Kaine and Pence Meet in Only Vice Presidential Debate

 Running mates hope performances will boost their respective tickets
Transcript   |   Coverage   |   Clinton/Dems   |   Trump/Reps   |   Third Parties   |   Interest Groups   |   [Longwood Univ.]




Vice presidential debate
Date: Tues. Oct. 4, 2016 at Longwood University in Farmville, VA.

Time: 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern time without commercial breaks.

Moderator:
Elaine Quijano, Anchor, CBSN and Correspondent, CBS News

Format:
The debate will be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a deeper discussion of the topic.

Source: CPD

Tim Kaine  |  Mike Pence

Expectations

There have been some memorable moments in vice presidential debates, but barring an extremely lopsided outcome, a vice presidential debate is unlikely to alter the trajectory of the campaign.  Nonetheless, the meeting of the vice presidential candidates can have an impact.  For example Vice President Joe Biden's over-the-top performance against Paul Ryan in 2012 helped to stop the bounce the Romney-Ryan ticket had received following Obama's flat showing in the first debate.

In this campaign, with 35 days to go until Election Day, the Trump campaign came into this debate in the midst of a rough patch.  In the days following Trump's uneven performance in the first debate, stories of his avoidance of paying taxes, sexism, and questions about his foundation filled the news (+). 

Pence's Calm Demeanor Carries the Day
The two candidates faced off seated at table opposite moderator Elaine Quijano.  Pence's calm demeanor provided a favorable contrast to the hyped-up Kaine, who made repeated interruptions.  According to one tally, Kaine interrupted Pence or the moderator more than 70 times.  He also seemed more scripted than Pence, trotting out what were clearly talking points several times.  Kaine was on mission to show that Pence could not and would not defend Trump.  Kaine made his point, but his performance did not go over well with many observers.  The "average dad" persona Kaine has exhibited on the campaign trail certainly did not show up in Farmville.

Pence likely benefited from his experience as a radio talk show host.  While he deflected and dodged difficult questions about Trump, he seemed unflappable.  His performance prompted some commentators to cast him as a leading prospect for 2020.  More concretely, Pence's showing gave the Trump campaign some positive news to break up what had been been a stream of recent unfavorable news reports.


      
Spin Room Scenes: It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got that Spin



Row 1: Nick Ayers, John Podesta, Karen Finney.
Row 2: David Bossie, Sean Spicer, Matt Schlapp.
Row 3: Boris Epshteyn, Jessie Jackson, Sen. Mark Warner.
Row 4: Ashley Bell, Rep. Mike Pompeo, Robby Mook.
Row 5: Mary Kay Henry, Kellyanne Conway, Rep. Ruben Gallego.
Row 6: Jim Gilmore, Reince Priebus, AJ Delgado.
Row 7: Jorge Silva.


Past Vice Presidential Debates
Joe Biden (D) and Paul Ryan (R)
Oct. 11, 2012

Danville, KY
Joe Biden (D) and Sarah Palin (R)
Oct. 2, 2008

St. Louis, MO
John Edwards (D) and Dick Cheney (R)
Oct. 5, 2004

Cleveland, OH
Joe Lieberman (D) and Dick Cheney (R)
Oct. 5, 2000

Danville, KY
Al Gore (D) and Jack Kemp (R)
Oct. 9, 1996

St. Petersburg, FL
Al Gore (D), Dan Quayle (R) and James Stockdale (Ref.)
Oct. 13, 1992

Atlanta, GA
Lloyd Bentsen (D) and Dan Quayle (R)
Oct. 5, 1988

Omaha, NE
Geraldine Ferraro (D) and George H.W. Bush (R)
Oct. 11, 1984

Philadelphia, PA
Walter Mondale (D) and Bob Dole (R)
Oct. 15, 1976

Houston, TX