© Justin Sullivan/Reuters
Vice Presidential Debate, VP Mike Pence, VP nominee Kamala Harris, Moderator Susan Page
Salt Lake City, Utah, October 7, 2020
The vice-presidential debate had the surreal air of normality that descends whenever we hear from Mike Pence instead of Donald Trump.
Both vice-presidential candidates left some major weapons little-used until the end: Kamala Harris focused heavily on attacking Donald Trump for standard Republican policies (the Iran Deal, tax cuts,
Roe v. Wade),
rather than for Trump's defects as a leader; Mike Pence laid off Harris's own awful record. On both counts, the gloves finally came off late in the game.
Harris drew some blood early in the exchanges on the coronavirus,
but otherwise, it went downhill fast for her. This was a very good debate for Mike Pence and did not reflect well on Harris. Watching Pence, it was easy to wish he was the one at the top of the ticket. I very much doubt many viewers felt the same way watching Harris.
Even the fly that landed on Pence's head during the debate seemed happier on his side.
Comment: During the debate, Kamala was smirky-jerky while Pence was (to Kamala) irritatingly calm. The polarity of style and substance - or lack thereof, stood out.
Asked about committing to a peaceful transfer of power if Joe Biden wins the November election, VP Pence noted:
"When you talk about accepting the outcome of the election, I must tell you, senator," Pence said, turning his attention to Harris, "your party has spent the last three-and-a-half years trying to overturn the results of the last election. It was found there was no obstruction, no collusion, case closed."
Pence also brought up Hillary Clinton stating in August that "Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this is going to drag out, and eventually I do believe he will win if we don't give an inch and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is."
He suggested that Democrats could therefore be the ones not committed to accepting the upcoming election result.
Despite a special counsel probe finding nothing indictable related to the Trump campaign colluding with the Russian government to influence the election, Harris stated that collusion had, in fact, happened. She even accused Russia of interfering in the current presidential election.
"I serve on the Intelligence Committee of the United States Senate. America's intelligence community told us Russia interfered in the election of the president of the United States in 2016 and is playing in 2020. Donald Trump prefers to take the word of Vladimir Putin over word of the American intelligence community."
Frankly, Putin has been the voice of reason and truth, compared to the ongoing diatribe from the Democratic Party and untrustworthiness of certain members of the intelligence community.
Comment: Taking the valid points above into account, the issue of the 'external actors' should probably be explored in more depth: