Vice Presidential Debate

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It doesn’t change the teaching, they know the church teaches pro life. If they don’t, they will get a conscience awakening epiphany.
Where in the bible does it say thine government shalt controlith thoust populationsiths views on abortion? All those pages and not a word…
 
Let me get this straight: Ryan is promising to CUT taxes, keep the BIGGEST corporate loopholes open, and INCREASE the size of the military… And he intends for this to occur in a bipartisan manner?

Politically and mathematically: NOT possible. Just a way of promising everything to voters with no practical way to actually accomplish it.
You seem to think Democrats are staunch in their principles, an immovable object. Apologies if I’ve got you wrong.

Notwithstanding that I don’t think most of them have any real (moral) principles -
their resistance is featherweight and their “stands” will become airborne and headed toward a bipartisan table if the political winds begin blowing a certain way on any issue.

The first commitment they have (like their RINO counterparts in the GOP) is to keep their personal power unto retirement.

On 9/12/01 many of the same Democrats that loathed the military and came within a whisker of ousting any reference to God in their 2012 platform were loudly singing “God Bless America” in front of one heck of a big flag. No “jingoism” when public opinion runs hot. < Thinking of Hillary Clinton and John Kerry as the poster girl and boy for what I’m talking about.

Despite the possible hypocrisy (see previous paragraph) I liked what I saw. I thought
maybe the Donkey Party had a moment of clarity. They do sometimes - maybe not the majority of them - but enough on this issue or that to make a little “bipartisanship” possible.

The Obama administration had majorities across the board in its first two years and ran roughshod over the Republicans whose one defensive weapon was a Senatorial
Filibuster. A bit like Andrew Jackson’s “Spoils System” - the opposite of bipartisanship.

There CAN actually be something to be said for that. The staunch stand vs. automatically compromising at all times - even when a party or an idea has “won” at the ballot box. I remember being vexed at the RINOS who deserted the paper-thin Republican majority Government of 2001 (White House, House of Reps and a tie in the Senate with Cheney as a tie-breaker).

Before the inauguration was even completed “bipartisan” John Mc Cain was flexing his muscles and meeting with the now half-ousted former Democratic Committee heads, while “Jumpin’ Jim” Jeffords switched parties to re-give the Democrats a Senatorial Majority.

I really don’t know IbnFiktur, what would happen with a Romney/Ryan victory 🤷 - and it makes a big difference what happens with the House and Senate majorities re: bipartisanship.

If one were a Democratic Senator or Representative in the minority - and wanted to get something DONE - you’d almost have to get help across the aisle (or sit and wait on your bill for two years).

And many times in our country’s history our Representatives and Senators have traded votes on an “acceptable compromise” (be it Defense, a tax cut, what have you) to craft a “win” for the home state or district.

I’ll give you this - the Democrats do seem more fanatically committed to things like (horribly wrong IMO) abortion than the reluctant-Republicans do. But I wonder if even THAT could be compromised away for some personal security if a Republican victory (the second BIG one in a row!) should happen November 6. :hmmm:
 
CaptFun: I think you are indeed misinterpreting my position. I’m not building the Democrats up to be any less capable of political nonsense than the Republicans (I am not registered for either party).

However, I have seen very little substance from the Romney campaign. All I hear is the following:

-We’re going to cut taxes across the board
-We’re going to increase military spending
-We’re not going to close major loopholes

How are we going to do all this AND cut the trillion dollar deficit? Through unnamed “bipartisan” solutions.

I am not singing Obama’s praises. I do however believe that the Romney campaign is criticising the administration on severaly things for which Romney himself has no credible or different solution.

All that said, I’m definitely not voting for Obama. I’d rather not vote for Romney either… we’ll see how it goes.
 
