Pence and Harris Square Off In VP Debate
Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris faced off Wednesday night in what was ultimately a more restrained version of last Tuesday’s presidential debate. The USA Today moderator, Susan Page, was effective in making sure that the debate remained a civil affair; both the Vice President and Senator Harris refrained from the name-calling and personal attacks that peppered the first presidential debate. However, both candidates interrupted each other on numerous occasions, occasionally reminding viewers of last week’s debacle.
The majority of the questions raised in last night’s debate remained centered around economic issues and the United States’ response to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. The candidates remained seated and were separated by two panels of plexiglass, a grim reminder of the global pandemic which so far has claimed more than 200,000 American lives.
Since the coronavirus remains one of the most important issues facing our nation at present, the candidates’ answers to questions on the subject remained crucial to the American people. When asked what a Biden administration would do to lessen the impact of COVID-19 nationwide, Senator Harris attacked President Trump’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, saying the Trump administration “forfeited” its right to a re-election. She called into question the fact that President Trump knew in February how dangerous the virus was yet didn’t tell the American people. On the other hand, Vice President Pence praised the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic, calling it the greatest national mobilization “since World War 2” and emphasizing President Trump’s effort to ban travel from China during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.
According to FOX news, with regard to the candidates’ decorum, Vice President Pence was judged as the more diplomatic of the two on Wednesday, notably thanking Senator Harris for her years in public service and interrupting less frequently. CNN stated that Harris used Joe Biden’s strategy of talking into the camera in order to directly address the American people.The California senator came across as being more empathetic towards voters. Regardless of political differences, however, both candidates gave the American people reasons to support them and made clear their policy goals for the next administration, which will determine the path that the United States will take during the next four years.
By: Miles Kresic
