# VP debate (Oct 7)- Is there a watch/follow-along thread?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [October 8, 2020, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459 "2020-10-08T00:45:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 13

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**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/241 "2020-10-08T03:01:09Z")

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She should asked Pence, being the leader of the cornea virus task force, about contact tracing at the Rose Garden event and when the POTUS first tested positive for the virus and is he still contagious?

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**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/242 "2020-10-08T03:01:32Z")

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> [@Lamoral](#):
>
> I can’t for the life of me understand why moderators for these debates seemingly are NEVER up to the task.

The debate format and what the moderator can and can not do are all under control of the two campaigns. They decide how it will all play out and the moderator enforces those rules.

Susan Page (tonight’s moderator) made this point explicitly when she was trying to stop Pence from rambling on telling him that she is only enforcing the rules HIS side put in place in concert with the Harris team.

He still talked over her.

So, while I wish the moderator could do more I am not sure what else they can do. They play the hand dealt to them.

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**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/243 "2020-10-08T03:01:36Z")

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She was my least-favorite veep choice too; tonight she really won me over quite a bit.

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**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/244 "2020-10-08T03:02:29Z")

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> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> > [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#):
> >
> > All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing, and there’s been a HELL of a lot of nothing going on these past four years. I would not put my faith in anyone to do anything but go with the flow. There’s a tremendous inertia to doing nothing.
> 
> I was present at the protests in New York City shortly after Trump’s inauguration that were repeated nationwide…indeed…worldwide.
> 
> People were not doing nothing and if Trump initiates a coup to retain power I seriously doubt Americans will just stay at home while it happens.
> 
> I certainly hope we don’t need to find out.

I was referring to gov’t checks and balances, and people thinking the Secret Service or the military will ride to the rescue. This year’s protests hearten me, and that, on a national scale, may be our only hope to stop this election from being stolen.

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**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/245 "2020-10-08T03:03:59Z")

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> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> So, while I wish the moderator could do more I am not sure what else they can do. They play the hand dealt to them.

One Steiner brother behind each of them; if either candidate goes over time they get choked out.

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**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/246 "2020-10-08T03:05:17Z")

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> [@WolfpackJeep](#):
>
> Is someone in the audience making barking sounds?

I actually opened my back door to see if some neighbour had a new dog. Glad it was on the TV.

> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> Everything except the fly will be forgotten by Friday.

The fly was absolutely the highlight of the show!

The other highlight, which will go unnoticed by Trumpists: Pence deflected all the tough questions. In fact, I think he may have deflected ALL of them. Was there any question that he actually answered? Harris really should have pounced on that at the end.

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**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/247 "2020-10-08T03:07:44Z")

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> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> The other highlight, which will go unnoticed by Trumpists: Pence deflected all the tough questions. In fact, I think he may have deflected ALL of them. Was there any question that he actually answered? Harris really should have pounced on that at the end.

Debate - 101: Never answer the question posed to you. Answer the question you want to answer instead. Rinse-and-repeat as needed.

I would bet everything I own this was what they relentlessly drilled in to Pence in his debate prep.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/248 "2020-10-08T03:11:51Z")

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In the Year of COVID, they really should have gone with Zoom debates. (OK, not _literally_ Zoom, necessarily–we don’t want to watch the candidates struggling to troubleshoot their home webcams–but pure tele-debates. Fuck twelve feet, let 'em be hundreds of miles apart.)

Then, cutting someone’s mic would be totally 100% effective. One minute, the candidate is bloviating away–and going past his time–the next, his mouth is making comical-looking talk-talk motions on the screen, but we don’t hear _anything!_

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**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/249 "2020-10-08T03:13:21Z")

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Kamala’s job wasn’t to score zingers or endlessly call out Trump’s offenses. She got in a few excellent points, and that’s enough. They have myriad ways to hammer Trump, through ads, tweets, speeches, and Biden’s debates (if they happen).

Her main job was to appear intelligent, calm, respectful, and ready to lead: to win over people who don’t know her or were unsure. And she did very well with that. She wasn’t going to change anyone’s opinion of Trump tonight, but she had great power to change people’s opinion of her, either up or down. I think she nailed it.

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**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/250 "2020-10-08T03:14:12Z")

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> <https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1314031047013732352/photo/1>

There’s now a @FlyOnMikePence twitter account

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**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/251 "2020-10-08T03:17:10Z")

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The fly is Mike Pence’s only black friend.

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**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/252 "2020-10-08T03:18:41Z")

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There are over 100 new Twitter accounts with names varying on The Fly on Mike Pence’s head.

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**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/253 "2020-10-08T03:18:42Z")

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I want “likes” or “loves” for this. Just like I want O.O or 😮 for Trump… and Whoosite responses vs having to type.

I hate typing. I flunked it, got an extra semester of smoking errr study hall back when one could smoke just barely on campus. Hubby gives me crap how fat err fast one finger types… probably has to do with not being able to afford glasses when I first needed them. One eyed typing, one eyed blackboard.

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**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/254 "2020-10-08T03:20:11Z")

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> [@Oly](#):
>
> The fly is Mike Pence’s only black friend.

Bravo.

My comment at the time: “Now, which of those two candidates does that fly think is a poopy-head?”

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**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/255 "2020-10-08T03:29:42Z")

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That fly is now carrying around COVID.

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/256 "2020-10-08T03:29:47Z")

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> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> > [@WolfpackJeep](#):
> >
> > Is someone in the audience making barking sounds?
> 
> I actually opened my back door to see if some neighbour had a new dog. Glad it was on the TV.
> 
> > [@TriPolar](#):
> >
> > Everything except the fly will be forgotten by Friday.
> 
> The fly was absolutely the highlight of the show!

Quick, who knows how to photoshop a fly head onto a picture of Ken Bone in his red sweater?

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/257 "2020-10-08T03:31:10Z")

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I just skimmed the thread so it might have been mentioned, but was Pence projecting in the manner of Donald Trump? Like when he accused Biden and Harris of wanting to “pack the court”.

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**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/258 "2020-10-08T03:52:15Z")

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Pushing home the message. As herr leader instructed.

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**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/259 "2020-10-08T04:02:42Z")

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> [@TroutMan](#):
>
> Her main job was to appear intelligent, calm, respectful, and ready to lead: to win over people who don’t know her or were unsure. And she did very well with that.

Agreed. It seemed pretty clear that she had been coached (or decided) to intercept the standard criticism of “shrillness” habitually leveled at female candidates.

Beyond that, however, overall the “debate” was, in its own way, at least as much of a shitshow as the first Presidential debate. 20 minutes in, I wanted to reach through the TV and repeatedly punch Pence in the face for his straight-faced lying, condescending attitude and incessant, droning, off-topic overtime responses. Thing is, Harris wasn’t all that much better in that regard. Will no one make these people answer the god-damned question at hand!?

I have a lot of respect for Susan Page as a journalist, and I thought most of her questions were fairly interesting, but her repeated failures (or inability, for what ever reason) to enforce timing and topic rules was absolutely maddening. I think I’m pretty much done with this whole aspect of Presidential races.

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**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vp-debate-oct-7-is-there-a-watch-follow-along-thread/922459/260 "2020-10-08T04:03:39Z")

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Biden is using the fly to fund raise.

> **[Biden fundraises off of fly on Pence’s head](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/520132-biden-fundraises-off-of-fly-on-pences-head/)**
>
> Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wasted no time before fundraising off of the viral moment in Wednesday’s vice presidential debate when a fly landed on Vice President Pence’s head.“P…

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