Since the vice presidential debate between Paul Ryan and Joe Biden, conservatives and liberals have been at loggerheads over several questions — questions like, “Was Biden too rude?” Or, “Was Martha Raddatz a good moderator?” Generally, among liberals, the answer to the former is “no” and the answer to the latter is “yes,” while with conservatives, the answer has been the reverse.
But no one has asked what Raddatz herself thought of Biden’s performance, at least until now. And even if conservatives didn’t like her performance as moderator, they might be pleasantly surprised at what she had to say on that topic. Near the tail end of the second part of this week’s “This Week” on ABC, Raddatz told the panel that Biden’s performance was simply a mismatch for the setting, and came off as bombastic even to her (emphasis added):
Well, let me tell you one thing. For instance, I didn’t see Paul Ryan drinking all that water, ever, because when I was asking — because you’re so in the moment, and you’re asking Joe Biden a question. But I think right away, you knew what the strategy was.
But one of the things I think Joe Biden did was in that intimate — in that little intimate table, it was very small, he was too big. He was like he was at a campaign event. So you could even — you could feel that, especially at that table, that — that Joe Biden was so aggressive. So there were surprises there. I was surprised at Paul Ryan, that he didn’t jump in more, but that was clearly the strategy. But when you walk off, you’re not quite sure how it went.
Watch Raddatz’s comments near the end of the following video, courtesy of ABC News:
Given the conservative perception that Raddatz — perhaps intentionally — was too soft on the vice president, this assessment will likely strike critics of the administration as particularly damning. Losing the moderator is not typically an easy path to winning the viewers.






















































































































Comments (87)
Salamander
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:46pmNext time, they need to use an NFL Referee!
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imsteph
Oct. 14, 2012 at 7:43pmmake sure they aren’t the replacement ones either!
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Joel Knows
Oct. 14, 2012 at 9:14pmI think Donald Trump would be an interesting choice to moderate a debate, with his TV show he certainly would have the experience, and he could jump in and join the debate like Raddatz did a few times. Another choice that would be interesting might be Jesse Ventura, as he might be able to do it in rounds and keep time better. But instead of having the debate at a table he would probably request a ring or a cage.
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HappyConservative
Oct. 14, 2012 at 9:39pmOh, so NOW she says this, after cutting off Paul Ryan almost as much as much as Biden did. Another leftist liberal trying to make herself look good after her absolute failure to moderate fairly in the debate. Nothing but more liberal lies here folks, nothing to see…Move along….
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Miami
Oct. 14, 2012 at 11:34pmStrategy?
Everything to Progressives is “planed out” but they’ve not learned the most basic of lessons. Life is what happens while you make PLANS.
Be prepared, know the facts, relax and manage the situation. That’s not a Strategy but a way to live your life and preserve it. Oh yeah and win debates as well…
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mtcountrygrl
Oct. 15, 2012 at 11:20am“too big”? Is that what we call rude, pompus, @ss these days.
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ScreaminEagle
Oct. 15, 2012 at 2:41pmFact Check:
“Obama just happened to attend the 1991 wedding of Julius Genachowski and Martha Raddatz, and Genachowski just happened to become a campaign bundler for Obama, who just happened to name him head of the Federal Communications Commission, and Raddatz just happened to become a journalist and work for ABC, and just happened to be selected to be the moderator for the October 11, 2012 vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan.”
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truthnstuff
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:41pmToo bad Raddatz’s intellectual capacity is too small. I guess anyone can pass for a journalist on the left, it only requires it only requires a total inability to grasp facts, or, enough stupidity to misrepresent them.
You would have to be stupid to not be totally ashamed to come out in public like this.
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muffythetuffy
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:50pmWhat about her own performance? She worked hard interrupting Ryan 45 times and acted like she was Biden’t running mate. Like Scott Brown of MASS, Ryan should have refused to debate unless someone more impartial was chosen. Brown finally got his way.
