Pundits last night: Pence won. Today? Kaine won. Why?
Tim Kaine’s performance in last night’s vice presidential debate was not always easy to watch. He interrupted the moderator and his opponent, Mike Pence, too often. His points were repetitive and occasionally came off as overly scripted.
It gave viewers the impression that Pence was perhaps making very powerful points that Kaine was desperately trying to derail.
Meanwhile, Pence appeared the more reasonable of the two. At times, he was almost a cartoon character of a reasonable person, but it was a much slicker presentation that, on the surface, seemed more competent and confident.
So it’s not surprising that, when the debate ended, a narrow majority of viewers thought that Pence won. [CNN’s flash poll gave Pence a 48%/42% victory over Kaine.]But as the sun rose, a different narrative of the debate emerged.
At this point, it’s important to note that Tim Kaine is a lawyer. Sometimes lawyers cross-examine witnesses, breaking them down in real time for the judge and jury.
That’s not what Kaine did last night.
Last night, Kaine conducted a deposition. In a deposition, a lawyer questions a witness outside of the courtroom, but everything is recorded and can be used later on. These aren’t flashy or scripted affairs. A deposition can be repetitive and boring. But over many hours, a skilled lawyer can get what he wants out of a witness.
What Kaine wanted to accomplish last night was to force Pence to react to some of Trump’s most outrageous statements. This was important both to remind people that Trump said those things and to place Pence in the uncomfortable position of having to react.
He pivoted to that topic again and again.
Legum provides some startling examples of how Kaine managed to drive a wedge between Pence and Trump. The entire article is well worth your time.
Copyright 2016 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo
David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.
* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.
10 responses to Pundits last night: Pence won. Today? Kaine won. Why?
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anothertoothpick October 5th, 2016 at 16:18
It’s a long way to the top, if you wanna defened trump s lies.
Kick Frenzy October 5th, 2016 at 16:29
Jake Tapper called it… he said Pence won the debate that night, but that Kaine would win over the course of the week.
Buford2k11 October 5th, 2016 at 16:59
A Jedi Mind Trick…had to be…
Hirightnow October 5th, 2016 at 19:29
…These aren’t the candidates you’re looking for…
http://www.memebucket.com/mb/2016/06/561-bbybtchdroid.jpg
Dogmomma October 5th, 2016 at 18:01
I knew that something like that was happening. That’s why I was so surprised the pundits dissed him and said Pense won.
Hirightnow October 5th, 2016 at 19:28
So….we were all mistaken, wrongly?
whatthe46 October 5th, 2016 at 20:15
i saw what he was doing, that’s why i gave it to him. he put pence in a position that was extremely uncomfortable and it shouldn’t have been. if you’re honest that is.
oldfart October 6th, 2016 at 01:19
I did not see it. I’ve seen clips. Republicans have been harping on kaine’s interruptions.
But, he kept Pence where he wanted him, tRumps chump.
Willys41 October 6th, 2016 at 08:28
Pence: such a so-called “devout Christian” and yet so many lies.
Sheila B October 6th, 2016 at 13:20
I found the VP debates so annoying I had to turn it off as I am sure many others did. I, like many, reacted to Kaine’s rudeness, constant interruptions and talking over/ignoring moderator. But that was me at the end of a long workday, and i think a lot of others felt the same. Also i had been influenced by previously interviewed “undecideds [not sure how they even justify that position!] who expressed their desire to see candidates who sold themselves and the top of the ticket rather than attack each other.
In the freshness of the new day Wednesday, along with all the spinmeisters/commentators like yourself, AC, I saw it in a different light. TK put MP on the defensive for the entire debate, put him in a position of being unable to defend DT and kept driving that point home, repeating the image of an indefensible Trump. Hopefully it swayed the undecideds.
Also the undecideds, as Michael Reagan (son of St. Ronald), who deplores Trump but hates HRC, said he might do, may just not vote top of their ballots.