Anybody here planning to watch the veep debate tonight?

[Lord Jim]

I'm gonna take a pass...

There have been a few memorable moments in VP debates past, but not one of these debates has ever amounted to squat in effecting the outcome of the race...

I think we'll check out the first episode of the new sci-fi series Timeless instead...

That looks a lot more promising...

[Crackpot]

Well for actual policy it's tonight or never. Though at this point I find the whole thing absolutely depressing.

[Lord Jim]

Though at this point I find the whole thing absolutely depressing.

At this point I find the whole thing absolutely, deeply, profoundly, distressingly, painfully, heartbreakingly, mindbogglingly, inconsolably depressing...

ETA:

The vote I cast for Mitt Romney in 2012, was the least enthusiastic vote I had ever cast for a Presidential candidate...

Little did I know what was coming...

Given the choices on the ballot this time around, I'd be as giddy and joyful as a seven year old who came downstairs on Christmas morning to discover a pony standing next to the Christmas tree, if I had Mitt Romney to vote for instead...

[Guinevere]

I'm watching MLB - Go Os!

[Guinevere]

Well for actual policy it's tonight or never. Though at this point I find the whole thing absolutely depressing.

And angering. As if no one noticed I'm grumpier than usual

[BoSoxGal]

I'm gonna take a pass...

There have been a few memorable moments in VP debates past, but not one of these debates has ever amounted to squat in effecting the outcome of the race...

I think we'll check out the first episode of the new sci-fi series Timeless instead...

That looks a lot more promising...

It's getting good reviews.

I'd like to see Kaine clean Pence's clock but I'm not sure I'm up for the after-debate hangover. Finding the whole thing beyond depressing or even angering . . . when the election is over we are still left with the reality Trump's support has revealed about too many of our citizenry.

[Joe Guy]

I'll probably watch it. I just heard that Trump announced he will be tweeting "live" during the debate.

Am I in a coma having a bad dream or is this election really happening?

[MajGenl.Meade]

My wife wants to watch it. I don't see the point - voting against Trump is going to happen regardless of anything his VP-nominee is going to say. Maybe he'll endorse Hillary - that would be cool. Depressing news in the local rag today - Trump leads by 5 points in Ohio..... <spit>

[Lord Jim]

I'm watching MLB - Go Os!

Tomorrow night I'll be watching the Giants versus the Mets

[dales]

Tomorrow night I'll be watching the Giants versus the Mets

No...... I'll give a pass to the Veep Debate.......Giants Postseason (after sweeping the dodger bums) YEAH!

Wednesday, I'm counting the hours.

[Beer Sponge]

I'm watching MLB - Go Os!

How'd that go for you?

Jays all the way!!!!

[Guinevere]

It's good to know Canada has sore winners. Just for that I'm taking Justin Trudeau away from you.


How'd that got for me? Now I can root for my other team .... Go Sox!!

[Lord Jim]

From the analysis and clips I've seen it looks like Kaine came with a hyper-aggressive style that really didn't suit the format (the candidates and the moderator sitting at a table in close proximity to each other) or his personality, and it turned a lot of people off...

The CNN poll (which was the only real after-debate poll that actually uses scientific polling methodology) had Pence winning 48-42, despite the fact that the sampling skewed Democratic (which was appropriate since the poll was measuring the responses of those who actually saw the debate, and a higher percentage of Democrats watched)...

[BoSoxGal]

He was an interrupter, which wasn't great - BUT, he locked Pence into denying many things that Trump has said and which are on video, so the cable news cycle won't look great for Pence at all. I thought Kaine did well. If Pence is the future of the GOP, they aren't improving a lot over Trump, IMHO.

[Burning Petard]

I watched on CBS. It seemed to me to be a re-run of the first presidential debates, with the roles reversed. Kaine did the Donald, and Pence did the Hillary, except Pence also did a more nuanced version of the Donald's Wrong ! Wrong ! Wrong!. Again, the moderator pretty much let both of them get way with not answering the questions she asked.

CBS followed with a focus group in Ohio, made up of 'undecideds'. They had a strong consensus that Pence won the debate, but the debate only changed one individual's vote. That person was not asked which way he changed.

The run up to the debate on all the tv media had many clips from previous Veep debates, and they always included the one with "And you're no Jack Kennedy" ignoring the historical reality that the candidate that delivered that powerful zinger lost the election.

snailgate

[Sue U]

Yeah, I watched it. Kaine's interrupting was annoying and detracted from his message; on the plus side, he seems to be very much a Happy Warrior and channeling Hubert Humphrey. Pence was predictably boring and only spouted his own rehearsed talking points. Pretty sure the whole affair was a waste of time, since by next week no one is even going to remember who Jim Kaine and Mark Pence are.

ETA:

Most of the questions were pretty stupid; both candidates have their own extensive records in public office and could have been probed much better on their respective views and what policy choices they could be expected to advocate, given those records, and what role they would play in a potential administration. But instead we got a bunch of dopey softballs and several WTFs.

[Big RR]

I watched and think Kane came across as a rude ass (they should have turned his microphone off when Pence was speaking and vice versa); if I hear "Trump should produce his tax returns" in response to questions that have nothing to do with his financial disclosures, I think I'd clock him. Pence was slightly better (but only slightly), but then he had to defend Trump. A couple of good points--Pence did back away from some of what Trump said and also made the statement to Kane that "Trump's not a ;polished politician" in excuse for his (Trump's) outrageous statements. The only part I found good was the last question where the candidates were asked to describe when their faith ad politics came into conflict and how they handled it--Kane talked about how he carried out death penalty executions as governor of VA even though he found the DP immoral, and Pence talked about the right to life and defense of life as a moral imperative. I think both spoke from strong personal conviction here, but also that it drastically showed the division between the two as to separation of church and state.

And BSG, expanding on your point, If Kane is the future of the democratic party, they aren't improving all that much over Trump, IMHO. I kind of wanted to see him stick to the issues, not be Trump lite. Suffice it to say that this is not like 1988 when I wished that Bentsen was at the top of the dem ticket after the VP debate.

[BoSoxGal]

Well I can't agree with you at all, Big RR. Kaine interrupted a lot and that wasn't terribly polite, but he's miles above Donald J. Trump in personal/professional merit, morals, etc. Leagues, actually.

If that's the only time you've heard him speak, I'd suggest Googling some YouTube interviews with him during your next mental break from work. Trump isn't even in the same ballpark with Governor Kaine and could never hope to be.

[oldr_n_wsr]

I wentto a meeting. I could have watched it when I got home (about 9:30pm) but I attempted to fix my binoculars instead. Didn't get them fixed yet, but have them apart and see what's causing the problem (they didn't focus).The turning spindle isn't properly aligning with the lens holders. I think a pin in the front of the spindle is broken although I don't see any small pieces of plastic that might have broken off. More investigation needed.

Lets Go METS!!!!!!!

[Big RR]

Miles above Trump? Certainly. But then Trump is the bottom of the Marianas Trench, so even 10,000 feet above him would still be more than two miles underwater. And I agree he's usually not that bad a speaker, but IMHO he was intolerable last night (I have no idea who is pulling his strings, but I think he came off worse than Pence). Why he chose to emulate Trump's boorish behavior is beyond me, but frankly after about 30 minutes I began to detest him. He's miles above Trump, which is why I expected much more from him (like discussing the issues, not harping on BS).

So I'll adjust my statement, if behavior like kane's last night this is the future of the democratic party, I have very little hope for it. and since the republicans have already cast their lots that way, I have very little hope for any change in the future.