Last Wednesday, President Obama gave a debate performance that was rated sub-par by the vast majority of journalists. Journalists described the president’s demeanor as listless and his interest level as far below that which it should have been. However, he never displayed a lack of class. Even at his allegedly least effective, Mr. Obama demonstrated a presidential approach which was commendable. The same cannot be said for his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden.

While the president occasionally smiled at his opponent Governor Mitt Romney’s remarks, Mr. Biden laughed at more than half of Congressman Paul Ryan’s comments. While President Obama may have gone over the allotted time, Mr. Biden sought to make up ground on his opponent’s time, constantly interrupting Mr. Ryan mid-response. This display of disrespect may have turned off some viewers to the vice president’s positions.

“On substance, I think it was a draw; I think each side will draw a lot of encouragement from it but I do want to make a point. On style, I think Paul Ryan won the debate. Biden’s dismissive laughs, the interruptions, the sort of shouting—I think that Ryan was calmer, and frankly more presidential,” CNN Senior political analyst David Gergen said.

“Biden’s interruptions were rude and distracting, while Ryan remained composed and able to attack the administration’s policies,” senior Angela Williams said.

Of course, the Congressman did try to get even with several digs of his own. “With respect to that quote, I think the vice president very well knows that sometimes words don’t come out of your mouth quite the right way,” Mr. Ryan said regarding Mr. Romney’s infamous 47 percent remark.

This quip earned Ryan the most uproarious response of the night from the crowd. He was referring to Mr. Biden’s propensity to commit verbal gaffes. The vice president has uttered audible expletives more than once on broadcast television. Although there was no profanity, Mr. Biden did make one comment which displayed a condescending attitude towards voters.

“If you heard that little soliloquy on 47 percent and you think he just made a mistake then I think I got a bridge to sell you,” Mr. Biden said in response to his opponent’s defense of the 47 percent quotation. While criticizing Mr. Romney’s assertion that 47 percent of Americans do not contribute to the well-being of the nation, Mr. Biden spoke down to anyone who defends the quote, calling them gullible. Though not nearly as grave a gaffe as the 47 percent statement, it was still a condemnable response to an opposing viewpoint held by many voters.

So vehement was the argument between the two candidates that at some instances they seemed to pretend that moderator Martha Raddatz did not exist. “At times, the moderator lost control of the debate. She tried to change the subject and the candidates just talked over her and continued to argue,” senior Ryan Mills said.

CNN post-debate polls reflect the perception that Ryan won a very close victory. 50 percent of debate watchers said Ryan expressed himself more clearly, compared to 41 percent for Biden. Ryan led 53 to 43 percent in terms of likeability, and 70 percent of voters said Biden spent more time on the attack in the debate. Clearly, voters construed Biden as the aggressor, and there was substantial (albeit not overwhelming) evidence that he may have come off as overaggressive.

Ultimately, though, what matters regarding the vice presidential debate is not what type of impression the candidates make but rather how they make their running mates look. 49 percent of voters said Ryan made his running mate look better, compared to 43 percent for Biden. After watching the debate, 28 percent of those polled said they were more likely to vote for Romney, while only 21 percent said the same for Obama. 50 percent said it made no difference.

Therefore, this debate will not decide the outcome of the election, but it will provide a smooth transition for the Romney-Ryan ticket into the next presidential debate on Tuesday. In the first two debates, the Republican challengers may have surprised viewers by coming off more presidential than the Democratic incumbents who have been on the job for the last four years. On Tuesday, October 16, it will be up to President Obama to halt the momentum of the Romney campaign. If he incurs a definitive defeat, the come-back campaign may sneak its way to victory on Election Day.