Tim Kaine Didn’t Win Mr. Congeniality — but He Got the Job Done in V.P. Debate
But while Kaine didn’t win any points on likability, he had a job to do and he got it done: Push out the anti-Trump talking points and highlight the vast differences between the Clinton campaign’s vision for racial justice versus the Trump campaign’s overt racism and bigotry.
On that front, Kaine got the job done. He repeatedly dragged the conversation back to issues around racial justice, from policing to immigration, which worked both to put Pence on the defensive and to appeal to black and Latino voters (and anyone, really, who cares about racial justice). While Pence was the living embodiment of an unflappable liar — definitely the guy to go to if you need someone to bury the bodies — Kaine’s relentlessness on this front clearly got to him enough that, for a brief, shining moment, he got flustered and angry.
“You whipped out that Mexican thing again,” Pence whined. It was one of the few memorable lines of the night and the likeliest to grab headlines. No doubt Latino viewers watching the debate took notice.
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