| The vice president is supposed to be America's zany uncle, the one we give a pass for doing crazy things because, welp, that's uncle Ed. Dan Quayle couldn't spell potato. Joe Biden used the F-word (no, not free). And Dick Cheney SHOT A GUY. |
| So, of course in Bizarro Election World, people actually expect tonight's vice presidential debate to have two adults in the room. Both candidates are articulate, genuinely nice and well aware of their place in politics: Democrat Tim Kaine says he's "boring," while Republican Mike Pence calls himself a "B-list Republican celebrity." |
| Let's give you their stats, so you can decide whether you want to add them to your Fantasy White House League. |
| WHEN TO WATCH |
| 9 p.m. Eastern on pretty much any channel. The 90-minute debate is commercial free and probably won't break any viewership records - partly because it is expected to be more of a debate than the reality show we saw in the first presidential debate (sorry, drinking game players). Still, it might be worth watching if you think Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton could be impeached/indicted after getting elected. These could be your next presidents, folks. |
| IN TRUMP'S CORNER: MIKE PENCE |
| AGE: 57. |
| CLAIM TO FAME: He has conservative bona fides and political experience Trump lacks: The Indiana governor spent more than a decade in Congress. |
| WHAT PEOPLE LIKE ABOUT HIM: Pence is the anti-Trump. He's not bombastic. Paul Ryan likes him. And he definitely has better hair. |
| WHAT PEOPLE HATE ABOUT HIM: How he handled Indiana's unpopular religious-freedom bill. Pence had a tin ear to business leaders who pleaded with him to think of the economic consequences before signing the bill. He has since backed away from it. |
| KEY TO WINNING THE DEBATE: Pence has to defend Trump on sticky issues like immigration and climate change without coming across like a wacko or egotist. In other words: Be likable while you deliver an unlikable message. |
| WEIRD RANDOM FACT: Pence was a radio and TV talk-show host from 1993 to 1999. His program was solidly conservative, but people liked his willingness to entertain opposing views. Pence once called himself "Rush Limbaugh on decaf." |
| IN CLINTON'S CORNER: TIM KAINE |
| AGE: 58. |
| CLAIM TO FAME: Like Clinton (and Pence, for that matter), Kaine has a robust resume as a former governor and current senator. |
| WHAT PEOPLE LIKE ABOUT HIM: Kaine is a popular guy from the swing state of Virginia. He works across the aisle in the Senate. And he has a reputation as a moderate. |
| WHAT PEOPLE HATE ABOUT HIM: Progressives say he's not progressive enough, that he's too white (although he does speak Spanish) and too safe of a choice to accomplish anything on their agenda. |
| KEY TO WINNING THE DEBATE: Kaine must successfully defend his record in Virginia (Pence has criticized him for raising taxes) and allay concerns about Clinton's email scandal. In other words, be nice but don't look weak. |
| WEIRD RANDOM FACT: Kaine and Pence have similar backgrounds and strong religious convictions. Yet they have drawn different conclusions from their life experiences . Both are anti-abortion, for example, but while Pence has parlayed that into stronger abortion restrictions, Kaine has not because he doesn't think it's a proper function of government. |
| VEEP PEEPS YOU WON'T SEE |
| Libertarian William Weld and the Green Party's Ajamu Baraka won't be on the stage tonight, but they are worth getting to know. Weld, 71, is the former Massachusetts governor that Mitt Romney said would "be a great president." He's fiscally conservative and socially liberal, has a wry sense of humor and generally got along with folks when he was in office. In 1996, he dove into the Charles River with a Democratic colleague to celebrate legislation protecting the river. |
| Less has been reported about Baraka, 62. He's a human-rights activist who has repeatedly criticized Obama, calling him an "Uncle Tom president" who has an "obsequious deference to white power." |
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| MORE FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL |
| • | This may or may not be the quote of the day. Clinton: 'What kind of genius loses $1 billion in a year?' (Detroit Free Press) | | • | Because everyone needs a little Ross Perot in their lives. Watch these memorable veep debate moments (USA TODAY) | | • | 6 in 10 Americans want a third party. They just don't want these third-party candidates (Washington Post) | | • | Newspapers were snowed with angry comments and cancellations. But do their presidential endorsements still matter? (BBC News) | |
| THE TELL-TALE TELL |
| There's a conspiracy theory going around that Hillary Clinton used secret hand signals with moderator Lester Holt to make her look better during the first debate. You probably saw it on Facebook: The video strung random moments together as Clinton scratched her face and Holt asked questions. Snopes has thoroughly debunked the idea , but hey, let's not let facts get in the way of a good story. Our bet: Tonight's tell to moderator Elaine Quijano includes two blinks and a sip of water. Wait: Watch for that. There's your drinking game! |
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