If there was an undisputed winner in last night’s Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan debate, it was moderator Martha Raddatz of ABC News.
Beyond that, the blunt, aggressive Joe Biden will be at the vortex of the debate-over-the-debate tonight and Friday, and on talk shows during the weekend, and when the next batch of polls roll in next week.
“Obama just called Biden and asked what coffee he uses,” tweeted comedian Albert Brooks.
Jon Ralston, Nevada’s premier political reporter, summed it up with this tweet: “People who like Biden will think this is the greatest debate ever: Folks who don’t will find him at his most obnoxious.”
The widest audience since 2008 saw last night what other Democratic candidates found out during endless debates among Democratic presidential candidates in late 2007 and early 2008. Biden takes the argument to his opponent.
And, last night, commentators on the right — and the Republicans’ presidential nominee — were doing the grousing, very much as ldeft pundits were moaning after President Obama’s performance last week.
Dick Morris, the Romney victory soothsayer on FOX News, tweeted: “Ryan sounds vague and double talking about withdrawal date (from Afghanistan) even though he is right.”
SuperPAC mastermind and “Bush’s Brain” Karl Rove groused at Biden’s aggressiveness talking about Social Security and the voucher plan that Ryan proposed in Congress to take the place of Medicare.
“Biden is out of control and Raddatz appears to have given up trying to rein him in.”
Mitt Romney was heard with old-school haughtiness in the new medium of Twitter. “It is a shame that Joe Biden, our vice president, is conducting himself in such an unprofessional and rude manner,” the Republican nominee opined.
And this was from the guy who interrupted Jim Lehrer 30 TIMES in last week’s debate between the presidential candidates.
The question already debated, during the Biden-Ryan face off, was whether Biden was making points with his voice — e.g. forcing Ryan to admit he asked for stimulus dollars s — or losing support with his constant doubting facial expressions.
“Is Veep better talking than smiling: Not sure the look he flashes is making this point as aptly as his words,” tweeted Scott Simon, the National Public Radio weekend host.
Albert Brooks delivered a qualified — and very funny — upbeat assessment of the Veep: “I actually like Joe Biden even though when he smiles he reminds me of the guy that sold me my worst car.”
Republican nabobs were trying — hard — to reassure themselves that Joe was blowing it. “Ryan: Serious, sober, steady, Biden: Smirking, mocking, immature,” tweeted senior Romney adviser Eric (“Etch-a-Sketch”) Fehrnstrom.
“Biden is too hot — not effective,” claimed former Bush press spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Nicholas Kristoff, the New York Times scribe, saw a subtle skill in the Biden performance: “Biden is pretty good at being sarcastic and lacerating without coming across as nasty.”
Biden clearly accomplished one goal. He re-energized the Democratic base and the pro-Democratic pundits of cable TV. He was a fighter who used words like “malarky” and “bluster” and the inelegant phrase: “This is a bunch of stuff.”
Biden even managed, during foreign policy talk, to ratchet down a notch and say: “Lets calm down a little here.” He registered strong positive marks among undecided voters watching CNN and recording their reactions to the candidates.
The tweeters at The Stranger, Seattle’s very left alternative newspaper, reacted to the Vice President’s debating skills with ecstasy, the emotion and not the drug.
“What a moment: Biden makes Ryan admit he asked for stimulus dollars,” tweeted Markos Moulitsas, proprietor of the daily kos website, a secular political Bible for the nation’s liberals.