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truthnstuff
Oct. 14, 2012 at 5:00pmTo muffythetuffy, you are right, and the GOP need to get some more backbone and stop trying to be defensive all the time.
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kryptonite
Oct. 14, 2012 at 10:23pmRaddatz was surprised that Biden didn’t jump in more? He tried, but she (and Biden) kept cutting him off. If Ryan had been as rude to HER as Biden was, it would have been the “Republican war on women” all over again ad nauseam. Ryan stayed on message despite it all. Try doing that, Barack. You don’t have the brains. Not even close, you teleprompter fraud.
When are women going to realize they are being used by WH Pimps Inc.?
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progressiveslayer
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:40pmIn the debate the dry drunk looked and sounded bizarre indeed,exactly what you’d expect from an out of touch lifetime politician. If the drunks dentures would have fallen out with one of his goofy fake smiles I would have LMAO to say the least. Biden’s as phony as they come and he could care less about the will of the people. He’s in it for a paycheck and the power,he’s a fake rotten bastard just like his Marxist boss. Keep laughing Biden you stupid SOB,America is burning and you’re laughing your ass off,pathetic doesn’t come close to describing your sickening behavior.
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Gonzo
Oct. 14, 2012 at 5:45pmAmerica saw that my friend, fear not!
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shorelineliz
Oct. 14, 2012 at 7:13pmwell said. I can’t believe the host in the clip above introduced Martha Raddatz as one super wonderful moderator and “bad ass?” Was he drunk too? Biden was disgusting. Everybody knows that. I had uncles as boozy as Biden appeared in this debate sitting at our holiday table for years. The “personality” is well remembered. Loud, obnoxious, drunk, condescending. They ruin every table they sit at. Was this a VP debate? Hardly. Nobody knows what it was. Some kind of weird mini table chat in which two liberals tried to gang up on the nerdy bean counter.
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kryptonite
Oct. 14, 2012 at 10:55pm@SHORELINELIZ
Ryan is not a nerd. That’s the lib caricature the state media wants you to see. Republicans are always too something, and since their puppet president is mentally challenged and Ryan is gifted, the best they can do is paint our VP as a nerd. Ryan has good social skills. I bet he can beat Zero at basketball too.
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burnteye86
Oct. 15, 2012 at 3:09amI saw an old man trying to bully a young man. Fail.
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uncivilized
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:38pmI would be far more impressed with Ms. Raddatz’s comments if she had made some sort of effort to reign him in during the debate. Or, at least not add to the confusion by interrupting Ryan, herself.
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Chromo200
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:56pmI agree. People gave her credit .. I think she dropped the ball and showed her bias.
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edrebber
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:24pmBiden’s behavior was despicable and would not be tolerated in corporate america. What kind of message are we sending to young people with this type of behavior from the Vice President? I think deep down inside, more people disapprove of Biden’s behavior than are letting on.
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calebjim
Oct. 14, 2012 at 5:54pmJoe was a sample of a person that has a deep mental problem. If I had been Ryan, I may have been tempted to slap the hell out of him and walk out. If the Democrats think Joe made any difference in the polls, they are wrong. He (Joe) helped a great many people make up their minds.
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Tri-ox
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:19pmJoe was a drunken jerk, but, some of that was Raddatz’s fault. Raddatz was completely incompetent and refused to do her job as moderator – she should have called Joe out for CONSTANTLY interrupting Paul Ryan. But. ultimately, whatever Raddatz’s reason was for allowing Joe’s behavior, it REALLY hurt obama and benefitted Ryan and Romney – Joe was allowed to be Joe, and that’s NEVER a good thing. The prosecute of a crazy, angry old drunk like Joe Biden being ‘one heartbeat away’ is pretty scary.
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Tri-ox
Oct. 14, 2012 at 6:00pmThe PROSPECT of a crazy, angry old drunk like Joe Biden being ‘one heartbeat away’ is pretty scary
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edrebber
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:09pmWho would want to work with someone like Biden? Biden would be fired if he behaved this way in corporate america.
