Harris-Pence vice presidential debate is hugely important, and not just due to Trump's COVID
The momentous events of the past week greatly increase the odds that the sole debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence will have an outsize impact on the election just one month away. The presidential debate in Cleveland was marred by continual interruptions and personal insults, which the American public found disheartening. President Donald Trump's positive coronavirus diagnosis, revealed early Friday, threw the campaign and remaining presidential debate schedule into doubt.
The most recent national polls following these tumultuous events are ominous for Trump's reelection prospects, and Pence will have to try to stop the bleeding at the vice presidential debate Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
There is unusual interest and anticipation surrounding the Pence-Harris debate for a multitude of reasons. Undecided voters want to be confident that it's still possible to conduct a civil and substantive political debate during such a watershed election. Given the age and health of the two presidential nominees, it's essential for Harris and Pence to reassure voters they are capable of stepping into the role of commander in chief at a moment's notice. Joe Biden would be the oldest president ever elected and has not formally committed to running for a second term in office.
High stakes for both sides
The debate will be divided into nine segments by moderator Susan Page of USA TODAY, and there is no doubt coronavirus will be front and center. The candidates will be sitting on stage, but distanced 12 feet apart and separated by plexiglass. The audience will consist of fewer than 200 people, and anyone not wearing a face mask will be asked to leave the venue, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. The safe and responsible execution of a vice presidential debate at this trying time is important for the country to witness.
The contrasting backgrounds, styles and personalities of the two nominees also guarantee a fascinating matchup. Harris is a first-term senator who previously served as California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney. She has used her prosecutorial background and position on the Senate Judiciary Committee to grill high-profile witnesses like attorney general nominee William Barr and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Harris participated in five Democratic presidential primary debates this cycle and briefly reached top-tier status in the race after a viral and personal exchange with Biden over school desegregation in California. But she quickly faded, in part due to inconsistent positions on health care reform as she vacillated between the left and center of the ideological spectrum.
Trump-Biden debate in Cleveland: Once is enough. Please make it stop.
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard surprisingly ended up being Harris' most formidable foe during the Detroit and Atlanta debates. Gabbard got under her skin by attacking her prosecutorial history and raising questions about her national security qualifications.
Harris, who arrived in Salt Lake City late Friday, is preparing for the debate with help from another primary rival: former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is standing in for Pence, a fellow Hoosier.
Pence in the 2016 VP debate
Before becoming vice president, Pence was governor of Indiana and an Indiana congressman, as well as a conservative talk-radio show host. His performances in the Indiana gubernatorial debates were inconsistent. Pence has a measured debate delivery style and was a wild card heading into his matchup with Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine in 2016. He relentlessly attacked Hillary Clinton's private email server, while defending Trump's tax returns. Pence discussed his Midwestern values, but had no trouble delivering punishing attack lines with a smile.
Polling showed that Pence narrowly emerged victorious in the vice presidential debate, in part due to low expectations. He was described as feisty and benefited from Kaine's numerous interruptions throughout the evening. Pence will certainly attack Harris’ liberal Senate voting record, while also aiming barbs at Biden and defending President Trump's record.
In an ironic twist, Pence now finds himself in the same position as Biden in 2012, after Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney had prevailed over a curiously passive President Barack Obama in their first debate. Amid flagging poll numbers, Biden was tasked with righting the ship and providing a jolt of momentum in his debate with Romney running mate Paul Ryan.
The stakes are even greater for Pence in 2020, given Trump’s health and the many other obstacles facing the campaign. There are reasons to believe that Pence can replicate Biden's debate success story from 2012. He will again benefit from low expectations given Harris' high-profile record and experience. And she will be constrained from delivering a full throttle attack against Trump as he continues recovering from COVID, also a potential advantage for Pence.
As in 2012, an unexpectedly dynamic debate performance by a vice presidential nominee could provide much needed energy to the troubled Trump-Pence campaign at the most crucial time. It would be a mistake to again underestimate Mike Pence. And surely no one understands the potential for this role reversal better than Joe Biden himself.
Aaron Kall, director of debate at the University of Michigan, is editor/co-author of "Debating The Donald." Follow him on Twitter: @michigandebate
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vice presidential debate: Huge stakes for Pence, Harris, Trump, Biden
