( CNN ) -- Vice Presidential debates are usually treated as bores or curios . The best you can hope for is a misstep that makes the headlines the next day -- think Dan Quayle comparing himself to Jack Kennedy or Bob Dole lambasting all those `` Democrat wars . '' But the debaters are auditioning to be understudy , so they usually play it safe . Record numbers tuned in to watch Biden vs. Palin in 2008 simply to see if Sarah Palin would go 90 minutes without humiliating herself or her running mate . Apart from some aggressive winking , she performed adequately and disaster was avoided . So two personalities who ought to have made for great TV were actually a little dull . Thursday night 's debate will be different , because it matters in a way that previous matchups have not . Mitt Romney 's performance in last week 's debate seems to have shaken up the polls . That 's not just because he did well , but also because the voters appear to be more undecided about the election than we thought they were ( just look at the massive attitude shift that Pew reports among female voters ) . In such an environment , gaffes and good rhetoric count for a great deal . Recall that the debates proved just as important to deciding the Republican primaries , and one of the reasons why Romney won the primaries is that he was so good at the debates . With the country now evenly divided between the two nominees , the race could end up being settled by a few hours of televised sparring . Hence , Biden vs. Ryan is worth tuning in to . Martin : Biden must deliver for Team Obama . It also helps that these two men embody the differences between the two parties . Both are Catholics , but from contrasting traditions . Biden comes from the Vatican II generation for whom Catholic piety is centered on social justice and economic fairness . For him , government welfare programs are an extension of Christian charity -- and he 's happy to embrace the cultural changes that have altered attitudes about contraception , women and gay rights . 7 questions you would ask at the VP debate . By contrast , Ryan is part of the John Paul II generation of conservative Catholics who have often despaired of the American church 's flirtation with liberalism . Ryan has a moral theology that sees government as sapping self-reliance , and abortion as the murder of the unborn . Between the two of them , we have the bifurcation of the Roman Catholic Church personalized : social conscience vs. natural law . That said , it 's interesting to note that Ryan has been prepping for this debate with Ted Olson -- the man who provided legal assistance to pro-same-sex marriage campaigners . It 's surprising that no movement conservatives have made a fuss about the company that Ryan keeps . In this contest between Catholics , who stands the better chance of winning ? Paul Ryan , and for three reasons . First , Ryan is younger . In last week 's debate , despite being the older man , Romney came across as more youthful and energetic than the president . He looked not only ready to lead , but also more willing . Likewise , Ryan is a handsome , athletic young man who hunts deer with a bow and arrow . Already the star of an internet `` Hey Girl '' meme , he will reinforce the impression that the GOP ticket is the more virile . CNN Exclusive : How Paul Ryan sharpens debate skills . Second , Biden is a more erratic performer than Ryan and so more likely to make a blunder . A good drinking game to play during the debate would be to take a shot every time Biden says `` literally , '' another if he mispronounces someone 's name , and another if he forgets Paul Ryan 's . His tendency toward hyperbole and emotionally charged gaffes is notorious . The flip side of that problem is that if he keeps his natural energy too much in check , then he wo n't seem like the same old Biden that Democrats know and love . In 2008 , he was outperformed by Sarah Palin partly because he seemed to be playing the statesman . As a rule , Biden does better in front of loud , sympathetic audiences ( see his barnstorming convention speech ) . Third , the issue momentum is with Romney/Ryan . It 's true that Friday 's jobs report lowered the unemployment rate and brought some good news to the administration . But it does n't seem to be reflected in the polls yet . That might be because many Americans do n't feel like things are getting better -- because so many are quitting the labor market or getting part-time work . Add to that some of the negative reports about the administration 's handling of the Middle East and you get the sense that this week belongs to the Republicans . Opinion : Five ways Obama can bounce back . Whoever wins , what is reassuring for fans of politics is the importance that debate has played in this election . With millions of dollars spent on negative ads and the Internet awash with silly stories about dogs on cars and old speeches , it 's nice to know that uninterrupted , rational debate spread over just 90 minutes can still make such an impact in contemporary American democracy . Biden vs. Ryan is far from Lincoln vs. Douglas , but the spirit lives on . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Timothy Stanley .
With the race close , Thursday 's VP debate matters in a new way , says Timothy Stanley . Biden and Ryan embody the differences between the two parties , Stanley says . Being younger and less erratic than Biden gives Ryan an edge , he says . Stanley : As a rule , Biden does better in front of loud , sympathetic audiences .