Ok, then. I hear the strawmen all the time so that I assumed you were doing the same. If the goal is ending ***legal ***abortion, it starts with overturning Roe V Wade so that the states can pass restrictive laws, wouldn’t you agree? And some states would make exceptions that we Catholics don’t agree with, but its a start. Should we not support parental notification laws because they don’t “end abortion”? I don’t think so. We need to do what we can. Romney would help us get there.
Ishii
This specious argument that if you can’t save ALL the babies, there is no point in taking incremental steps rubs me raw. This thinking is used as a rationalization by the left to justify a vote for a radical pro-abortion candidate, which most Democrat pols are. As for me, the saving of one single innocent life is worth a vote against someone who supports the abortion industry. Yes, EVEN if that person is allegedly “good” on other issues. Anyone who doesn’t view a baby’s life as sacred really doesn’t give a damn about me either! 😊 Rob
 
-We’re not going to close major loopholes.
Both Romney & Ryan have said that they would close loopholes. Romney said it a number of times during the 1st Presidential debate. Ryan said in this debate as well, although it was difficult to hear him because Biden was talking over him at the time. There are tons of articles online attacking him for not saying specifically which of those loopholes he plans to close. (I expect that no matter which ones he wants to close, it’s going to be an uphill battle with the politicians in Congress who “owe” their big donors.)
 
I lost a lot of respect for VP Biden tonight. He no longer seems to be a man of principles I thought his was, but rather just another political hack who’s time is passed.

I think this because VP Biden was far and way way too condesending toward his honorable opponent.

If the VP cannot show reasonable respect for his worthy opponent on national TV, then just what respect would he ever show me? If my views are to be brushed aside with “I know so much better than you, sonny” laughs, why should I respect Biden?

If I do not respect him, why would I ever vote for him?

Congressman Ryan kept his cool and did not make any serious mistakes. But there were a number of points Mr Ryan should have made and did not. He was too cautious, IMO.

Biden’s condesending attitude was very bad. And sorry, VP Biden, as a practicing Catholic, you are duty bound to vote your beliefs. If abortion is wrong, say it. And then say what is the better way. And thank God your mother did not abort you.

VP Biden lost IMO.
Charles Krauthammer said if you read the transcript it was a tie; heard it on radio Biden won; watched on television Biden lost because of the condescending remarks and disrespectful demeanour from Biden. The condescension and disrespect undid the force of Biden’s arguments
 
That’s a great post. It’s about math.

To restate the current situation let’s personalize it. Let’s say you make $87k per yr. But you spend $111k per year. So just to live for this year you have to borrow $24k. But you already owe your creditors $486k from previous loans. (Which you are not repaying but just covering the interest for now, you know, till you get your spending under control.) You go to the wife and kids and say we have to cut expenses and they agree, absolutely we must. We can cut $5k… next year. But then they start to fight about it and threaten to blow up the house if you don’t relent and back off those absurdly draconian measures. That’s the situation if multiplied by 333,333. (For the sake of illustration).

Fiscal responsibility is not a sin. Fiscal irresponsibility is.
Right, only in this case, the loans that you are taking out to continue your fiscally irresponsible lifestyle are in your children’s names.
 
CaptFun responds in RED 🙂
CaptFun: I think you are indeed misinterpreting my position. I’m not building the Democrats up to be any less capable of political nonsense than the Republicans (I am not registered for either party). - WE are pretty close in some ways. My late Mom and Dad used to say “We’re independent, we don’t belong to either party …” (back in the 60s when it seemed the parties were not so far apart on some important things). They viewed the parties like hot and cold water - one party better at national defense the other when you needed a temporary social program. I liked that value - and vowed to always vote for the candidate and not just a party label.

But then you had to sit out the primaries, where parties picked their candidates. I had less voting power. So I registered as a Democrat (before they went through the *&^%$# looking glass on abortion and communist coddling :rolleyes: -sheesh).

I didn’t last long there as value after value I held became opposed by the Democrats in power - and “independent” Democrats like myself were scantly represented in their primaries, and lost handily. The Republicans were more like me (at least they SAID the right things) so I made the switch - but often see MY kind of Republican defeated.

