A fly rests on Mike Pence’s head as he takes notes during the vice-presidential debate.
Wednesday night’s game between Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic challenger Senator Kamala Harris opened without the fireworks that marred last week’s chaotic debate between President Donald Trump and the former Vice President Joe Biden.
But Trump’s COVID-19 infection and his and Biden’s advanced age have made it perhaps the most important US vice-presidential debate in living memory.
Here are some highlights of the debate:
PACKING THE COURTYARD?
Frustrated that Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate may soon consolidate a conservative 6-3 majority in the Supreme Court, some on the left have called on Biden to expand the court from nine members to 11 or 13 seats. Harris declined to say if she supported the idea.
Seeking to push this idea forward, Pence asked about Biden and Harris’ plans, which he also answered for her: “The straightforward answer is that they’re going to pack the Supreme if they win somehow. another this election. “
POLICY AT THE STAGE
The relatively calm atmosphere made it possible to highlight marked political differences.
On global warming, for example, Pence declined to say it was caused by human activity – the overwhelming scientific consensus – and said the fixes Biden proposed would be too expensive.
He also incorrectly said Biden would ban hydraulic fracturing. Biden, in fact, has repeatedly stated that he will not pursue the fracking ban, although he will oppose new permits to drill on federal lands. This is a key issue in electoral circles like western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, where the technique has led to a boom in power generation over the past decade.
A FLY IN THE OINTMENT
Pence’s left eye was visibly bloodshot for much of the debate. Over an hour later, a black fly sat for several minutes on Pence’s white hair, clinging as he shook his head and appeared with Harris about race and criminal justice. The hashtag # fly2024 surfaced on Twitter.
“Three debaters are now on the scene: Harris, Pence and a very political fly that has nestled in the head of the Veep,” wrote Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, on Twitter.
COLORING INSIDE THE LINES
Following last week’s chaotic and insulting debate between Biden and Trump, moderator Susan Page warned the two candidates that she will strictly enforce rules designed to ensure decorum. “We want a heated debate. But Americans also deserve a civil debate,” she said.
Pence opened by saying it was a “privilege” to be on stage with Harris – even after saying the administration’s response to the coronavirus was “the biggest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country”.
Things did heat up eventually, but only at a boil, not at a boil. Pence repeatedly interrupted Harris and the moderator, leaving Harris to plead, “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.”
DON’T TALK ABOUT THE ELDERLY
In 2008, when he was Barack Obama’s vice president, Biden said that “no one decides who he will vote for based on vice president.” Yet this debate is of disproportionate importance.
Biden, 77, would be the longest-serving president in U.S. history if he wins the election, and he has hinted that he could only serve one term.
Trump, barely younger at 74, spent the weekend in a military hospital outside Washington after contracting the novel coronavirus.
From a purely actuarial standpoint, Pence, 61, and Harris, 55, would be more likely to rise to the presidency than other vice-presidential candidates.
Pence also carries an added burden as he has been tasked with campaigning for the ticket as Trump has been sidelined due to his COVID-19 infection.
However, the two candidates avoided the subject.
When asked if they had a firm succession plan in place, Pence used his time to talk about vaccines, while Harris opened up about his biography as a child of immigrants who went on to be Attorney General of California.
Likewise, neither responded directly when asked why their elderly running mates had not released detailed health information. Pence thanked those who had wished for Trump’s recovery, while Harris criticized Trump for not releasing his tax returns.
DINGING BIDEN ON PLAGIARISM
Applicants usually show up with a quiver of prepared one-liners, and Pence lost one early on.
He accused Biden of copying the Trump administration’s plan to fight the coronavirus, tracing accusations of plagiarism that helped to sink Biden’s first presidential election in 1988.
“It sounds a bit like plagiarism, which Joe Biden is somewhat familiar with,” he said.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
