Winners and Losers of the Vice Presidential Debate

There is no question that the first presidential debate was at the very least, intense and at worst, completely chaotic. Many described it as a total train wreck. This first and only Vice Presidential Debate took on a more traditional tone and also provided one candidate with a clear victory. Here’s how I see the winners and losers from this discussion.

A Word About The Moderator

While USA Today is generally considered to learn slightly to the left, and Susan Page did seem to interject a few of her personal views on only a couple of questions, she did a good job for the most part. She had a far better night than Chris Wallace and it helped to provide a better debate for the public.

Winners – The American People, Mike Pence and One Photogenic Fly

In a VP debate unlike any other, given the unconventional circumstances it seems that this match-up might indeed have more weight than is typical. This event rarely makes a difference in the outcome of an election but in this scenario I think it can and is likely to have an impact.

The American people got a good deal of information without much cross-talk and that should clear up some confusion for those still on the fence or open to changing their minds before they vote. Like the prior debate, it also gave viewers a way to hear directly from candidates without a media filter.

I’ve only seen Mike Pence debate twice, once against Tim Kaine in 2016, and then last night. In the couple of decades I’ve watched debates, I can say that without question, Pence is by far the best debater I’ve ever seen. Even the most fervent Trump supporter would have to admit that Pence would probably obliterate him if they ever faced off. His cool, calm demeanor armed with facts and quotable moments once again won the night.

On a silly note, you also have to give it to the fly. If you missed it, I’m talking about the one that landed on Pence’s hair and decided to stick around for a while. Why is the fly a winner? It’s going to be talked about and made into memes for some time. It also made it out of the scene without getting swatted which is always a plus for those guys.

Losers – Kamala Harris and Mike Pence’s Hair

Kalama Harris started out strong but didn’t sustain her credible start. It was obvious that she allowed Pence to get her flustered by her expressions and she found herself on the defense almost the entire time they were on stage together. While both candidates dodged a bit, she dodged on some significant questions about the Supreme Court and other concerns and it really didn’t play well.

On another rather comical note, the worst problem for the night for Pence was that pesky fly. What was a good night for insects wasn’t a good look for his hair. It also seemed a little odd that he didn’t seem to even notice it was there on his head at all. While it’s not something that will likely be talked about for years to come, it certainly will have the Internet buzzing and snarky pundits talking for at least a few days.

Overall Impression

In all reality, it’s hard to see anybody really besting Pence in debate. And if you think about it, Harris has much less experience in this area and hasn’t really been tested by the media since her nomination. While the first presidential debate was much closer and some could argue that it went either way, it seems that the consensus winner in any honest discussion will be Pence. I’d say that if you broke it down to a percentage out of 100 a reasonable view would be that Pence won 65-35.