Top 10 tax moments in VP debate

October 14, 2012

The head-to-head match-up last week of Vice President Joe Biden and Republican nominee Rep. Paul "Call me Mister" Ryan marked the halfway point of the 2012 campaign debates.


Joe Biden and Paul Ryan vice presidential debate 10-11-12

It also gave the number two guys on their respective tickets a chance to talk taxes.

Or rather, as Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ) put it, have a spirited discussion over their competing visions for tax policy.


Top 10 tax moments in Biden-Ryan debate 10-11-12CTJ, whose analyses were mentioned frequently by Biden, kept track of the tax encounters and came up with the veep debate's tax top 10.

That number also is this week's By the Numbers figure.

In CTJ's estimation they were:

  1. Biden Highlights the Regressiveness of Extending All the Bush Tax Cuts
  2. Ryan Promises the Mathematically Impossible
  3. Biden Calls Ryan Out for Taking Capital Gains Tax Breaks Off the Table
  4. Ryan and Biden Dispute the Definition of Small Businesses
  5. Biden Takes on Romney and Ryan's Commitment to Grover Norquist
  6. Ryan Misrepresents History of 1986 Tax Reform
  7. Biden Revives Romney's 47 percent Remark
  8. Ryan Claims Obamacare Includes 12 Middle Class Tax Hikes
  9. Biden Stumbles on Primary Cause of Great Recession
  10. Ryan Wrong on How Much Revenue Could Be Raised by Taxes on the Rich

Check out the CTJ's article for elaboration on each of the 10 tax moments in the Biden-Ryan debate.

If you want to rewatch the VP debate, 2012 Election Central has the video. Or if you prefer, you can peruse the transcript at your leisure.

You also might find these items of interest:

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