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Zeb
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:09pmIf a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.� �Proverbs 29:9
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Dale Hogue
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:03pmBidens antics would have gotten him booted from any organized debate from elementary school all the way through and beyond graduate school. Rude and arrogant actions of this sort are not allowed in any civilized discourse or entercourse. Apparently “Good Old Joe” thought he was being clever, but it didn’t sell to the house studio audience or the television viewing audience or the radio audience who didn’t see his snarky actions but were aware of his vocal interruptive efforts. If I was in Ryan’s place I’m not sure I would have had the ability to remain as cool has he did. I’ve been in many debates during my lifetime and been a moderator on a few, but this was the first time I’ve ever seen such a flagrant disregard for debating decorum. The moderator should have intervened on the behalf of Ryan and the audience, but she became so befuddled that she apparently thought it was her job to assist Biden in his intrusive conduct toward Ryan. If minds were not changed away from the Obama-Biden ticket, then too many American voters don’t have a clue as what constitutes leadership in our National governmet. And that is, dear readers of this post, very shocking and very, very sad!
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mrbill1944
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:24pmWell said Mr. Hogue. Thanks.
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face.chewer
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:02pmJoe Biden reminded me of Sid Haig in The Devil’s Rejects. “What’s a matter kid, don’t ya like clowns?”
http://pluckyoutoo.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/houseof1000corpses01.jpg
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Just in time
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:51pmIf she truly thought Biden interrupted too much, why didn’t she say to Joe. Joe don’t interrupt, you will get your time to speak. Since she didn’t. She has no credibility with me. You have to stand for something or you will fall for anything
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PaulreveresDarknight
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:41pmOur reporter was gangraped on his watch too. Should have seen how GD funny that is Mr. CLOWN
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Wool-Free Vision
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:40pmI’m glad she points out that she has the ability to recognize what was blatantly obvious to everyone else, but having said that, who really gives a damn what a corrupt shill like her thinks?
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HKS
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:39pmWell, with four of our people murdered, raped, and dismembered , is it normal to think there is something funny about that. All are probably closed casket funerals because there’s not enough left to recognize. I hope this guy was drunk, because it’s troubling to think he could be president at any moment.
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jcldwl
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:38pmWho cares? It’s over and old uncle Joe made himself look like the fool he is. Mission accomplished. Move on.
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jwpowers41
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:45pmSay it isn’t so Joe you acted the FOOL!!!!!!!
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bannedfromCNN
Oct. 14, 2012 at 5:51pmTo quote Gump, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
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freenj
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:31pmI just have a gut feeling that many people who voted for Obama are beginning to understand, that this election requires changing horses and going with Romney. I think that they get it, that Obama has no plan and that if he is elected again, there is a very strong possibility the economy will collapse. Plus people are seeing Obama’s foreign policy as weak and no effective. 9/11/12 when Ambassador Stevens was assassinated, as well three other Americans, and Obama goes to Las Vegas to campaign that was cold. Obama shagged the pooch by doing that and allowing his surrogates to proclaim a You Tube video was responsible for the action. Stupid move by Obama, he wouldn’t let anything get in the way of campaigning for money.
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PaulreveresDarknight
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:20pmHistory shows us that we are special. Because of blood. Shed blood. He laughs like a mad man and defreinds evil. They want blood. Wolves on U N mountain just must be giddy with lust in the air
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crusaderx9
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:16pmRaddatz was an emotional wreck in full partisan mode. She purposeful overlooked the obvious clown with the big white teeth to interrupt Ryan – the only adult at that table.
There was no way a democrat like Raddatz was going to perform the role of a moderator in a professional manner. The drippy emotional drama she interjected was only upstaged by an emotionally disturbed Biden.
The number of interruptions (to include her own) against Ryan speaks for itself.
Shameful and obvious, she destroyed her own credibility – the mainstream media are corrupt and will do and say anything to assist the obama regime.
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EqualJustice
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:13pmOne really SNARKY answer I did not like was the one where he scolded Ryan for writing 2 requests for some of that stimulus money for his own state! HELLO?? Someone tell Joe those are NOT his personal funds Paul was requesting! It’s TAX PAYERS money he knew would be spent and he wanted his constituents to get some of THEIR OWN TAX dollars back. That was not a “gotcha” moment, that was an ARROGANT BIDEN showing how screwed up DC really is when they start to believe tax dollars are actually THEIRS.
