Earlier this week, the country tuned in to watch the vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Tim Kaine. The two debated on many different topics including Russia, women’s health, police shootings and other issues pertinent to the American public. The vice presidents, in many people’s minds, are seen as more important in this year’s election than they have been in past elections. America has, in large part, been split in two: Trump or Clinton, with both sides seeming increasingly radical. With passion running high on both sides, risk of danger is extreme and the elected vice president might have to step up to the plate.
The debate was filled with interruptions and negligence to answer questions, making Pence look in many ways like Trump’s guard dog. Throughout the discourse, Kaine threw many of Trump’s past controversial remarks at Pence demanding an explanation. Although many Americans, including myself, are hoping for answers on some of those comments, 48 percent of people who watched reported Pence as the best of the night, compared to 42 percent who felt that Kaine did better.
Russia was one of the biggest topics of discussion between the two candidates. While Kaine reminded Pence throughout the night of Trump’s continued praise of Putin, Pence denied all reverence, calling the Russian leader “small and bullying.”
The discussion of women’s issues finally came about when the religion of both candidates was brought up. The controversial topic of abortion was the subject in question. Though abortion is fundamentally a women’s health issue, both candidates mentioned their religion in how they viewed the topic. Unfortunately, it seems that despite the strides America has taken in women’s healthcare, a woman’s right to choose will still continue to be seen as a moral issue rather than a health issue in the coming years, no matter which candidate is elected.
Kaine, despite his strong Catholic beliefs, was the main defender for women’s choice on the matter.
“Governor, why don’t you trust women to make this choice for themselves? We encourage people to support life… But why don’t you trust women? Why doesn’t Trump trust women to make this choice for themselves?” said Pence. However, in the end, his views on abortion were still seen as a moral issue rather than a health dilemma.
Police shootings were another hot topic of discussion. Pence chose this moment in the debate to attack Clinton for politicizing police shootings stating that “what we ought to do is stop seizing on these moments of tragedy.”
For me, this was an interesting observation on Pence’s part. While I think this issue is important and should be discussed in the debate, is it being brought up the way it should be? Or are the candidates, namely Clinton in this case, using it in an advantageous, but possibly not problem solving, way? Along with this, Pence sought to make Clinton’s campaign out as disrespecting law enforcement and causing more racial issues. However, Kaine refuted this argument by bringing Philando Castile, a black man that was shot and killed earlier this year in Minnesota by a police officer, into the discussion. He cited this as an example of racial bias in law enforcement. Another disagreement between the two candidates was the use of “stop and frisk.” While Pence advocated for the expansion of this, Kaine condemned it as a controversial policing tactic.
Though the debate discussed important issues to the American public, it wasn’t particularly informative of either candidate or their roles in this campaign. If anything, it made a mockery of the renowned debate by displaying two men as children trying to discuss policy.
My overall feeling after watching this debate was disappointment. I’m sure the debate didn’t tip the scales for anyone in this election. It certainly didn’t for me.