However, I have seen very little substance from the Romney campaign. All I hear is the following:

-We’re going to cut taxes across the board
-We’re going to increase military spending
-We’re not going to close major loopholes

How are we going to do all this AND cut the trillion dollar deficit? Through unnamed “bipartisan” solutions. Yeah. One and two above are hard to reconcile on their face. What is usually proposed by GOP folks is “baking a bigger pie” - to, in theory, raise more taxes (without raising the RATES) by the fact that more people will have more money (hence pay more taxes, which in turn - if not misdirected elsewhere - could reduce the deficit). WILL they DO this plausible thing is the rub (my suspicion when I balk).

I am not singing Obama’s praises. I do however believe that the Romney campaign is criticising the administration on severaly things for which Romney himself has no credible or different solution. I liked Rick Santorum, Romney not so much. We’ll see if Romneycare is very different from Obamacare if he’s elected, though they were smart to have Ryan make distinctions.

All that said, I’m definitely not voting for Obama. I’d rather not vote for Romney either… we’ll see how it goes. This was me a while ago. I’m warming to Romney as the only alternative - if I went third party it’s lke a half-vote for Obama. Four years ago I liked Mc Cain less than my Romney level now (for some reason(s) ). Voted for him anyway due to the radical pro-abort record of Obama (and even MORE reason(s) ). 😛

SINCE I’m going to vote for the guy, I may have started LOOKING to like him more, I’ll admit. So far I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Ryan. But like a kid rooting for a baseball team I’ve been watching the polls - and now - I’m not pulling against Romney.

As a Catholic, abortion and the HHS mandate makes this an easy call. I’ll take mediocre over Gawd-awful every time. 😃 And maybe all those prayers we say each week for “The President” will have more effect on a new guy.

Thanks for your posts and response IbnFiktur 👍
Sudden thought fellow Californian - does our vote even matter here? The POLLS tell us it is SO settled in our Senate race and electoral college votes. 🤷 On the other hand … since it “doesn’t matter” let’s vote boldly and well. 🙂
 
Both Romney & Ryan have said that they would close loopholes.
Note that I said the BIGGEST loopholes: Capital gains and carried interest. He is on record supporting the continuation of both of these. Most other loopholes are small change conpared to these two that Romney wants to KEEP. And there aren’t enough loopholes to close to pay for a defense increase AND a balanced budget. Which makes the Romney campaign’s complaints about rising deficits utterly insane: they have no viable alternative that would significantly lower the deficit within a comparable four year period.

It’s the hypocrisy that makes me ill. Not as ill as Biden’s hypocritical response to the abortion issue. But it’s still sickening.
 
CaptFun responds in RED 🙂
Sudden thought fellow Californian - does our vote even matter here? The POLLS tell us it is SO settled in our Senate race and electoral college votes. 🤷 On the other hand … since it “doesn’t matter” let’s vote boldly and well. 🙂
A perfectly valid question. My view? My vote is my voice, tiny and insignificant as that may be. Regardless of the electoral college, one vote nationally is as “loud” as any other in terms of the statement made, if not in terms of actual weight in deciding the election.
 
I was hoping that Ryan would say abortion is illegal and can’t compromise it but he did not, argh!!! Biden was acting like cranky old man. Too sad, two catholics were there but couldn’t stand up for their faith, they prefer to please others.
 
From The Weekly Standard:
At the end of the vice presidential debate Thursday night, Joe Biden and Paul Ryan lobbed charges of extremism at one another on the issue of abortion. “The Democratic party used to say they want [abortion] to be safe, legal, and rare,” Ryan said. "Now they support it without restriction and with taxpayer funding, taxpayer funding in Obamacare, taxpayer funding with foreign aid. The vice president himself went to China and said that he sympathized or wouldn’t second-guess their one-child policy of forced abortions and sterilizations. That, to me, is pretty extreme."Biden shot back, saying that Ryan has “argued that, in the case of rape or incest, it was still–it would be a crime to engage in having an abortion. I just fundamentally disagree with my friend.” Debate moderator Martha Raddatz followed up with Ryan, asking if pro-choice Americans should be “worried” about Romney, but she didn’t follow up with Biden.
In the spin room following the debate, I asked top Obama officials, as well as Planned Parenthood chief Cecille Richards, if Obama’s position on abortion is as extreme as what Ryan claimed. The Obama campaign denied the president favored abortion without restriction, but top Obama officials Jim Messina, Stephanie Cutter, and David Axelrod could not name a single restriction the president supports.
Obama, our first pro-Infanticide president. I do not see how a strident Catholic can reconcile his faith with supporting this type of policy.
 
