There was no way for Pence to defend Trump's record
By CHRISTINA CAUTERUCCI
Pence could cover for some of his administration’s failures by filling his time with country-club smarm or simply ignoring the moderator’s question. But since all the facts laid out by Harris have also been confirmed and covered exhaustively in the news, his salesmanship couldn’t drown out the reality of living in Trump’s America.
After nearly four years in office, you’d think a presidential administration would have something tangible to show besides its defense of Confederate monuments and a tax bill that redistributed wealth to the wealthy. With less yelling to serve as a distraction, tonight’s debate made clear that the record of the Trump administration has been a giant self-own for the GOP.
Pence also seemed exhausted, either by the task of debating Harris, whose magnetism was stronger than it was during any of the Democratic debates, or, possibly, because he is coming down with something. (He has refused to quarantine after spending time with several people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19, but it’s just a cold, probably!)
At times, it seemed like his heart wasn’t in it. Sure, Pence was able to needle Harris on a few topics she wasn’t willing to entertain, including her support for the Green New Deal and the possibility of adding seats to the Supreme Court. But it wasn’t an evenly-matched debate.
When your only response to “you are currently ruining America” is “well, you might be too liberal,” you’ve already lost the fight.
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I think he was pleased to counter every Harris point by saying "Your entitled to your opinions but not your own facts" and then lay out his alternative facts. Unfortunately in the few times Harris then had a rebuttal to his alternative facts she didn't have a convincing come back that I remember. She would usually pivot to facts about a different topic in a tit-for-tat. Then the question would change and Pence would spend a minute countering her new facts from the previous question with new alternative facts, then talk about the new question, go over 30 seconds or more and he would score either two wins or two draws depending on which team you are on.
I would like to have seen Harris counter on point and reiterate or nail her original fact so it was clear Pence's response was BS. An example would have been on COVID-19...
Harris talks about Trump Co. knowing about COVID in January and delaying until March.
Pence says Trump Co. shut down the border with China in Feb
Trump team has gone on and on about banning travel from China over and over. They should have been prepared.
I don't recall exactly what Harris replied with - not going to go watch again - but then Pence came back with "Biden said stopping travel from China was racist, and scientists said if we hadn't done that another 2 million would have died so we saved 2 million live" and moved swiftly on.
If I had been Team Biden I would have Harris say "You claim travel from China was banned but the FACTS show after your so call BAN another 40,000 people flew in from China in the following weeks. NONE OF THEM WERE TESTED, SCREENED, QUARANTINED, OR TRACED. You let in 40,000 potentially infected people from China when it could have been effectively 0. And you should have done this for EVERYONE entering the USA from ANY country with COVID cases, not just picking on China to stroke your ego. So your only action in the first two months, your one claim to greatness of Trump's response, was FATALLY FLAWED. What a disaster."
prometheus
Level 7
Oct 8, 2020
3
@BTHT and she could have gone back to the question on banning abortion which he completely and 100% dodged even though he later said "I'm pro-life". Someone who is pro-life should be bothered by hundreds of people of color gunned, beaten, and chocked to death on our streets every year. Or about 210,000 dying of COVID. All things he would have gone on and on about if HRC had won in 2016 and he was debating Tim Kaine on his second VP term.
As for stuffing SCOTUS... I know the Dems are paranoid that either candidate might give an soundbite that can be manipulated and misconstrued however Trump wants. So far all they have is Pence and Trump saying what they want to hear from the Dems, that doesn't work for them.
Personally I just wish they would give them a lesson on the Constitution because they claim to be Constitutionalists: "he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States" and then that only the democratically elected Congress, representing the people, has the power to change the number of justices - as it has done many times in history. President Biden would not and could not go against the will of the people and the Constitution of the United States which he will give an oath to uphold.
You can bet your life if Trump still had a majority in congress he would be trying to jam through such a change right now.
On a brighter note - it is quite possible with a convincing majority the Dems will be able to expand the lower courts massively. There's a huge shortage of lower court justices anyway. But they still doesn't help with people like Trump who can afford to appeal, appeal, appeal all the way up to SCOTUS until he gets a case in front of this pledges.
@BTHT PS - just came across this very slick performance by Pete who played "Mike Pence" in debate rehearsals:
He really is extremely good at talking extemporaneously and also talks fast and clearly. There were some unfortunately times when Harris was clearly speaking very slowly as she also thought about her answer and by the time she got to the meat of the answer there was only seconds left.
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