By Wayne Allyn Root
Funny. Isn’t it Democrats that are always criticizing “angry white males?” Well look who’s the angry white male now.
The Vice Presidential heavyweight championship fight is over. Joe Biden needed a decisive knockout to prop up Obama’s failing campaign. He didn’t get it. Paul Ryan didn’t need a decisive win. He only needed to hold his own and come across as smart and sincere- mission accomplished.
The truth is, it wasn’t a decisive victory for anyone. They both held their own. I thought Biden won the first half of the debate. But Ryan came on strong to win the second half. Ryan’s closing was very strong. And he turned a tough issue- abortion- into a big win by bringing up Obama’s trampling of the rights of religious institutions. But overall, even-steven, perhaps a slight edge for Biden (only because he was the aggressor throughout the night).
However, something happened during this debate that was decisive. It was style over substance. If you’re a conservative, you probably liked Ryan’s substance. If you’re a liberal, you probably liked Biden’s substance. No revelations there.
But on the topic of style, I think something monumental happened in the VP debate. Biden was not likeable. He tried for the knockout so hard, he tried to show the aggressiveness that Obama did not with such desperation, that he came across as mean-spirited, angry, condescending, arrogant, and disrespectful.
Think back to Nixon versus John F. Kennedy. Those who heard the debate gave the win to Nixon. But those who watched it, voted overwhelmingly for JFK. Tonight’s debate followed a similar pattern. If you heard it, or read a transcript, you might give Biden a slight win for being the aggressor, for being more confident, for bringing the fight to Ryan.
But if you watched the debate, you saw a polite, cool, youthful Ryan with fresh ideas…versus an old hot head. Biden’s smirking, laughter, and constant interrupting was rude, disrespectful and annoying. He came across as an old, arrogant, know-it-all, on his way out the door (and angry because he knows it).
Biden’s performance will not play well with women- the very group he needed to win over. Men like aggression. Men like strength and confidence. Men like a guy on the attack. But the votes of men aren’t up for grabs. Men are voting overwhelmingly for Romney/Ryan. They’re not changing their minds.
Biden’s audience was clear: WOMEN. Without a rebound among women, Obama loses. Period. His 20-point lead among women has evaporated overnight. He is down to a 2-point lead among female voters in recent polls. Obama cannot win without a double-digit lead among women. If the women in my household are any indication, Biden bombed badly. He turned off women. He wasn’t a nice man. He had no manners. He never listened. He spoke with nothing but anger.
He reminded the women in my household of the grumpy old condescending Uncle who you have to invite to Christmas dinner, even though he insults you and treats you with disrespect. And he winds up ruining a nice holiday every time.
As my wife reminds me (all the time)- women don’t like men who interrupt them, who think they know it all, who don’t listen, who are pushy, who think they have all the answers. Women despise men who smirk and laugh at you in a dismissive way. And the worst attribute of all to my wife? Nothing turns her off like an angry man with a bad attitude.
Did Biden win the debate? Arguable. Was he the aggressor? Yes. Did he staunch Obama’s bleeding? Yes.
But did he accomplish his number one goal? Absolutely not. His job was to win over women. My gut instinct says the debate was a draw. But even if Biden won the battle, he lost the war.
America’s women will not approve of Joe Biden.
And that’s another win for Mitt Romney.
Wayne Allyn Root is a Capitalist Evangelist, entrepreneur, and Tea Party Libertarian Republican. He is a former Libertarian vice presidential nominee. He is the best-selling author of “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gold & Tax Cuts.” His web site: www.ROOTforAmerica.com
