Who Won the 2012 Vice Presidential Debate?

In a heated exchange, Vice President Joe Biden took on wanna-be VP Paul Ryan in the only vice presidential debate leading up to the Nov. 6 general elections.

Biden's performance was a stark contrast to President Obama's lackluster attitude towards GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney last week.

But the winner of last night's debate is debatable, depending on which side of the aisle you ask.

Obama thought that Biden's performance was "terrific."

"I could not be prouder of him. I thought he made a very strong case," the president said. "And you know I really think that his passion for making sure that the economy grows for the middle class came through so I'm really proud of him."

A CBS poll gave Biden the win, revealing that 50 percent of uncommitted voters who watched the debate saw Biden as the winner. Thirty-one percent said Ryan won the debate and 19 percent said it was a tie.

However, a snap CNN-ORC International poll gave Ryan the win, revealing that voters who watched Thursday's debate narrowly favored Ryan over Biden by 48 percent - percent.

Opinionated Republican Donald Trump considered the matchup a tie.

"Pretty even debate- no knockouts," Trump tweeted. "However Ryan's closing statement somewhat stronger."

Associate Editor of The Washington Post Robert G. Kaiser said that Biden and Ryan "both fulfilled their missions."

"Biden offered the passion and the argumentation that Democrats so missed from their President last week," Kaiser said. "Ryan, by appearing plausible as a future president and apparently knowledgeable on a wide range of issues, reassured Republicans that Governor Romney had made a good choice for veep. Neither man goofed."

Many people believed that Biden's grinning and smirking throughout the debate was not "presidential."

The debates continue on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Hofstra University. Unlike the first one, Obama and Romney will participate in a town hall meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. CNN's Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley will moderate.