By Julia Craven and Ben Mathis-Lilley

Julia:

I think we saw two very different performances this evening. We saw Vice President Mike Pence in an impossible position, where he was expected to answer for the failings of the Trump administration. And we saw Sen. Kamala Harris chew him up and pick her teeth with his bones.

Pence solidified the growing public belief that the current administration is feckless, while Harris bolstered messaging from the Biden camp that the former vice president makes better political decisions. So, if anything, Team Biden just hit another 3-pointer.

Ben:

That was one of her most sizzling moments: “Whatever the vice president is claiming the administration has done, clearly it hasn’t worked.” Another one was a few minutes later, about the administration’s lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act:

“If you have a preexisting condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you. If you love someone who has a preexisting condition, they’re coming for you.”

The third one I remember was a transition that went something like this: Question about Biden’s health - pivot about “transparency” on health and personal finances --> pointed question about who lent Donald Trump the hundreds of millions of dollars he currently owes, as documented on the tax returns he won’t release.

But! Did she make too many WOMAN FACES while Pence was talking???

Julia:

You know, I saw those takes, and it really speaks to how people nitpick women for existing—especially when they aren’t white. It’s also just not a sound criticism, particularly when it comes from someone who does the same thing on live TV every time she is on live TV.

ANYWAY, I want to know what you think about some of the pivots. As with most debates, so much of it is a blur, but one moment that stands out most in retrospect is when she took Pence being the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and used it to undermine his entire existence.

[slate.com]