*** SDMB Live coverage, VP Debate. 10/04/2016 ***

Politics & Elections
1

Time to set the card for the match. Join with the SDMB pundits in discussing, reviewing, then analyzing the upcoming VP debate. It’s not too early to start focusing the upcoming week as we head into the last month of the election. Not much time left and the temperature is rising.

VP debate information

Date: Tuesday, 10/04/2016

Time: 9 PM Eastern.

Place: Longwood University, Farmville, VA

Moderator: Elaine Quijano, CBSN anchor.

Length: 90 minutes. 9, ten minute segments.
In the** Red **corner, wearing an orange spandex bannana hammock, is Mike Pence.

Donald Trump is a doer. I’ve come to know the man who invited me to join him on the Republican ticket as thoughtful, compassionate and steady. Above all, I know he is ready to lead the United States as our next president and commander in chief.
Mike Pence
In the** Blue **corner, wearing red white and blue gym shorts, is Tim Kaine.

“This journey… has convinced me over and over again that God has created in our country a beautiful and rich tapestry, an incredible cultural diversity that succeeds when we embrace everybody in love and battle back against the forces, the dark forces of division. We are all neighbors. And we must love our neighbors as ourselves.”
Tim Kaine

The real question is whether Kaine can put, and keep, Pence on the ropes defending Trump’s numerous gaffes? Will Pence resort to stating inaccurate facts and sound bits that lack substance but resonate in the empty heads of so many? Will he spend the night defending Trump, or will he show us who he is?

Bar opens at 6 PM . Dinner at 7. Seating begins at 8:30. (all times Eastern) Please turn your cell phones down when Tim speaks.

In the mean time, while you wait for the debate, a little reading enjoyment is in order. Denial is a wonderful thing.

2

[Quote=Morgenstern]
Will Pence resort to stating inaccurate facts and sound bits that lack substance but resonate in the empty heads of so many?
[/quote]

[QUOTE=Mike Pence]
Donald Trump is a doer. I’ve come to know the man who invited me to join him on the Republican ticket as thoughtful, compassionate and steady.
[/quote]

Well, I guess that would be a yes, then.

Over/under on when Kaine bursts into Spanish, just because he can? I say less than five minutes.

3

The real question: Will anyone watch? Maybe they should go shirts and skins so the average non-politico will be able to remember who’s on whose team.
"OK, that old white guy is talking about God a lot, he must be the Republican. No, wait-- the other old white guy just said something nice about Trump. But wasn’t he wearing a red tie a minute ago? I thought the guy I was supposed to like had the blue tie. Fuck it, I’m watching ‘Love It or List It.’ "

4

I hope this debate isn’t ignored or dismissed as insignificant.

Trump, if he wins, may well delegate more duties to Pence than any other POTUS has done. Is Pence someone we want in making those decisions? Is he capable? Can he think on his feet? Will he just repeat Trump’s half-truths and attack, or will there be substance to his statements?

This may be one of the more important VP debates for that reason.

5

I hope Kaine puts Pence on blast for his his horrible and unpopular policies as governor and not just his association Trump.

6

That record cannot be broken, and maybe not even equaled. Pence actually *admires *Cheney, btw.

7

I hope they remember to give Pence the broken microphone.

8

Mike Pence (or Race Minion of “Jonny Quest”) may be an Evil As Fuck, racist, homophobic jack ass; someone willing to heartlessly de-fund AIDS research, all healthcare for children in poverty, and all of the Planned Parenthood locations that he can get his leathery claws into, but he can speak in public.
Tim Kaine can speak in public, but he seems too happy. I’m worried about how easily he can laugh off Pence’s message of Pure Fucking Evil.

Also, as a side note, does anyone know if The Catholic Church will be putting out all of their candles in honor of Pence being on TV…?

9

Maybe Pence will invite his friend Donald on a hunt?

10

From CNN this morning on an article regarding how time is running out, and issues are piling up against Trump.

The tax issue will almost certainly play a significant role in Tuesday’s vice presidential debate. If that’s the case, it will be a lost opportunity for Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, to present himself to the country as a moderating force on the GOP nominee and someone who can offer a coherent case against a Clinton presidency.

If Kaine can keep Pence on the ropes, Trump might well be up at 3 AM continuing his meltdown on Twitter.

5 weeks left.

11

The veep debates are a silly tradition. Almost nobody watches them and almost nobody factors the veep choice into their presidential vote. Unless either of them throws a chair at the other, this will have zero impact on the race. But I’ll still watch because I’m a politics junkie.

12

I’m curious to see if Pence is asked why Clinton should be held responsible for the Iraq vote, but he shouldn’t.

13

I am. Trump would be a disaster as the President, but not in a way that actually causes any harm. He would just quickly implode and leave the office.

At which point, you have President Pence. That’s the scariest proposition of a Trump presidency.

The Middle East used to be a fairly decent place until the fundamentalists took over and turned the region into an insane bloodbath. I have no desire to start the Christian equivalent in America. And while that may not be Pence, he’s getting a lot closer to it than I’m comfortable entertaining the notion of.

14

He should answer any immigration questions in Spanish…

15

You made me rethink things and I agree to a point but for a different reason. Trump offered to put Kasich in charge of domestic and foreign policy while Trump would be in charge of “making America great again”. One assumes that Pence got a similar offer. So in effect Pence is running for de facto president. So to make a dispassionate vote, you’d compare Pence’s positions to Hillary’s.

16

Will Kaine be questioned on his time spent as a hardcore communist and Kremlin tool, or will the New McCarthyites take the night off?

17

I’ll be kind and simply say that cite does not support your statement.

18

I hope someone brings up Periods for Pence.

19

Agreed.

20

Given the origins of two of Trump’s wives, and the comments leveled at me (probably correctly) in another thread, I thought the Republicans have made the same sort of agreement with communists and Russian ex-communists that Democrats have made with African Americans: “Here, please, help take us to the White House and we will enact your agenda!”

(Sorry, couldn’t resist. :wink: )