The most important vice presidential debate in American history
Wednesday night’s debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris will be the most important of its kind since VP debates began 40 years ago. While VP debates see less fanfare than the sparring matches at the top of the ticket, the 2020 races and the unique events surrounding it have made the Pence-Harris faceoff especially newsworthy.
As the president lays in Walter Reed hospital, battling a virus that has already killed 210,000 Americans, we are reminded that the vice president is a heartbeat away from the presidency. And given the experiences of some COVID-19 patients, often referred to as the “long-haulers,” questions about presidential incapacitation have taken center stage.
Vice presidential debates tend to be boring events focused on how best a candidate would help the president if elected and what types of policies an administration would pursue. In the background of these debates is always the recognition that either individual must be ready to become president, if their ticket succeeds. However, the 2020 race offers us the two oldest presidential nominees in American history. One of whom is currently battling a serious health crisis—President Donald Trump—and another who has dealt with series health challenges in the 1980s—former Vice President Joe Biden. Whether Mr. Trump is reelected or Mr. Biden wins next month, they will be sworn in during a deadly pandemic that has proved to be particularly dangerous to older men. And Americans will be watching the VP debate with renewed awareness that one of those two individuals could easily become president—not because they ran for the office but because they succeeded to the office.
