Someone screwed up during Paul Ryan‘s debate prep. The bright-eyed congressman from Wisconsin forgot one important thing: when you’re a young conservative man going against an older, experienced Democratic Senator in a vice presidential debate, you never, EVER bring up Jack Kennedy!!!

During a heated section of the debate on tax policy, Joe Biden and Ryan spared over cutting taxes and how it was done in the past.

“Different than this administration, we actually want to have big bipartisan agreements,” Ryan said. “Look at what Tip O’Neil and Ronald Reagan did. They worked out of a framework.”

Ryan continued to avoid giving specific numbers, saying he and Romney are offering a “framework” of proposals that will become specific proposals during congressional negotiations.

Now when Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan were fighting out compromises in 1981, Paul Ryan was just 11-years-old. Biden, on the other hand, was in the middle of his second senate term.

“I was there when Ronald Reagan was president; he gave specifics as to what he was going to cut,” vice president Joe Biden shot back…

“The only way you can find $5 trillion in deductions is to cut deductions for the middle class,” Biden continued. When Ryan denied the Romney plan would raise taxes on the middle class, Biden said, “Not mathematically possible.”

“It is mathematically possible,” Ryan responded. “Jack Kennedy lowered taxes and raised revenue.”

“Oh, now you’re Jack Kennedy,” Biden said…

Cue YouTube!

In 1988, in probably the most (only?) famous exchange of a vice presidential debate, Dan Quayle responded to concerns about his age and lack of experience by saying that they were comparable to that of Jack Kennedy when he became president. Quayle’s opponent, the older and more experienced Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, offered the immortal retort: ”Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”

To be fair, Paul Ryan is no Dan Quayle. And Ryan certainly didn’t offer Quayle’s meek, “That was uncalled for.” Even more, that moment still didn’t stop the Bush-Quayle ticket from victory in November. Still, this probably wasn’t the moment the Romney campaign was hoping for.

What do you think?

[via Yahoo! News; via photo via AP/Rick Wilkins]

Bookmark to: