Ryan's Debate Strategy

[BattleHymn]

I'd love to see video of Olson being Uncle Choo Choo. 

Ryan’s Debate Strategy  October 15, 2012 12:00 P.M.
The vice-presidential candidate planned to stay above the fray.

By Robert Costa

Did Paul Ryan prepare for Biden’s bluster?

You bet, his aides say, and they credit Ted Olson, a former United States solicitor general, for coaching the Republican veep candidate.

For weeks, the 72-year-old Olson played Biden during mock debates. During intense 90-minute sessions, Olson mimicked every mannerism of the vice president, from his hand gestures to his sneer.

“I don’t think Ted ever got out of character,” a Ryan insider recalls.

Early on, Olson’s theatrics forced Ryan to put down the briefing books and grapple with Biden’s personality.

“Ryan is a former congressional staffer, and that really showed during the prep,” a Romney adviser says. “He loves to read, debate, and study.”

But knowing Biden’s positions wasn’t enough. Ryan needed a strategy to deal with Biden’s interruptions and put-downs.

Eventually, Ryan, Olson, and the rest of the team settled on a game plan: Ryan would ignore the slights. He would resist the bait. He’d stay above the fray.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/330444/ryan-s-debate-strategy-robert-costa