Freddy Gray Freddy Gray

Veeps shall inherit the earth

In Pence and Harris, we are looking at the future of the Republican Party

Getty Images

‘Who am I? Why am I here?’ That was how Vice Admiral James Stockdale began the 1992 televised vice-presidential debate. It’s now regarded as a famous gaffe, yet Stockdale’s questions reflect the way most viewers feel about ‘veep’ debates. Who are these people? Why am I watching? Four years ago, 37 million Americans tuned in to watch now Vice President Mike Pence argue with Senator Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate. Even the most ardent followers of American politics would struggle to remember a single phrase.

Last night felt different. It’s hard to claim that Pence, the Vice President, vs Kamala Harris, the running mate of former vice president Joe Biden, should be the most consequential debate of 2020. After that awful shouting match last week between Trump and Biden, however, Americans will be grateful to have heard a little discussion of substance and government policies. They’ve had so little so far from the two grumpy grandfathers vying for the White House.

As it was, the debate was a fairly flat affair. Most viewers will have turned off in hurry. Maybe we don’t actually want our politicians to do anything other than shout at each other? Pence was solid and competent — although his bloodshot eye and the fly that got stuck in his hair will be remembered longer than anything he said. Harris had some good theatrical moments, which will be played on loop on the pro-Democrat networks for at least 24 hours, but generally came across as grandiose and a little too irritable. She lost the debate, though not catastrophically.

‘You’ll be able to do this from home.’

The debate may seem significant in retrospect. In Harris and Pence, we could well be seeing the future of American politics. In four years, or less, one of the two could be President.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in