When a wise man debates with a fool, the fool rages and laughs, and there is no peace and quiet." -Proverbs 29:9
 
Thoughts?

RADDATZ: I want to move on, and I want to return home for these
last few questions. This debate is, indeed, historic. We have two
Catholic candidates, first time, on a stage such as this. And I would
like to ask you both to tell me what role your religion has played in
your own personal views on abortion.
Please talk about how you came to that decision. Talk about how
your religion played a part in that. And, please, this is such an
emotional issue for so many people in this country…

RYAN: Sure.

RADDATZ: … please talk personally about this, if you could.
Congressman Ryan?

RYAN: I don’t see how a person can separate their public life
from their private life or from their faith. Our faith informs us in
everything we do. My faith informs me about how to take care of the
vulnerable, of how to make sure that people have a chance in life.

RYAN: Now, you want to ask basically why I’m pro-life? It’s not
simply because of my Catholic faith. That’s a factor, of course. But
it’s also because of reason and science.
You know, I think about 10 1/2 years ago, my wife Janna and I
went to Mercy Hospital in Janesville where I was born, for our seven
week ultrasound for our firstborn child, and we saw that heartbeat. A
little baby was in the shape of a bean. And to this day, we have
nicknamed our firstborn child Liza, “Bean.” Now I believe that life
begins at conception.
That’s why - those are the reasons why I’m pro-life. Now I
understand this is a difficult issue, and I respect people who don’t
agree with me on this, but the policy of a Romney administration will
be to oppose abortions with the exceptions for rape, incest and life
of the mother. What troubles me more is how this administration has
handled all of these issues. Look at what they’re doing through
Obamacare with respect to assaulting the religious liberties of this
country. They’re infringing upon our first freedom, the freedom of
religion, by infringing on Catholic charities, Catholic churches,
Catholic hospitals.
Our church should not have to sue our federal government to
maintain their religious liberties. And with respect to abortion, the
Democratic Party used to say they wanted it to be safe, legal and
rare. Now they support it without restriction and with taxpayer
funding. Taxpayer funding in Obamacare, taxpayer funding with foreign
aid. The vice president himself went to China and said that he
sympathized and wouldn’t second guess their one child policy of forced
abortions and sterilizations. That to me is pretty extreme.

RADDATZ: Vice President Biden?

BIDEN: My religion defines who I am, and I’ve been a practicing
Catholic my whole life. And has particularly informed my social
doctrine. The Catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of
those who - who can’t take care of themselves, people who need help.
With regard to - with regard to abortion, I accept my church’s
position on abortion as a - what we call a (inaudible) doctrine.
Life begins at conception in the church’s judgment. I accept it in my
personal life.
But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and
Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others, unlike
my friend here, the - the congressman. I - I do not believe that we
have a right to tell other people that - women they can’t control
their body. It’s a decision between them and their doctor. In my
view and the Supreme Court, I’m not going to interfere with that.
With regard to the assault on the Catholic church, let me make it
absolutely clear, no religious institution, Catholic or otherwise,
including Catholic Social Services, Georgetown Hospital, Mercy
Hospital, any hospital, none has to either refer contraception, none
has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get
contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact.
That is a fact. Now with regard to the way in which the - we
differ, my friend says that he - well I guess he accepts Governor
Romney’s position now, because in the past he has argued that there
was - there’s rape and forcible rape. He’s argued that in the case
of rape or incest, it was still - it would be a crime to engage in
having an abortion. I just fundamentally disagree with my friend.

RADDATZ: Congressman Ryan.

RYAN: All I’m saying is, if you believe that life begins at
conception, that, therefore, doesn’t change the definition of life.
That’s a principle. The policy of a Romney administration is to
oppose abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the
mother.
Now, I’ve got to take issue with the Catholic church and
religious liberty.

