The vice presidential debate: 4 takeaways

What happened at the debate? Joe Biden popularized the word "malarkey." Paul Ryan melted hearts with "bean." And no one said a word about Big Bird

Vice President Joe Biden was the clear aggressor throughout much of his debate with Paul Ryan.
(Image credit: REUTERS/John Gress)

Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) went toe to toe on Thursday night in the first and only vice presidential debate. Moderated by Martha Raddatz of ABC News, the debate covered both domestic and foreign policy, and elicited a spirited back-and-forth between the two candidates. Biden was under pressure to make up ground after President Obama's listless debate performance against Mitt Romney, while Ryan was hoping to build on the post-debate momentum his campaign has enjoyed. Here, four initial takeaways from the debate:

1. Biden was clearly on offense

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