Live Blog: Biden and Ryan Square Off in Vice-Presidential Debate

It's rare that a vice presidential debate can swing an election, but following GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's drubbing of President Barack Obama in Denver, Democrats are hoping Vice President Joe Biden can get them back on the right track.

Biden takes on the fresh faced GOP VP nominee, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, in a town hall format contest moderated by ABC News' Martha Raddatz. Biden, a skilled debater from a number of presidential primaries and 2008's match against Sarah Palin, will bring a folksy contrast to the fresh-faced energy of Ryan, a 42-year old fiscal conservative who is seen as the ideological and intellectual leader of his party's congressional faction.

Romney/Ryan have seen a surge in the polls since the former Mass. Governor put in a sterling performance last week; while the Obama campaign has accused him of moderating his positions for a national audience, he was deemed the winner thanks to an aggressive attack, coupled with an unexpected reticence from the president.

Biden is known for playing loose with public speaking rules; he often connects viscerally with an audience, but is prone to making gaffes and silly statements, as well. Ryan is less nationally known as an orator, but gave a full throated attack on Obama/Biden's policies during his RNC speech in August.

Will experience trump youth, or will a new generation's star take hold? Join now The Hollywood Reporter contributing editor Tina Daunt as we live blog this crucial moment in the 2012 Presidential Election. (Additional coverage from The Boston Globe.)

@abl. Yes Abl, and it's less than the unemployment for high school student. Remember, Romney says that college is not right for everyone. Romney would prefer many of us to not go to college.

by KentXie 10/12/2012 2:13:46 AM
Forget presidential politics, I feel like Biden is living every senator's dream of destroying a house chairman on national TV

by riceid via twitter 10/12/2012 2:13:48 AM
There is always money avilable for Wars and Tax Cuts to upper income. Give people with less wealth a break, and somehow they are leaches. Sound be the other way around. I want to see Ryan cry...call uncle

by Scott Wade 10/12/2012 2:13:53 AM
Ryan has behaved much more (vice) presidential

by BabsSue 10/12/2012 2:13:54 AM
Overseas tax shelters? I want some of those! I expect all folks to pay the same percentage - I would respect Romney much more if he said. "I will pay 32% like my staff."

by fed up edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:14:34 AM
Republicans got us into 2 middle east wars...Democrats getting us out of both...do we want another one now with Iran? Romney/Ryan itching to end young Americans in there and neither of them ever got near actual military themselves

by nighthawksoars 10/12/2012 2:14:39 AM
@abl none of us are okay with a nuclear armed Iran, but we can't nuke them back to the stone age either.

by JoeShmoe 10/12/2012 2:14:42 AM
ET phone home: When if ever will Raddatz return to domestic issues? For many viewers, this debate has ended.

by frankrichny via twitter 10/12/2012 2:14:44 AM
We'd go to Israel to defend her - we'd go to Iran to blow them up.... why are we the world police? How much $$$ has been overseas in the past 8 years???

by fed up 10/12/2012 2:14:46 AM
Romney paid millions in taxes and violated no tax law. Do people expect him to pay more than he's legally required?

by meandmyownself 10/12/2012 2:14:54 AM
You pay taxes on ordinary income then you pay capital gains on the gains of that income. Pretty hard to get and stay rich.

by JOEFUN edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:15:03 AM
Biden cant believe how much Ryan is flat out lying

by Spanner 10/12/2012 2:15:10 AM
When Romney was governor in Massachusetts, he did not take a salary. This helped MA balance the budget.

by BabsSue edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:15:15 AM
Europe has no entrepreneurial culture due to high taxes, high regulation, and nanny state benefits. Obama/Biden policies will have the same result here.

by Clear thinker 10/12/2012 2:15:30 AM
Is 3+ minutes more for one debater a normal swing?

by Chup 10/12/2012 2:15:34 AM
And Romney said he made a "puny" $350,000 from speaking engagements last year - are you kidding? That is 10 times my salary.

by fed up edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:15:50 AM
Women will rule the day in this election and bring the true change their families need.

by June D 10/12/2012 2:15:58 AM
“What would my friend do differently,” says Biden. “You notice my friend never answers the question.” Ryan says he just did. Biden retorts, “Our allies are all on the same page.”

Raddatz asks, what is your criteria for using US troops? He says, it must be in the national interest of the US. “Only in our national security interests,” says the congressman. Raddatz then asks, what if Assad doesn’t fall? Ryan says Iran retains a great ally.

by Glen Johnson 10/12/2012 2:16:06 AM
Iran has as much a right to nuclear weapons as Israel.

by Hi edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:16:14 AM
@UnhappyVoter

Because Romney and the Republican party are against women's choice. Because the Republican party and their pundits believe Rape is okay. They block abortion access to female soldiers who are raped. They believe that women would not get pregnant unless the rape was illegitimate.

by KentXie 10/12/2012 2:16:19 AM
If we have a separation of church and state then why is a question on religion relevant?

