Vice-Presidential Debate
The Vice-Presidential debate was a unique chance for Mike Pence and Tim Kaine to have a discussion viewed by millions of Americans. Although the event received less interest than presidential debates, it still had a certain impact. There was a large segment of the population that liked neither candidate. For them, watching vice-presidential debate may have been important for deciding who to vote for, because vice-presidents not only can influence presidents but also step in their place in case of emergency, which could potentially happen to both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, who are both advanced in age. During the debates, Tim Kaine effectively pointed out the inconsistencies between Mike Pence and Donald Trump. At the same time, he was very nervous and lacked the self-assurance and presidential behavior of Mike Pence, who can be said to have won the debate.
The first question candidates faced was about themselves, why they thought they were qualified for the job. Tim Kaine listed his experience as a missionary, lawyer, mayor, governor and a U.S. senator. That was very impressive, but Tim Kaine undermined his statement by his demeanor. He came across as somewhat weak and very dependent on Hillary, constantly praising her. At the end of his answer, he reported being “scared to death” by the thought of Donald Trump, and he did look that as well.
Mike Pence started his answer with thanking the university that provided the venue, mispronouncing it in the process. He talked about his background and said he grew up with a cornfield in his backyard in Southern Indiana, which was proof that he could understand the problems plaguing the working class. He mentioned his experience as governor of that state, and being a congressman. He vowed to use all of his experience and expressed hope to meet the responsibilities in a way that he was going to meet responsibilities, which was an interesting way to word it.
The next task for them was to try and explain why the candidate they represented were so unpopular and untrustworthy. Both relied on deflecting. Tim Kaine brought up Donald Trump’s offensive rhetoric, doubts about Obama’s birthplace, and expressed his pain because he was afraid that Donald Trump would result in African Americans not being citizens of the United States. Mike Pence followed that strategy and branded Hillary Clinton as the one responsible for destabilizing the Middle East, the rise of ISIS, and reminded of her accepting foreign donations from questionable sources.
The next issue on the table was the economy and the national debt. Mike Pence started strong with comparing the state he governed with the one headed by Tim Kaine. The former state had a $2 billion surplus, while Kaine’s management resulted in a $2 billion loss. He said that under the administration that included Hillary Clinton, the national debt doubled, and predicted the same trend to continue if the establishment remained in power. Tim Kaine was very nervous when it was his …