BIDEN: You have on the issue…
(CROSSTALK)

RYAN: … why would they keep - why would they keep suing you?
It’s a distinction without a difference.

RADDATZ: I want to go back to the abortion question here. If
the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected, should those who believe that
abortion should remain legal be worried?

RYAN: We don’t think that unelected judges should make this
decision; that people through their elected representatives in
reaching a consensus in society through the democratic process should
make this determination.

BIDEN: The court - the next president will get one or two
Supreme Court nominees. That’s how close Roe v. Wade is. Just ask
yourself, with Robert Bork being the chief adviser on the court for –
for Mr. Romney, who do you think he’s likely to appoint? Do you think
he’s likely to appoint someone like Scalia or someone else on the
court far right that would outlaw (inaudible) - outlaw abortion? I
suspect that would happen.
I guarantee you, that will not happen. We picked two people. We
pick people who are open-minded. They’ve been good justices. So keep
an eye on the Supreme Court…

RYAN: Was there a litmus test on them?

BIDEN: There was no litmus test. We picked people who had an
open mind; did not come with an agenda.
 
From Politico:
Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan were the two candidates on stage at Thursday’s vice presidential debate, but a third character emerged: Joe Biden’s laugh, which didn’t escape the notice of tweeting politicos. (And led, of course, to at least three satirical Twitter accounts: Laughing Joe Biden, Biden Smirk, and yet another Laughing Joe Biden.)
Weekly Standard’s Mark Hemingway: “Joe Biden’s laughing through talking about Iran sanctions?”
TIME’s Michael Scherer: “Not sure debate cameras have been light tested for Biden’s teeth. Best to watch with sunglasses.”
Washington Examiner’s Philip Klein: “Biden’s strategy seems to be to laugh at Ryan constantly. Will it work to infantalize Ryan, or backfire like Gore sighing?”
NBC’s David Gregory: “Biden’s smile is out of control.”
BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith: “So did Biden practice laughing at Ryan???”
(more at the link)
 
Thoughts?
(snip to Ryan)
That’s why - those are the reasons why I’m pro-life. Now I
understand this is a difficult issue, and I respect people who don’t
agree with me on this, but the policy of a Romney administration will
be to oppose abortions with the exceptions for rape, incest and life
of the mother. What troubles me more is how this administration has
handled all of these issues. Look at what they’re doing through
Obamacare with respect to assaulting the religious liberties of this
country. They’re infringing upon our first freedom, the freedom of
religion, by infringing on Catholic charities, Catholic churches,
Catholic hospitals.
Our church should not have to sue our federal government to
maintain their religious liberties. And with respect to abortion, the
Democratic Party used to say they wanted it to be safe, legal and
rare. Now they support it without restriction and with taxpayer
funding. Taxpayer funding in Obamacare, taxpayer funding with foreign
aid. The vice president himself went to China and said that he
sympathized and wouldn’t second guess their one child policy of forced
abortions and sterilizations. That to me is pretty extreme.

(snip to Biden:)
But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and
Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others, unlike
my friend here, the - the congressman. I - I do not believe that we
have a right to tell other people that - women they can’t control
their body. It’s a decision between them and their doctor. In my
view and the Supreme Court, I’m not going to interfere with that.
With regard to the assault on the Catholic church, let me make it
absolutely clear, no religious institution, Catholic or otherwise,
including Catholic Social Services, Georgetown Hospital, Mercy
Hospital, any hospital, none has to either refer contraception, none
has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get
contraception in any insurance policy they provide.
Ryan did not state his personal opinion. He stated the position of the Romney administration. (His personal opinion may agree…or it may be more strident…I don’t know from this statement)

Biden claims to support the teachings of the Church in his personal life, but he then came around and stated that he doesn’t believe that we have a right to tell other people that - women they can’t control their body

If Biden truly believed the teachings of the Church, then he would recognize that it is not a matter of a woman controlling her body…the baby is a distinct life from his/her mother.
 
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