by Chup 10/12/2012 2:16:22 AM
Instead of arguing over the charitable contributions, how about we address the tax code. Obama/Biden had full house and forced ObamaCare through congress, so why wasn't the same effort put into overhauling the tax code? Anyone that believes the Democratic party differs from the Republican part when it comes to taxes is living the "change" dream.

by WhiteBear 10/12/2012 2:16:30 AM
@meandmyownself: Romney has given much to charity, but he can not be compared to Biden, who was among the poorest members of Congress.

by Nina1 10/12/2012 2:16:34 AM
Show me one piece of evidence that Iran is planning for a nuclear weapon.

by Hi edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:16:38 AM
No BabsSue he was just as bad as Tax it all Deval

by JoeShmoe 10/12/2012 2:16:38 AM
I'm glad Ryan has the guts to speak honestly about his personal opinions re choice of life. Agree or not, at least he's not not trying to snow anyone.

by upton 10/12/2012 2:17:30 AM
Hi - give me just a minute to get the classified CIA documents.........

by meandmyownself 10/12/2012 2:17:38 AM
Taxes don't go toward abortions. Lyin' Ryan.

by Display Name:felixzeiler 10/12/2012 2:17:42 AM
RT @AshleyRParker: Ryan: "The policy of a Romney admin will be to oppose abortion, w exceptions for rape, incest & the life of the mother."

by Matt Viser via twitter 10/12/2012 2:17:46 AM
What is the difference between ObamaRomney Care

by JoeShmoe 10/12/2012 2:17:51 AM
Debate grounds to a screeching halt with abortion question

by Spanner 10/12/2012 2:17:52 AM
@Chup - agreed. Keep religion out of it

by Screen Name 10/12/2012 2:17:54 AM
Nobody know what Romney did or didn't do regarding his taxes because he's afraid to release his returns...but we know there were Swiss and Cayman Island accounts...how "patriotic" is that?

by nighthawksoars edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:18:22 AM
Wow. Religion becomes relevant now because Ryan is going to use his religious beliefs to guide abortion policy/laws. Makes me wonder about how Romney will use his religious beliefs to guide his policies...

by JL 10/12/2012 2:18:34 AM
Ryan does not "respect" those that disagree with him - he wants to force his beliefs on them.

by Doktorphil 10/12/2012 2:18:42 AM
Wow. Ryan is just NOT ANSWERING the questions...

by justsaying 10/12/2012 2:18:47 AM
Claiming that Republicans believe rape is okay is an egregious over exaggeration.

by Chup 10/12/2012 2:19:03 AM
Tax dollars go to fund abortions, felixzeiler. That's what Romney/Ryan wants to end. You are uninformed.

by aBaystater edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:19:22 AM
FACT CHECK: The Obama administration infringing on religious liberty: The charge generally centers on an announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services in January that virtually all employers would be required to provide free contraception through their health insurance plans under the 2010 national health care law. Churches were exempted, but colleges, charities and hospitals affiliated with religious groups were not.

After strong objections by Republicans and religious leaders, particularly Catholics, Obama outlined a compromise in February: Women employed by religiously affiliated organizations would still receive free contraception coverage, but the coverage would be funded by insurance companies, not by employers.

“No woman’s health should depend on who she is or where she works or how much money she makes,” Obama said in a televised address, announcing the compromise. “As we move to implement this rule, however, we’ve been mindful that there’s another principle at stake here -- and that’s the principle of religious liberty.”

“As a citizen and as a Christian, I cherish this right,” Obama added.

But Obama’s compromise has failed to satisfy some Catholics. In June, the Catholic Health Association said the president’s proposal is “unlikely to adequately meet the religious liberty concerns of all of our members and other church ministries” in a letter to Health and Human Services. The health association contended the Obama administration’s definition of a religious employer remains too narrow and expressed discomfort with “direct or indirect involvement” in providing contraception coverage.

by Callum Borchers, Globe... 10/12/2012 2:19:26 AM
I agree @Chup

by JoeShmoe 10/12/2012 2:19:26 AM
Biden is right--don't use your own religion to impose policies on others who are not your religion!

by JL 10/12/2012 2:19:27 AM
Biden on abortion: "I do not believe we have the right to tell women that they cannot control their body. That's between them and their doctor."

by tinadaunt 10/12/2012 2:19:43 AM
Biden looking and sounding much more Vice Presidential then Ryan. That was a Slam Dunk for Biden! Whats with that look on Ryans face anyway? Gas?

by Scott Wade 10/12/2012 2:19:50 AM
No one's being forced to get an abortion. Keep it legal and don't get one if you don't want one.

by Display Name:felixzeiler edited by Teresa Hanafin, Boston.com 10/12/2012 2:19:54 AM
Ryan, China is handling overpopulation. Overpopulation begets poverty and not supporting the One-Child Policy means that million of new babies will be forced to live in poverty, UNLESS the extra child can be paid by the family. That is allowed but Ryan missed that.

by KentXie 10/12/2012 2:20:03 AM