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DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) shakes hands with Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) during the vice presidential debate at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) participate in the vice presidential debate as moderator Martha Raddatz looks on at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) speaks as Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) listens in the vice presidential debate at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) participate in the vice presidential debate as moderator Martha Raddatz looks on at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) participate in the vice presidential debate as moderator Martha Raddatz looks on at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) speaks during the vice presidential debate at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) listens during the vice presidential debate at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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DANVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 11: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (C) and Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) participate in the vice presidential debateas moderator Martha Raddatz (L) looks on at Centre College October 11, 2012 in Danville, Kentucky. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates before the closely-contested election November 6. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., shake hands before the start of the vice presidential debate, at Centre College in Danville, Ky., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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Jill Biden, center, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, sits with her sons Beau Biden, left, and Hunter Biden, right, before the start of the vice presidential debate, at Centre College in Danville, Ky., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)
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Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin, right, takes notes as Vice President Joe Biden makes a point during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, watches the vice presidential debate with Sen. Rob Portman, R- Ohio, left, in his hotel room on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
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Vice President Joe Biden answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)
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Janna Ryan, second from right, wife of Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., his mother Betty Douglas, Ted Olson, second from left, former solicitor-general of the U.S. and his wife Lady Booth Olson sit in the audience before he start of the vice presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
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Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin answers a question during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Michael Reynolds)
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Jill Biden, center, wife of Vice President Joe Biden watches before to the start of the vice presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
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Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, right, listens as Vice President Joe Biden makes a point during the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) arrive on stage for their vice presidential debate at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEBSAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages
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Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin shake hands before their vice presidential debate at Centre College, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Pool-Rick Wilking)
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Students gather on campus ahead of the vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Vice President Joe Biden, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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A supporters holds a sign for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at Centre College, site of the Vice Presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Abraham Lincoln impersonator Larry Elliott, of Louisville, Kentucky, poses with cutouts of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, left, and President Barack Obama outside the Norton Center on the Centre College campus before the vice presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Kentucky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in Thursday's debate. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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Campaign volunteer Hunt VanderToll wears a tie and button in support of the Republican party, and Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., ahead of the vice presidential debate between Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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A worker passes under relief sculpture of Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in preparation for the Vice Presidential debate at Centre College, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in Danville, Ky. The debate is schedule for Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Chris Herron of Danville, Kentucky, right, has his picture taken with a cutout of President Barack Obama outside the Norton Center on the Centre College campus before the vice presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Kentucky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in Thursday's debate. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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A personalized Abraham Lincoln credential for Thursday's vice presidential debate hangs on a statue of Lincoln, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Ashton Arvin, 17, left, and John Thompson, 18, right, hold up signs for their respective candidates ahead of the vice presidential debate between Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Vice President Joe Biden, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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A sign for Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is reflected in a supporters sunglasses at Centre College, site of the Vice Presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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A banner hangs in the media center ahead of the vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Vice President Joe Biden, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Workers enter the Norton Center for the Arts in preparation for the vice presidential debate at Centre College, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in Danville, Ky. Vice president Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
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A poster advertising the vice presidential debate between Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Vice President Joe Biden, is posted in the media center, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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A fire hydrant is decorated to resemble the American flag as part of a project to paint 75 hydrants on the campus of Centre College ahead of Thursday's vice presidential debate, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Paul Johnson, dressed as George Washington, left, walks past a barricade at Centre College, site of the vice presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday night. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
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Supporters hold signs in support of President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at Centre College, site of the Vice Presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Centre College carpenter Damon Denney hangs a sign outside the Norton Center in preparation for Thursday night's vice presidential debate, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in Danville, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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Supporters hold an President Barack Obama banner at Centre College, site of the Vice Presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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The spin corner for President Barack Obama's campaign is seen in the spin room of the media center ahead of the vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Vice President Joe Biden, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Supporters hold signs in support of President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at Centre College, site of the Vice Presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Ky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Bert Christian of Louisville, Ky., carries a sign in support of Vice President Joe Biden ahead of the vice presidential debate between Biden and Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Supporters wave signs during a rally outside the Norton Center on the Centre College campus before the vice presidential debate, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in Danville, Kentucky. Vice President Joe Biden will face Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in Thursday's debate. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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Students posing as Vice President Joe Biden, and Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., shake hands during set up for Thursday's vice presidential debate, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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Why the moments? The same aggressiveness that a blunt Biden was showing in Democratic candidate debates five years ago while Obama was coming across like the law professor he once was.
Again, however, Biden took it down a notch with a Catholic’s I-won’t-impose-my-view-on-others position on abortion. “Most Catholics in America will side with Biden, I suspect,” wrote blogger, social conservative and fiscal liberal Andrew Sullivan.
Chris Kissel, a Seattle University grad and journalist, now working radio in New York, tweeted of Ryan’s response: “Is it a moral obligation to make moral choices for others?”
The objective? “Pretty clear that Biden’s strategy tonight is to do everything Democrats wish Obama did last week,” tweeted Ezra Klein, the New York Times pundit tracking day-by-day developments in the 2012 presidential race.
An opposing view: “Weird, inappropriate and condescending,” said Monica Crowley, an aide to former President Richard Nixon during his last years of self-rehabilitation.
Nixon knew a thing or two about losing a debate.