Was Biden victorious or was he rude?

That's the question.  It will probably be what determines who won or not in tonight's VP debate.  There was only one zinger, and that belonged to Ryan, who reminded Biden that he should know folks can sometimes say things the wrong way.  At times  Ryan did begin to wade into the deepest, darkest details of things, and not keep to a higher elevation overlooking the broad issues.  But he remained cool, calm, and polite.  Even when it appeared the moderator was happier interrupting him than the Vice President, or continuing to hold his feet to the fire while allowing Biden more leeway.

But the big question will be, how did anyone watch it see Biden?  For the MSNBC base, it will be a rousing victory.  For those who hate conservatives and the GOP, and would gladly unzip their pants and urinate on anyone with an R before their name, no doubt cheers and celebrations are going on over Biden's rousing victory.

For the rest of America  however, including Independents and even more traditional Democrats, just how will it be seen?  I don't think elections are won or lost on the VP debate anyway.  Biden certainly showed Obama what he thinks Obama should have done in the first debate.  But I've been watching debates since Reagan/Mondale, and I have never seen this level of rude, condescending, impolite, crass and jerkish behavior in a major VP/Presidential debate.  Ever.  Biden interrupted, sneered, spoke down, mocked, laughed, dismissed, and generally did everything but flip Ryan the bird.  At two points (and I wonder if this will be mentioned), he actually seemed to get down on Martha Raddatz.  I mean, I was almost offended just because my children were watching them, and I felt the need to tell them not to ever act that way.

So that will be the question   In our age of Reality TV, will anyone care?  If they care, will it be enough to taint the Obama ticket?  Only if a case could be made that this is the fellow one heartbeat away from the presidency.  But again, across the F-U base of the Democratic party, it was no doubt a monumental triumph.  What the rest of the country thinks, however, will be the question.