For those who have not seen the debate, I've embedded the video at the end of this post.
I do feel as in the first Presidential debate, this debate should have been more inclusive, e.g., Spike Cohen on the LP ticket.
Let's start with the fact that this was a vast improvement over the first Presidential debate:
According to a Fox News analysis, Biden interrupted Trump 49 times and Wallace 18 times for a total of 67 interruptions. Trump, meanwhile, interrupted Biden 71 times and Wallace 74 times for a total of 145 interruptions.
I felt Pence tended to go past his allotted time, but I also felt Harris was given some softball questions by the moderator (e.g., B. Taylor).
I do feel, of the 4 debaters, Pence was easily the best, most polished one, despite having the hardest challenge of being the incumbent VP, following Trump's failed performance. And though I didn't particularly like either debater's performance, I felt Pence clearly won this debate going away. Harris openly ducked multiple questions, starting with distinctive policy differences in dealing with the coronavirus crisis and Pence's challenge of whether the Dems intended to pack the court if Judge Barnett is confirmed to SCOTUS.
Both candidates missed some obvious opportunities:
- I thought Pence should have pointed out that Harris would be a heartbeat from the Presidency of one of the oldest Presidents prospectively elected in history, with no public sector executive experience and limited federal legislative/leadership experience and accomplishments, no foreign policy experience. (Pence, among other things, is a former Indiana governor.)
- In terms of racial justice issues, Pence could have mentioned Trump had signed the First Step Act, minority unemployment rates before the COVID-19 crisis were the lowest on record, and Trump's use of his pardon power. Not to mention he could have revisited Gabbard's brutal takedown of Harris' awful record as a prosecutor and attorney general in California.
- I felt Pence could have stoked Biden's dodge of the Green New Deal vs. his progressive base and brought up the reused failed Obama/Biden recovery recipe of "investing in infrastructure, education, and green energy" had its share of scandals, like Solyndra.
- In terms of dealing with China, Harris completely missed two important points: the Trump Administration's retreat from TPP, a pan-Pacific trade pact not including China; and Tariff Man actually taxed US consumers, not China, including the lower/middle class.
Comment: Neither debater addresses the failed early rollout of tests, which was late, bungled, limited and defective under a federal monopoly; there was a failure to engage the private sector. We need to emphasize the need of liberating the private sector, addressing privatization of the FDA, etc.
Comment: The manufacturing numbers likely involved cherrypicking data. For example, Dems like to use numbers from the bottom of the Great Recession, arguing Bush was responsible for early Obama tenure job losses. Pence is probably correct if we don't look at job losses under the pandemic. But the bigger picture is that manufacturing hiring has been on the decline for decades and maybe 90% has more to do with improved productivity in technology, including robotics (and to a degree, China is experiencing a similar trend. Harris is an economic illiterate who believes in failed industrial policy vs. the free market; she doesn't understand that regulations and higher corporate taxes are part of the costs of doing business and are a disincentive to invest in the American market and related jobs. Yes, no doubt that tax cuts benefit those who pay taxes, especially the wealthy; she doesn't understand that much of the wealth in question is not focused on conspicuous consumption but invested in the economy, the seed corn for future production and jobs. Real innovation comes from the private sector, not political elites and their regulations. Briefly, on the US auto industry kerfuffle: Ford Motor Company did not require a bailout, and relevant assets could have come under new, more efficient, effective management. Certainly Musk's startup success with Tesla shows a different concept can win market share. Pence's defense of Trump's protectionism is also wrong.
Comment: Pence's defense of the Soleimani assassination has long been debunked. But Harris' argument is more style than substance: both Biden and Trump are protectionists and foreign interventionists.
Harris argues the winner of next month's election should nominate RBG's replacement, citing Lincoln's decision to defer a late first-term appointment. She is clear that sustaining ObamaCare and abortion rights are litmus tests for nomination.
Pence counters Barrett is well-qualified and hopes that Harris won't exhibit the anti-Catholicism she's demonstrated against other nominees. He points out Trump's position that he has 4 years to nominate judges is constitutionally sound and challenges (unanswered) Harris to say whether the Dems would try to pack SCOTUS if Judge Barrett is confirmed.
Comment: We libertarians are concerned about individual rights being protected against the tyranny of the legislative majority and are wary of judicial activism. Judge Barrett is definitely more consistent with that point of view than a likely Biden nominee looking to lock in progressive laws.
#6. Racial Justice
Breonna Taylor was an unarmed Kentucky black woman who was killed as police exchanged gunfire with her boyfriend, a drug dealer suspect, who claims that he had thought they were intruders.
Harris, who is black, voiced concern about unequal justice under the law and alleged systemic racial injustice issues. She brought up the Trump response to the Charlottesville tragedy and more recently his ambiguous response to the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by". She did pay lip service to no violence at various post-incident protests. She talked about remedies like a national police registry.
Pence points out Trump explicitly rejected KKK and the like in the infamous "fine people on both sides" presser. He rejects the charge of systemic racism; he argued the Taylor case was still in process but the Dems' response to rioting and looting has been inadequate.
Comment: We libertarians argue against the failed war on drugs, no-knock raids and too many young black men have been been trapped by poor public schools and job prospects, ending up in jail/prison with few opportunities once they are released. Another point is that the crimes in question are by the Tenth Amendment subject to local/state policy, not the federal government. One thing the central government tries to do here is to militarize police. Somewhat disappointing we didn't see more on Trump's constitutionally dubious introduction of federal police in protest cities.
