The most telling statistic from last night's debate is that Joe Biden interrupted Paul Ryan 96 times over 90 minutes. Let's say that Ryan got 40 minutes of speaking time (discounting time for introductions and the moderator). That means he was interrupted, on average, twice a minute.

That's not including the butt-ins by the obviously partisan moderator, who cut in 31 times. 

For comparison sake, Ryan interrupted Biden 6 times. The moderator Biden off 19 times (mostly to say, "you'll have your say in a moment). 

The moderator asked probing questions of Ryan and kept him on point when he wandered, which would be fine if she did the same for Biden--she did not. Biden went far afield with his answers, throwing out talking points that didn't address any of the questions he was asked. Even CNN noted how she became a third debator in last night's contest.

Washington (CNN) -- At times it seemed as if Martha Raddatz, who moderated Thursday's vice presidential debate, was the third debater.

At other times she was the seasoned ABC News war correspondent who kept the two guys in suits taking snarky swipes at each other in line.

She pressed the candidates to give firm answers, such as when Vice President Joe Biden said Republican challenger Rep. Paul Ryan was just saying "a bunch of stuff."

"What does that mean, 'a bunch of stuff?'" Raddatz asked Biden.

Conservatives saw her in Obama's camp while journalists praised her and liberals fawned. 

But the real story was the smirking, chuckling, rude Joe Biden who showed up to the debate. Determined to be more aggressive than was the President in his last performance, Biden became a certified, braying jackass. And the GOP has taken advantage:

While watching the debate, I was struck by the inappropriateness of Biden's reactions. "What's so damned funny?" I shouted at the TV. Ryan showed more class and restraint than would I. 

That said, Ryan didn't look entirely comfortable. He could use a better fitting suit. His statements needed more definition, clarity. Though I thought moderator Martha Raddatz was being intentionally obtuse in refusing to acknowledge that Ryan said they were going to craft a complete plan with bipartisan effort rather than stuffing something upon the nation that they haven't had a chance to read or audit. 

But Biden proved himself an idiot when Ryan offered examples of this style of bipartisanship working under the Reagan and Kennedy administrations, Biden was only able to come back with a, "You're Jack Kennedy now?" Utterly classless and divorced from reality. He was reeling from the beginning because of the foreign policy questions, but the result of the debate was that Ryan is professional and would be a great second-in-command while Biden is a national liability.