Vice president Joe Biden did what he had to do Thursday night: Energize the base.

His job was just that narrow.

And, frankly, Paul Ryan, his GOP opponent, also did what he had to do last night: Not screw up. Look grown up. Hold on.

His job was equally laser focused.

But in the end, I’ll give the win to Biden for two reasons:

1. He affected the people he needed to affect. He may not have edged Ryan by much in the insta-post-debate polls, but he moved Democrats out of a significant depression. That’s no small thing considering the damage President Barack Obama brought on the ticket last week.

2. Everyone in GOPlandia today is talking about Biden’s teeth, rudeness, laugh, etc. In other words, no one — even on the red team — is pretending their man Ryan won on points. And no one is proposing Biden blew it on substance. They’re saying their man held his own — which he did — and Biden laughed at him — which he most surely did.