What Time Is the VP Debate?

Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan will debate each other Thursday evening at 8 p.m., the second in a series of faceoffs among the major-party presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2012 election.

TV Channels Broadcasting Live: FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CSPAN, CSPAN 2, Current

Live Streaming Online: AOL, You Tube's Election Hub

Expectations: Both candidates are facing pressure—with Rep. Paul Ryan trying to build on the momentum from Romney’s strong performance last week and Vice President Joe Biden expected to give a more passionate, invigorating pitch than President Obama did.

With the latest report on the unemployment rate, creating jobs will still be a hot topic between the two debaters. The Obama administration has heralded the 7.8 percent unemployment rate as evidence that the economy is slowly on the mend, while the opposition argues that this number does not accurately account for those who have stopped looking for jobs or signify an economy on the upswing. 

Election 2012 Debate Schedule

Topic: Foreign and domestic policy 
Air Time: 8-9:30 p.m. 
Location: Centre College in Danville, Kentucky (Tickets)
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan
Moderator: Martha Raddatz (ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent)

The debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the question.

Topic: Town meeting format including foreign and domestic policy
Air Time: 8-9:30 p.m. 
Location: Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York (Tickets)
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney
Moderator: Candy Crowley (CNN Chief Political Correspondent)

The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization.

Topic: Foreign policy
Air Time: 8-9:30 p.m. 
Location: Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida (Tickets)
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney
Moderator: Bob Schieffer (Host of Face the Nation on CBS)

The format for the debate will be identical to the first presidential debate and will focus on foreign policy.

Will you be watching the debates? What is the most important topic, in your opinion? Share your thoughts in the comments.