2020 White House race: Kamala Harris and Mike Pence come out all civil but tough

The vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris came as a shock to Americans.

Kamala Harris was strong on healthcare and on foreign policy in the debate at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Picture: AFP

In a presidential election campaign that is cursed by deep division and toxic political rhetoric, the debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris came as a shock to Americans.

The vice-presidential candidates were — wait for it — civil, ­respectful and courteous to each other on stage while still vigorous in attacking the policy record of their opponent. It was nothing like the brawling spectacle of last week’s presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, but it was still tough.

The most dramatic moment came early when the Democrat savaged the Vice-President for the administration’s management of the pandemic which has killed more than 210,000 Americans.

“The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Senator Harris said on the stage at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, separated from Mr Pence by plexiglass. “They knew and they covered it up. The President said it was a hoax. They minimised the seriousness of it.”

Mr Pence countered that Mr Trump had saved countless lives by quickening implementing a travel ban from China that Mr Trump’s Democrat challenger Mr Biden had labelled “xenophobic”.

Mr Pence performed well, better than many expected, and he made several damaging attacks on Senator Harris over her support for the left-wing Green New Deal and her refusal to say if Mr Biden would pack the Supreme Court if elected president. But Senator Harris was also strong on foreign policy and healthcare where she hammered the lack of a coherent Republican policy to protect pre-existing conditions.

Both candidates interrupted each other often, prompting Senator Harris to say: “Mr Vice-President — I’m speaking.” They also regularly evaded the questions put to them by the debate moderator.

Mr Pence launched a strong ­attack on Mr Biden’s economic plans, seeking to portray the Democrat ticket as left wing and anti-jobs.

Mike Pence performed well, better than many expected at University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Thursday. Picture: AFP

“On day one, Joe Biden is going to raise your taxes,” he said. “When Joe Biden was vice-president, they tried to tax and spend and regulate and bail our way back to a growing economy. President Trump cut taxes across the board. They want to bury our economy.”

“The American economy, the American comeback is on the ballot with four more years of growth.”

Senator Harris said the Trump-Pence economic plan was aimed at making the wealthy richer rather than helping ordinary American workers. She repeatedly highlighted the issue of healthcare, accusing the Trump administration of seeking to use the courts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in the midst of a pandemic.

She looked into the camera and said: “If you have a pre-existing condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you if you love someone who has a pre-existing condition.”

Mr Pence said the President had a plan to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but he did not reveal what it was. “Senator Harris, you’re entitled to your own opinion, but you’re not entitled to your own facts,” he said, to which she responded “Good line”.

They clashed over China, with Senator Harris saying “you lost that trade war”, because she said it cost 300,000 manufacturing jobs and put farmers into bankruptcy.

“Lost the trade war with China? Joe Biden never fought it,” Mr Pence replied. “Joe Biden has been a cheerleader for China for the last several decades.”

On climate change Mr Pence hammered Senator Harris for her initial support for the far-left Green New Deal, a more moderate version of which has been adopted by Mr Biden. ‘They would impose the Green New Deal (and) crush American jobs,” he said.

Senator Harris did not defend the Green New Deal but said Mr Biden believed in the science of climate change, unlike the Trump administration. “Joe believes in science … they don’t believe in ­science,” she said.

One of Mr Pence’s best ­moments was when he repeatedly quizzed Senator Harris over whether Mr Biden would stack the Supreme Court. Republicans ­accuse Democrats of planning to enlarge the nine-member bench to dilute the impact of the likely ­appointment of conservative Amy Coney Barrett. Senator Harris evaded the question, prompting Mr Pence to look into the camera and say: “They are going to pack the Supreme Court.”

Both candidates scored some good hits and made many a tactical dodge, but after this lively 90-minute bout, there was still no clear winner or loser. As informative as it was, it is hard to imagine that the debate will have any major impact on who wins the November 3 election.

Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia