Joe Peyronnin

Hofstra Journalism Professor

Representative Paul Ryan has bragged about his ability to catch fish barehanded. However, in the debate he could not catch the vice president, whose lengthy experience with foreign policy and domestic issues worked in his favor.

Ann Brenoff

Senior Writer, The Huffington Post

Lots was said -- OK, shouted -- about fixing Medicare. Could this be the issue over which generational warfare is declared?

Robert Watson

Professor and director of American studies at Lynn University

After watching this debate, I can't help but to think: Who are the folks who are still undecided?! After two years of campaigning, well over a billion dollars in spending, countless speeches, and two debates, voters have two dramatically different choices.

Nomiki Konst

Advocate for Millennials, Government 2.0, Women & Civil Discourse. Former Congressional Candidate & Founder of Alliance Hollywood

Ignore everything about the 2012 election prior to today. Before this point, ignore every poll, every positive and negative ad, every gaffe -- because none of it matters.

Ai-jen Poo

Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance

Elections must be about more than polls and he-said versus he-said horse race analysis. No matter how petty our politics may seem, ideas still matter -- especially to the people whose lives those ideas directly impact.

John Hudak

Fellow in Governance Studies, Brookings Institution

Tonight Obama needed a champion, an advocate, and a force that did what he failed to do: show a contrast with Gov. Romney and rekindle the post-DNC enthusiasm. Joe was that force.

Jared Bernstein

Fmr. Obama administration economist; CNBC and MSNBC contributor

Things that get into and out of the system, like the Recover Act and even the TARP, are not the things that drive the deficits.

Craig Crawford

News commentator, blogger, author

Who knows what vice presidential debates mean, but at a minimum they show us who's ready to step up if needed. Paul Ryan might be ready someday, but not now. Joe Biden's decades of experience showed. Ryan's lack of readiness was painfully apparent.

Steven Weber

Actor, wise-ass

And the American people, their attention spans scrupulously shortened to the point of an Oliver Sacks case study with three second recall, has supposedly forgotten all the crap that, from Romney and Ryan, passed for policy. But ladies and gentlemen, that's just BS.

Bob McKinnon

Director, GALEWiLL Center

Until we can have a deeper and more nuanced conversation about what makes the American Dream not just possible but probable, we will continue to hear mentions of things like Big Bird as political punch lines.

Peter D. Rosenstein

Political consultant

It is a sad state of affairs when the public accepts with a cavalier attitude the flip-flops on moral issues of candidates without questioning them in detail about their views and how they came about.

Margie Omero

Democratic pollster & strategist

With Mitt Romney's latest double-talk on abortion and Obama's post-debate slump, women are again in the news.

Ian Reifowitz

Author of 'Obama’s America: A Transformative Vision of Our National Identity'

Transcript from Vice-Presidential Debate, Oct. 11, 2012 Vice-President Biden: "Thank you. Let me begin by pointing out some facts. Last month's job ...

Andy Plesser

ATLANTA (via Skype Video) Beginnig with the first presidential debate, CNN.com has provided the tools to viewers to "DVR" footage, and share video cl...

Sen. Bert Johnson

Michigan State Senator

In light of National College Affordability Week, I hope a vivid contrast is laid out tonight between the Democratic plan to ensure our nation is internationally competitive for generations to come and the Republican vision of more inequality.

Daniel Moulthrop

Curator of Conversation, The Civic Commons

If you pay attention to competitive congressional races, you'll know that Ohio's 16th is one to watch. This is democracy in action, and, frankly, it's far more worth watching than this week's VP debate.