Posts Tagged ‘Vice President’

GOP Fundraiser Proposes Stupid VP Pick

Monday, May 9th, 2016

A fundraiser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee asked people to vote on a list of choices for Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential running mate. Never mind that they left off Ted Cruz, Rick Perry and Paul Ryan, the biggest problem is someone they included among the choices: Rudy Giuliani.

Since both Trump and Giuliani are from New York, Giuliani would be ineligible to receive New York’s electoral college votes as Trump’s vice presidential running mate under Article Two, Section 1, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, which states: “The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves.”

Some hold that this would prevent New York electoral college voters from voting for a Trump-Giuliani ticket at all, others that they could vote for Trump, but refrain from voting for Giuliani.

In either case it’s a mess that should be avoided…

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Joe Biden’s Creepy Smile Take Two

Saturday, October 13th, 2012

The Night of 53 Smiles

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Vice Presidential Debate Reaction Roundup

Friday, October 12th, 2012

Lots of commentators said that Joe Biden did better debating against Paul Ryan than Obama did against Mitt Romney. I found Biden the far more irritating of the two, his his constant grinning and interrupting. He was like some weird, glad-handing political coelecanth that had somehow survived into the 21st century, and didn’t realize how fake his antics look on high def television. (And that’s to say nothing of Biden’s outright lies. No evidence of green pork cronyism? Right. Pull the other one.)

Other reactions:

  • 48% of CNN viewers thought Ryan won the debate, as opposed to 44% who thought Biden won.
  • This unsigned Houston Chronicle liveblog tries to be evenhanded, but dings Biden for his jackassery. “Biden’s contempt for his rival is palpable. Biden’s constant interruptions and grinning and head shaking could turn off some viewers.”
  • The Weekly Standard notes that “You don’t win a nationally televised debate by being rude and obnoxious. You don’t win by interrupting your opponent time after time after time or by being a blowhard. You don’t win with facial expressions, especially smirks or fake laughs, or by pretending to be utterly exasperated with what your opponent is saying.”
  • NRO’s Yuval Levin thinks that “Biden’s hyper-aggressive and at times buffoonish performance (and perhaps especially his Joker grin, which seemed to me as much a product of nervousness as of intent) hurt the ticket some with independent voters and especially with women,” but also thinks he did what he needed to do (stop the liberal bleeding).
  • By contrast, NRO compatriot John O’Sullivan thinks Biden won on points, but as engendered a “hostile reaction from women to his amazingly blatant mugging and grinning at the camera during Ryan’s arguments.”
  • “Coprophagic Smirks” would be a good name for a rock band.
  • Forbes also wasn’t impressed with Biden: “Television provided split screens, so while viewers saw Ryan calmly responding to the questions that came his way, on the other half of the screen they saw a batty older man laughing obnoxiously at someone who, even if voters disagree with him, comes off as very reasonable. The contrast can’t have worked in Biden’s favor.”
  • The Daily Gator says that Biden was “rude, condescending, and acted like a bully. Biden did not make any glaring gaffes, but, how he conducted himself might have been more damaging. His over the top smiles, really creepy smiles to be honest, his constant interruptions, which the moderator did nothing to stop, and his other facial gymnastics made him look like a man with nothing to say.”
  • “Paul Ryan Beats Blustering Buffoon Joe Biden in Vice Presidential Debate.”
  • “Ryan won by staying cool and composed.”
  • Best tweet of the night (from Dave Itzkoff): “I’m told Joe Biden was just a small-time hood before Batman dropped him in the vat of chemicals that left him with a permanent grin.”
  • This RNC ad spliced together from last night’s debate already has over a quarter-million hits:

  • And finally, complete video of the debate in case you missed it:

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    Joe Biden’s Carter Smile

    Thursday, October 11th, 2012

    Separated at birth: Jimmy Carter:

    and Joe Biden?

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