Hundreds of college students and area residents crammed inside a Butler County bar with a high-profile guest of honor to watch Thursday’s Vice Presidential debate.

Hosted by the Miami University College Republicans at Brick Street, 36 East High Street, the debate watch party included introductory remarks by Josh Romney, 37, the middle child of GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s five sons.

Romney said the large, enthusiastic crowd that gathered to watch Republican vice presidential candidate and Miami University alum Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden debate was emblematic of a national trend.

“Young people are energized now across the country to help support my dad,” he said. “They recognize that their future is at stake.

“These are the people that are going to have to inherit the $16 trillion deficit. These are the people that are going to have to deal with a Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that are unfunded. It’s no wonder that there are so many people out to support my dad.”

The Butler County event was one of 35 similar debate parties held by the Ohio Romney Campaign across the state on Thursday, according to Isabel Santa, a spokeswoman for Romney for President.

Hosted by the Miami University College Republicans, Thursday’s event drew nearly 400 online reservations, according to Miami University senior Baylor Myers, the group’s president.

“We believe this event is important for college students to educate themselves on the current issues facing our nation,” Myers said. “Youth unemployment is double the national rate and its imperative our generation realizes the failures of the Obama administration.

“These debates are becoming the most effective argument for why we need Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan in the White House.”

Miami University senior Lizzie Litzow, student body vice president, said she was excited that Josh Romney visited for the debate party.

“I am just so honored that the school gets such good name recognition now because its in a little part of Ohio,” she said. “Now more people know about Miami and being the vice president of the student body, that’s what I want to hear.”

Miami senior John Ascher said both Ryan and Biden did “very well” during the debate.

“Both gave their opinion, the facts as they see it,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how the American public sees it in the end.”

Miami junior Marc Elberson, who praised Ryan’s debate performance, said he was upset with Biden’s debate demeanor.

“He laughs at everything Paul Ryan says,” Elberson said. “It’s a debate on national television. You could at least take it a little more seriously.”

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said Thursday’s debate “exposed the extreme risk that Romney-Ryan economics pose for the American middle-class” and to America’s leadership in the world.

“Ryan couldn’t explain how the Romney-Ryan tax plan wouldn’t hurt the middle-class, how their double-down on trickle-down would create a single job now, how their Iran policy would differ from the President’s, or what their plan is for our troops in Afghanistan – and when he was asked to ensure women that their right to choose would be protected, he refused to answer because they won’t protect it,” Messina said. “With facts, convictions and straightforward answers, Vice President Biden illustrated how he’s spent a lifetime fighting for the middle-class and how he and President Obama will continue doing so in a second term.”