Vice President Joe Biden came out swinging against his Republican opponent, Paul Ryan, in Thursday’s lone vice presidential debate with a readily evident determination to avoid repeating President Barack Obama’s laconic performance in last week’s presidential debate.

Biden went at Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman who agreed to serve as GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s running mate two months ago, from the very outset of a freewheeling debate in Danville, Ky., that saw the two candidates bicker frequently and differ sharply on policy and politics alike. 

Poll: Did the vice presidential debate influence who you will support in the election?

The vice president threw up his arms, laughed, scoffed and rolled his eyes in reaction to Ryan’s attacks – an unabashedly reaction to what Biden frequently called “malarkey” offered up by the House Budget Committee chairman in his opinion. 

The debate featured many of the fireworks that last Thursday’s initial debate between Obama and Romney had lacked. While Ryan stuck to familiar talking points used often by Romney on the stump, the vice presidential nominee hardly shrunk from engaging with Biden but largely engaging the vice president’s bombast. 

Related: Truth Squad: The vice presidential debate

The 90-minute affair at Centre College saw both Biden and Ryan playing to type. Biden was emotional and folksy but could barely contain his reactions to his opponent. Ryan maintained a more earnest demeanor, and often turned to statistics and anecdotes to make his case as the discussion shifted from events in Libya to Medicare and abortion. 

Biden’s response to Ryan’s proposals to reform Medicare into a “premium support” or voucher system was a typical refrain for the vice president: “Folks, use your common sense: who do you trust on this?” 

Ryan stuck largely to familiar and well-studied talking points used often by Romney and the GOP ticket on the campaign trail, but showed no interest in shrinking from the vice president’s bombast. The congressman stuck to his expertise as a budget wunderkind to explain reforms to entitlements and taxes and balancing the budget.  

Biden has been a frequent critic on the campaign trail of Ryan’s two budgets for their proposed changes to Medicare. The most recent version of the proposal would offer seniors a rebate to buy insurance on the private market, or opt into a Medicare program as it’s more traditionally known. 

“A voucher is you go to your mailbox, get a check, and buy something. Nobody's proposing that. Barack Obama four years ago running for president said if you don't have any fresh ideas, use stale tactics to scare voters,” Ryan said. “If you don't have a good record to run on, paint your opponent as someone people should run from – make a big election about small ideas.” 

Biden’s determination to be the aggressor shone through the debate, though, to his exchange with Ryan on the topic of taxes. As Ryan cited tax cuts sought by Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Biden seemingly attempted to channel the famous Lloyd Bensten line used against Dan Quayle by quipping, “Oh, now you're Jack Kennedy?” 

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan shake hands at the conclusion of the vice presidential debate in Danville, Ky.

The vice presidential debate set the stage for the two remaining contests between Obama and Romney left before Election Day. The first of those debates is on Tuesday, where Obama will hope to channel the energy displayed by his vice president this evening. 

Ryan, meanwhile, will join Romney for a joint rally on Friday in the all-important swing state of Ohio, where both men have concentrated much of their efforts lately in a bow toward the state’s central role in charting a path to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.

Updated at 10:55 p.m. ET

Social Security
Tonight, President Barack Obama made a claim about Social Security.

OBAMA: Social Security is structurally sound, it's gonna have to be tweaked the way it was by Ronald Reagan and Speaker, Democratic Speaker Tip O'Neill. But it is, the basic structure is sound.

President Obama said that, unlike Medicare, Social Security does not need to be fundamentally fixed to remain solvent.

But according to the Congressional Budget Office, Social Security will run into financial trouble, too -- about 20 years from now.

By the year 2030, the amount Social Security pays out will exceed the tax revenue coming in -- so in about 20 years the program will NOT be able to pay for itself through the payroll taxes Americans currently pay.

Medicare
Mitt Romney claimed President Obama's health care law would take $716 billion out of Medicare.

ROMNEY: What I support is no change for current retirees and near-retirees to Medicare. And the president supports taking $716 billion out of that program.

In fact, that $716 billion comes from trimming planned future increases over the next decade, not cutting funding. And those trims come from limiting payments to health-care providers and insurers -- NOT limiting care to seniors.

And Medicare's chief actuary says Obama's health reform "substantially improves" the program's finances.

Romney's claim that his plan would not change anything for seniors and near retirees is true. His changes would not affect anyone currently over the age of 55.

What would happen for younger Americans under Romney's plan?

Has essentially endorsed the latest version of the Ryan budget plan, which substantially transforms Medicare by giving future seniors a payment -- Democrats call it a “voucher,” Republicans call it “premium support” -- to purchase health insurance. Under Ryan's plan, seniors would have the choice of buying private insurance or through Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service model.

The deficit
Tonight, President Barack Obama said his plan would cut the deficit by $4 trillion.

OBAMA: Now, we all know that we've got to do more. And so I've put forward a specific $4 trillion deficit-reduction plan. It's on a website. You can look at all the numbers, what cut we make and what revenue we raise.

That estimate comes from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities -- $3.8 trillion over 10 years.

The president is counting money saved by letting the Bush tax cuts expire for people making more than $250,000 a year.

But he's also counting on savings already agreed to last year when the White House and Congress agreed to raise the debt ceiling.

Taxes
At the outset of the debate, President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney tangled over taxes. Romney objected to the president's claim that his tax cuts would cost $5 trillion.

ROMNEY: Let me repeat what I said, I'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut. That's not my plan. My plan is not to put in place any tax cut that will add to the deficit.

What is Romney's plan?

He has proposed making the Bush tax cuts permanent for all income levels -- then cutting all rates by an additional 20 percent. He would also repeal the alternative minimum tax and permanently repeal the estate tax.

The non-partisan Tax Policy Center concluded that Romney's tax plan would cost $4.8 trillion over 10 years.

Romney said -- once again tonight -- that his plan would be paid for by closing loopholes in the tax code and by getting rid of some tax deductions and credits. But he has repeatedly declined to say which deductions he'd eliminate, saying he'd work with Congress to make those decisions.

Slideshow: On the campaign trail

Reuters, Getty Images

Launch slideshow

The first of three presidential debates occurs Wednesday and many voters will use these events to educate themselves on the candidates. We want to take this the opportunity to hear what it would take to change your mind from an undecided voter to a Romney or Obama supporter.

How do you participate?

1. Take a picture of yourself, or a photo representing the issue that is most important to you.
2. In the caption (or a tweet), tell us what you want to hear from the candidates. Keep your responses short.
3. Tag your photo #NBCNewsPics in Instagram or Twitter.
4. Or upload your photo in the box below.

On Wednesday we’ll publish a selection of your photos and responses in PhotoBlog, so stay tuned. 

Related Links:

• Inside the Boiler Room: Debate expectation
• Debate will be Romney's chance to alter trajectory of the race
• Christie predicts Romney debate performance will change course of presidential race
• First Thoughts: After nine battleground polls
• Complete election coverage on NBCPolitics.com