'll do some sound checks and they'll practice, they'll do a walk- through before they start, but he has been practicing quite a bit when it comes to debate, and that is just hours away. We'll be watching.
The running mates, of course, facing off tonight in a one and only vice presidential debate of the campaign. The place, of course, Center College in Danville, Kentucky. Congressman Paul Ryan, Vice President Joe Biden side-by-side taking on the issues as well as each other.
There's a lot at stake, especially for Vice President Biden and the Democrats. Our political team put together a list, five things, five things to watch out for. It's hard not to watch out for everything, but just five.
Political editor, Paul Steinhauser and, reporter, Peter Hamby, at the debate site.
Paul, let's start with you. What's the first thing? You're talking about Biden going where Obama didn't. Explain that.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You got it. Yes. You just showed those live pictures, and that is right behind us. This is the Norton Center for the Arts where the debate will be held tonight.
Yes, the vice president, I think, a lot of Democrats, Suzanne, were a little upset maybe last week with President Obama for not really going on the attack against Mitt Romney, so I think, look to see if Vice President Biden goes where the president didn't go. Will he mention Mitt Romney's 47 percent controversy? Will he mention Bain Capital? You know, Romney's time at Bain Capital. Will he mention the tax returns? Will Biden go more after the guy not on the stage with him, rather than the guy who is on the stage with him?
Peter, I think it's fair to say, listen, Joe Biden is not a shy man on the campaign trail.
Will he be the same way tonight in the debate -- Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: Peter, you're right about the wonk trap here. How important is it for Ryan to actually avoid getting into the weeds?
PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes. I mean, Paul Ryan is a self-described numbers guy. When he asked him about politics, he says, no, I'm a policy guy. His whole career has been in Washington, like Joe Biden. He has been a Hill staffer. He has worked as a think tank. He has been on the Hill. Americans are still learning about Paul Ryan. Google released some data today saying, you know, the difference in the number of Google searches between Ryan and Biden is pretty wide. Paul Ryan is by far -- has more Google interest. As he is introducing himself to Americans, he has to, you know, talk about the Romney campaign and their program and their issues without sounding too much like a policy wonk because he does have a tendency to do that tonight. He has done a good job of that so far on the campaign trail, but, Suzanne, this is a much, much bigger audience tonight.
MALVEAUX: We'll see if he brings out the white board like he usually does in Congress.
Talk about Social Security. Could be a big issue. How would Biden use that to his advantage here, Paul?
STEINHAUSER: Well, Suzanne, I'm going to actually let Peter --
(CROSSTALK)
STEINHAUSER: -- jump in on that one because you wrote about that one, didn't you?
HAMBY: No, sure. Either one of us.
But, yes, President Obama, you know, really frustrated a lot of Democrats last week on the debate when he said surprisingly that there's no difference between himself and Governor Romney on Social Security. A lot of Democrats said this took the issue off the table. This is an issue that Democrats have used as a cudgel, saying they want to privatize Social Security. Guess what, in past budgets, Paul Ryan has suggested using private accounts to reform Social Security. The Obama campaign has tried to push that a little bit back into the discussion, and we'll see tonight if Joe Biden tries to raise it again even after President Obama said there are no differences in their plans when, you know, in actuality there just might be --Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: Paul, you talked a little bit about how important it is for Ryan to appear as commander in chief. How does that work for him? Is that playing to one of his strengths or weaknesses?
STEINHAUSER: Well, this is interesting because, you know, Vice President Biden doesn't really have to do this. He is already the vice president. Paul Ryan is the running mate to the challenger, he, and he has to prove that. Paul Ryan needs to tell Americans, at least convince Americans that he is ready to take over in the leading role. I spoke with some Romney campaign officials, and they saw, listen, they're very comfortable at this. They say because of Paul Ryan's command of the issues and his stature as the budget chairman that he will be able to portrait to Americans that, yes, he would be able to take over, even though he is only 42 years old, a younger man, but he will be able to serve as commander in chief. They're not that concerned about this, but it is an important thing for him to do in this debate. I'll be looking at that -- Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: Peter and Paul, good to see you, guys. We'll be watching. Thank you.
Five things to look out for.
The pressure is on, of course. Martha Raddatz playing referee at tonight's debate. She's getting some heat from some critics about her tie to the president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: In the run-up to tonight's vice-presidential debate, there's focus on the moderator, as well, Martha Raddatz. She's a veteran journalist, moderating tonight's big face-off between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan.
I want to bring in our own Howard Kurtz, host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," to talk about a little bit about this, joining us via Skype from Washington.
First of all, I know Martha, an excellent journalist, an amazing career. War coverage, white House coverage. Nothing but praise here. Tell us about her style, about her work ethic and what kind of style do you think she's going to bring? What role will she play tonight?
HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Well, unlike most of the moderators, Suzanne, she's a lifelong correspondent. Not a host or an anchor and because she's flown combat missions, for example, gone to Iraq 21 times, in the foreign policy portion of the debate, she is really going to know what she is talking about with pinning the two candidates down. And so I don't think she's going to make it about her as a flamboyant anchor might. She's going to bring a correspondent's worth ethic to it. I think we are in for good questioning. MALVEAUX: Yes. We have watched her really take on the president from time to time from that briefing room and as a colleague. There is some controversy. There's some people who criticizing saying that she has too close a relationship with the president. Why are people alleging that?
KURTZ: Well, because I guess certain critics on the right can't find any stories to criticize where Martha might have been unfair. To go back 21 years to when she got married to a guy -- she's no longer married. And the man was on the "Harvard Law Review" at the time and was a student named Barack Obama. Obama was one of the law review colleagues who attended the wedding. That's it. To say she has a relationship with Barack Obama and because the guy was at the wedding 21 years ago this might affect it, the questions of Vice President Biden seems to me to be a real stretch.
MALVEAUX: All right. Let's talk about the debate and the format. Quite different than the first go-around with the presidential debate. How does this make a difference? A table where they're sitting side to side.
KURTZ: Well, that's a more conversational opportunity which I think is good. The podiums can make them both stiff. It's a more traditional format in the sense of nine segments beginning with two- minute answers of each candidate and more of a free for all. Different also because there's only one face-off between Paul Ryan and Joe Biden. Half of the debate devoted to foreign affairs roughly, and half to domestic affairs. So it is not going to be -- I don't think we'll see in the Jim Lehrer debate, where there's fights over time and the candidates will go at it without the moderator stepping in rather forcefully.
MALVEAUX: Looks like they're all sitting at the same table, a much more intimate setting. If you were either one of these individuals who's participating tonight, what would you learn from the first debate between the president and Mitt Romney?
KURTZ: That a good offense always beats a good defense and particularly since Barack Obama by his own admission had a flat outing that first night, there's more pressure on Vice President Biden to be aggressive, to take on the Romney-Ryan ticket in a way that President Obama did not. That's a little harder to without seeming to be overaggressive. Easier on a big stage at a podium and Biden will have to find the right tone in order to attack and not seem harsh and Ryan, of course, is experienced Congressional debater and will have a lot of facts and figures and undoubtedly this will turn on the Ryan budget, welfare, and whether Romney shares the positions. And it's a substantial 90 minutes.
MALVEAUX: What kind of body language are you looking for tonight? What are we looking for from either one of the candidates?
KURTZ: What I'd like to se is one to grab the other's arm but it's a very different challenge for Joe Biden than four years ago going up against Sarah Palin who was not well-known and became a cultural phenomenon. I expect the body language two pretty experienced politicians who know how to duel and would do it in the sort of civil way that members of Congress disagree. You know, the esteemed gentleman is totally wrong. I will be surprised if it's just a wonk fest. I think we'll see attack lines on both sides because as we get closer to the election and even though this is a number two spot on the ticket, I think the stakes are getting quite high.
MALVEAUX: All right. We have to leave it there.
Thank you, Howard. Good to see you as always.
KURTZ: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: A word to Joe Biden from Jay Leno, "Don't be yourself." Late night comedians taking aim at tonight's vice-presidential debate.
((BEGIN VIDEO CLIP))
MALVEAUX: Late night comedians already making jokes about tonight's vice presidential debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: Vice President Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, they're debating and both will to try to appeal to the working class. And I laughed. I enjoyed that when I said "America still has a working class."
(LAUGHTER)
I don't think so. No.
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: Everybody's gone.
(APPLAUSE)
JAY LENO, HOST, THE TONIGHT SHOW: The White House a little worried, you know? In fact, Biden's handlers are telling him, whatever you do, don't be yourself.
(LAUGHTER)
LENO: Be anybody else.
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE COLBERT REPORT: Next week, there's another presidential debate. It's a town hall format, which means average citizens will have a once in a lifetime chance to ask the most powerful men in the world about the most vital issues facing our nation, or about something else.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pizza Hut is going to be giving free pizza for life to any customer who asks President Obama or Mitt Romney if they prefer sausage or pepperoni pizza at the upcoming debate. (LAUGHTER)
COLBERT: That's right.
(LAUGHTER)
Whoever uses their brief time at the national mic to ask the candidates sausage or pepperoni --
(LAUGHTER)
-- will receive free Pizza Hut pizza for life.
(LAUGHTER)
And just to be clear, that's meant to be a reward.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