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pissantno.10
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:35pmwell it should be all theirs they do all the hard work they build every thing just ask them. where do you get off just cause you go to work every day you think that money is yours. you need to move to some other country like umm maybe ahh no not there ummm need some help here
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steelpanther
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:04pmIt’s the same logic with earmarks. Just about everyone damns them. But rush to the writing board to put in their own. Simple thing is, they need to be removed and they know that, but they can’t not use them because then people are going to look at them as not bringing any of the taxes the state pays back to the state. So they look like fools when they say they don’t like earmarks, but use earmarks, but they really have no choice on either front.
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BODYBAG
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:08pmHa!!!! Had nothing to do with the moderator. She was never “in the tank”.
“I was surprised at Paul Ryan, that he didn’t jump in more, but that was clearly the strategy.”
Yep. All Ryan had to do was show up, be competent and not screw up. Biden’s
singular purpose was to rattle Ryan, knock him off balance and make him commit
a fatal campaign killing error. Ryan didnt fall for it and Biden blew his own brains out.
I doubt any independents cared for Joe’s arrogance —- women either. And those are
the groups that will ultimately decide the election.
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earthbonz
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:17pmFitting analysis.
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cosette
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:25pm@ Bodybag…To use the words “Biden” & “brains” in the same sentence is a bit of a stretch.
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vic138
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:58pmMeanwhile, over at the huffington post, ariana wrote that Biden was the only adult at the table. They’re all talking about how Ryan just memorized his lines and Biden acted like a senior statesman that he is.
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Magyar
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:04pmThe POS LEFT is watching their world disintegrate around them. It can’t happen quickly or severely enough….
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Just_Bubba
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:22pmYou will see them eating their own in the next couple of weeks as the reality of their LOSING sinks in. They are so stupid that they can’t even do grade school math and figure out what a majority is.
This election is going to show them that we are the majority and that they are so insignificant that they really had no chance, even with their constant LIES. Try this on for size you lib tards: 20 or 30% (at most) of the population = YOU LOSE BIG.
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PaulreveresDarknight
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:04pmShe seemed ok. This guy is brainwashed talking suit with dentures. I Highly question his sanity and was just rereading Dec of Ind. This is Chaos, death roll.. stopped at All cost
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LeadNotFollow
Oct. 14, 2012 at 2:58pm.
Saturday Night Live did not do a good job of showing just how over the top and out of control Biden truly was.
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Eastinfection
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:37pmIt’s mostly because they didn’t parody his “quiet, serious, low-talking” moments, too. (like when he was talking about the death of his 1st wife or boasting of his Catholicism) Those moments made his freak-outs look even more ridiculous.
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wianno94
Oct. 14, 2012 at 2:56pmIn the first Presidential debate, the claim was that Obama was just doing a ROPE A DOPE.
In The Vice Preasidential debate, Joe Biden was just doing the DOPE.
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forthepeople
Oct. 14, 2012 at 2:53pmShe seem to be more ‘ Fair ‘ than I thought it was going to be ?
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Want our country back
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:03pmShe can say anything she wants AFTER. If she felt that way, why didn’t she control him. She would have done him and obama a favor. JOE NEEDED A TIME-OUT.
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PATTY HENRY
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:10pmShe seems mature. I didn’t care for her interrupting RYAN like she did a couple of times, nor did I like her seeming to ‘side with BIDEN’ but then she would, wouldn’t she? She’s a liberal, but all in all I got it that she cared about HER OWN reputation and unlike some more experienced commentators who would say anything for Obama, I appreciate her honesty. That was about the nicest way anyone could put the OBNOXIOUS behavior of the man who is supposed to be our Vice President. 23 days.
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PaulreveresDarknight
Oct. 14, 2012 at 3:30pmSo neutral was unexpected on her part. We put up with this too. Fair. GOOD Job doing what a 17 yr old could do.
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truthnstuff
Oct. 14, 2012 at 4:57pm“Fair”, let’s stop being PC. It was 2 against 1 and the only reason she was somewhat restrained was because she was found out before the debate and was afraid to go too far.
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