Commentators Weigh In on Biden-Ryan Debate

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Pool-Rick Wilking

Last night’s vice presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) touched on a number of issues pertinent to the Middle East. The candidates addressed the recent attacks in Libya, the United States role in Syria’s conflict, sanctions against Iran, and the U.S.’s reputation abroad. Biden said the Obama administration has implemented the most “crippling sanctions in the history of sanctions” against Iran, while Ryan asserted Iran now has “enough [material] for five [nuclear bombs]. They’re racing toward a nuclear weapon.” Biden also defended the U.S. intervention in Libya and its current stance on Syria, saying Syria’s larger population and volatile location have made similar intervention difficult and may lead to “regional war.”

Prior to the debate, James Traub wrote about Joe Biden’s influence on President Obama’s foreign policy, and numerous analysts have reacted to each candidate’s foreign policy stances since the debate. Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg said that “Mr. Ryan displayed a proficiency in … foreign policy and kept pace with Mr. Biden,” while David Brooks suggested the debate was “excessive in its attention to foreign policy — an arena that is a voting issue for very few.” Josh Rogin reported that Obama’s campaign team “noted in an e-mail to reporters that the Romney campaign’s position on Afghanistan has changed over the course of the campaign.”