As the November 6 election approaches, Vice President Joe Biden and Vice Presidential hopeful Paul Ryan campaigned in Wisconsin this week in an effort to drum up support among voters.
Ryan hosted his first town-hall -style meeting as a vice presidential candidate in Ashwaubenon Wednesday, while Biden addressed thousands of supporters at UW-Eau Claire during his second stop in Wisconsin this month. Experts consider Wisconsin among a handful of battleground states in the presidential election.
Biden discussed the Democrats’ education platform, college debt and entitlement programs. He also attacked Republican plans for job creation, saying they would lead the country into a worse financial situation by hurting the middle class. In contrast, Biden said President Barack Obama’s job creation policies would lead the country forward.
According to video of the event, Biden said, “We know the way to create good jobs is the old fashioned way, from the middle out not the top down.”
During his speech, Ryan answered questions on topics ranging from the economy and jobs to individuals’ long-term financial security. He emphasized the importance of creating and passing a workable budget, as well as returning to the country’s core principles.
“It’s not too late to get the country back on track by reclaiming those principles that built this country,” Ryan said in his speech, according to video footage. “[They] get America free and…get people hope.”
Both campaign stops reflect an increasing effort from both sides to win over voters in a state that is increasingly split. A Republican has not won Wisconsin since 1984, when the state went for Ronald Reagan. In the latest Marquette Law School Poll conducted in August, President Obama leads Mitt Romney 49 to 46 percent among Wisconsin voters.
