Like millions of Americans, I watched the VP debate between VP Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris which took place in Salt Lake City and here are five fly by observations.
1. There was a frickin' fly that landed on Vice-President Pence's head and look liked it was going to nest on his political corpse. In four years from now, indeed perhaps four days from now, this will be the only thing that is remembered from this debate.
2. Vice President Pence has a remarkable propensity to utter bullshit with a straight face. Of course, he's not the first politician to do so and he won't be the last. It's a problem when no one other than those who attend Trump super spreader rallies are going to believe a word of it. To wit.
Who in America believes Pence when he says President Trump put the health of Americans first?
Who in America believes Pence when he says Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are playing politics with peoples' lives?
Who in America believes Pence when he says President Trump believes in the sanctity of life when 211,753 people (and counting) have died of a deadly disease this year?
Who in America believes Pence when he says and Trump are going to win this election down nearly double digits in the polls? Yes, I know everybody has 2016 in the back of our collective mind. But if the deaths of 211,000 Americans (and counting) doesn't cost Trump the presidency then nothing will.
3. Vice President Pence also has a remarkable propensity to not answer questions put before him. Again, he's not the first politician to do so and he won't be the last. But some politicians can get away with it. Pence is all too obvious. When asked about health care, Pence pivoted to fracking and fossil fuels. When asked about climate change, Pence pivoted to trade. When asked about abortion, Pence pivoted to the Iran nuclear deal. When asked about President Trump's unwillingness to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, Pence pivoted to Biden and Harris packing the Supreme Court. I don't think Pence helped himself much less President Trump in this regard.
4. Vice President Pence went mini-Trump and claimed that Obama and Biden had the FBI spy on Trump's campaign and "creating a mail in voting system full of fraud" - a mail in voting system which has been around since the Civil War.
Pence also did not help himself when he repeatedly interrupted Harris much to Harris' obvious annoyance and many female viewers. The Vice-President was equally disrespectful towards moderator Susan Page of USA Today. An old female friend of mine who has some fairly conservative views messaged me on Facebook to tell me she found Pence completely unappealing. Let me put it another way. Mike Pence might be the first person to catch more flies with vinegar than honey.
5. My critique of Pence notwithstanding there were some missed opportunities for Senator Harris. When Pence spoke about China regarding COVID-19, she could have reminded the country that Trump praised President Xi for being open and transparent concerning the COVID outbreak in Wuhan. When Pence claimed the Obama Administration's to 2009-2010 H1NI flu was worse than the Trump Administration's to COVID-19, she should have said that 12,500 deaths is less than 211,000 deaths (and counting). When Pence spoked about the urgency of the Senate confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Harris could have spoken about the urgency of the Senate passing a new COVID stimulus bill and Trump's refusal to sign one until after election.
However, as the debate wore on, Harris put Pence on the defensive where it concerned his taxes, his degradation of our soldiers, Russian bounties on American troops, losing the trade war with China and Trump's failure to condemn white supremacy. Harris finished the debate strong and did nothing to harm herself.
There is no question Pence is loyal to Trump. I'd go far as to say that Pence is more loyal to Trump than he is to the Constitution. But I can't imagine Trump is very happy with Pence tonight.
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