I assumed from the beginning of last week’s debate that Joe Biden’s laughing, smirking, cackling, and sneering was not an unfortunate manifestation of his personality in the way Al Gore’s sighs were. It seemed clear to me that this was a deliberate tactic.

Laugh at Ryan throughout, relentlessly, and cut him off and ridicule him. I suspect Biden was told to do this, and that he spent a week practicing it. The reasons to do this could include:

1) Create confusion. Sow insecurity. Throw Ryan off his game.

2) Convey that Ryan is not to be taken seriously.

3) Tap into the disdain that Biden’s “people” — i.e., the liberal base — feels towards Ryan.

Sure enough, Biden did throw Ryan off his game, and he did rally the base.

Here’s the question for tonight? Does President Obama have anything up his sleeve for tonight?

I don’t think he can do exactly what Biden did — I think that would be too unbecoming for a President. But what else will he do on the score of ridicule, creating confusion, accusing Romney of doing exactly what Obama is doing?