Peggy Noonan: 'Rob Portman Just Might Eviscerate' Joe Biden in a Vice Presidential Debate

Noel Sheppard
June 24th, 2012 1:22 PM
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Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan said Sunday that if Rob Portman were Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate, he "just might eviscerate" Joe Biden in a vice presidential debate.

Appearing on ABC's This Week, Noonan added, "I think that might lead to a certain sense, this growing meme out there of the administration as a house of cards. There's something not fully stable, not fully operating, not fully right about this thing" (video follows with transcript and commentary).

PEGGY NOONAN, WALL STREET JOURNAL: I still think Rob Portman is one of those who might be able to...

JAKE TAPPER, ABC NEWS: The senator from Ohio.

NOONAN: ... to -- the senator from Ohio, with -- with a great deal of experience and accomplishment. Everybody says that would be doubling down on almost Romney picking a Romney sort of person. I think it would be just doubling down on a certain kind of serious (ph).

But there's another thing that comes with Portman. Portman has a great ability to debate. As you know, in previous presidential cycles, he has, as a Republican, played the part of the Democrat the Republican candidate would be debating in debate rehearsals. And everybody always has been talking for years, this guy's so brilliant, he's so funny, he's so bright. Well, imagine someone taking those particular talents, bringing them into 2012 as a Republican vice presidential candidate, and facing Joe Biden.

TAPPER: What do you think that would do?

NOONAN: I think Joe Biden is a -- a very charming, but sometimes surprising and gaffe-prone person. And I think no one has pushed at him in 3 1/2 years. And I think Rob Portman just might eviscerate him. I think that might lead to a certain sense, this growing meme out there of the administration as a house of cards. There's something not fully stable, not fully operating, not fully right about this thing.

Probably any of Romney's vice presidential options would eviscerate Biden.

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