Disclaimer: at the time of writing, the results of the 2020 Presidential Election were unknown.
On October 7, Americans saw Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence face off in a heated Vice Presidential debate. A much anticipated event, both parties had high expectations for their candidate. The two started off sitting in desks 12 feet apart with plexiglass in between, an example of the new emphasis on COVID-19 safety since Donald Trump’s diagnosis on October 2. Pence had previously tested negative, but according to CDC guidelines, he should have been quarantined at the time of the debate due to the possibility of exposure.
Traditionally, the Vice Presidential debate has not been known to necessarily change voters’ minds, but instead serves to educate them on candidates’ differing plans. However, debate moderator Susan Page did not ask follow-up questions, nor did she fact-check candidates, a choice criticized by experts following the event.
Page, a journalist for USA Today, focused the conversation on COVID immediately, questioning Harris on what the Biden administration would’ve done differently compared to the Trump administration, to which she replied with one of the most remembered lines of the night: “The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any Presidential administration in the history of our country.” She proceeded to launch into the ongoing Affordable Care Act (ACA) court battle, in which Trump is attempting to take down the healthcare federal statute signed into law by the Obama administration that protects millions of Americans. Harris brought up the ACA at least three times during the ninety-minute debate, as Pence struggled to find a suitable answer as to how the Americans protected by the ACA will stand after its fall, considering how Trump and Pence have not yet announced a replacement plan.
When Page questioned the candidates on Breonna Taylor’s death, and moreover what actions should be taken to prevent further deaths of Black Americans, Pence pivoted to a law-and-order argument, claiming that the idea that Biden and Harris believe America is systematically racist is “a great insult.” Moving forward, they continued to be pressed over topics such as healthcare, climate change, voting, and more.
Twitter, as always, engaged in witty commentary surrounding the debate. The mainly noted moments of the night on the social media site came from Pence constantly interrupting Harris, and the Senator’s constant clapbacks. Her line, “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking,” blew up. Of course, #Flygate went viral after a fly landed on Pence’s head and remained for two minutes, leading to thousands of memes and even an SNL skit.
Overall, the Vice Presidential debate seemed to bring up the popularity of Kamala Harris, as her net popularity numbers rose five points after the debate, whereas Pence’s numbers decreased by one point according to 538, an opinion poll analysis site. Most experts agreed that compared to the atrocious Presidential debate, the Vice Presidential debate was far more tolerable.
The next Presidential “debate” took place in the form of a dual town hall. A second in-person debate was dubbed unsafe after Trump’s positive COVID test, especially after he failed to take his quarantining orders seriously and continued to host rallies and speeches. Trump rejected the idea of having a virtual debate immediately, to which ABC replied by offering Biden a town hall, followed by NBC offering the same to Trump. The structure of town halls traditionally includes voters asking the candidates questions, in this case with a moderator present to make sure each question is fully answered.
The two campaigns decided to host their town halls on the exact same day and at the exact same time. Voters who were still undecided and who wanted to learn more about both candidates had to constantly switch back and forth between the two platforms, giving them a disadvantage from the beginning. There was also controversy surrounding NBC’s choice to offer Trump his town hall after he dropped out of the debate. Some argued that NBC, as a traditionally liberal-leaning news site, shouldn’t have given him the opportunity, while others wondered if the event’s purpose was to actually discourage voters from electing Trump after hearing him speak. Still, others believe that NBC simply wanted ratings.
The Trump segment was hosted by NBC news correspondent Savannah Guthrie, known from the Today Show and her role as a former White House news correspondent. On October 15, she pressed Trump on every single issue until he completely derailed off-topic, or was able to provide an answer. Guthrie led the first half of the town hall in a direct interview style, and then transitioned to opening the floor to voters’ questions, which directed him towards issues such as the QAnon conspiracists, the topic of denouncing white supremacy, and his lack of a healthcare plan. Her constant fact-checking and unwillingness to accept an incomplete or nonexistent answer led many experts to praise Guthrie where they had criticized past moderators and interviewers before. One Twitter user tweeted, “What @SavannahGuthrie did last night was a public service. Every reporter, print, TV, or radio should learn from what she did. She refused to submit to being ‘spun,’ pushed through evasions, lies. It was terrific.” The more Guthrie pressed, the more clear Trump’s lack of plans and agenda for his second term and his inability to defend his own actions became. At one point, in response to Trump retweeting QAnon conspiracy theorists, Guthrie prompted, “You’re the President, not someone’s crazy uncle!”
A specific moment from Trump’s town hall highlighted by SNL days later included a voter telling Trump, “You’re so handsome when you smile.” The true humor of the moment revealed itself in a follow-up interview, in which she revealed she had already voted for Biden. A woman sitting behind Trump also set Twitter ablaze with her constant nodding along to his words, becoming referred to as a “human bobblehead” by many users.
At the very same time, Biden was sitting across from George Stephanopoulos, the former White House communications director, answering voters’ questions on ABC. Directly contrasting the first Presidential debate, Biden’s town hall was filled with information on his plans and policies without distractions and interruptions. Stephanopoulos seemed to enjoy himself, skipping the interview portion and simply moderating the conversation gently.
Biden was faced with questions such as what his response to COVID would have been, what he would do to bridge systemic inequities harming Black Americans, and other topics including tax cuts, his view on the 1994 Crime Bill, and more. When discussing COVID with a voter, Biden answered, “ A President’s words matter, no matter whether they’re good, bad or indifferent. And when a President doesn’t wear a mask or makes fun of someone like me when I was wearing a mask for a long time, people say, ‘well it must not be that important.’” Biden’s town hall proved to be helpful for viewers who wanted to learn more about his specific policies.
The Vice Presidential debate and Presidential town halls both clearly reflected the opposing sides of the election, and accurately represented who each candidate is. Deciding between those candidates is in the hands of American voters.