What Went Down During The Vice Presidential Debate

Pence attacks Harris for promising that the U.S. will rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement under Biden, but a majority of Americans opposed leaving it in the first place in 2017, and a 2019 NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College poll found that 53 percent thought rejoining was a good idea while only 31 percent thought it was a bad idea.

Harris mentions younger voters, including people who are anticipating entering the labor force soon. Biden is leading with younger voters, but neither candidate is super popular with this group.

I’m mulling the difference between Harris and Pence’s demeanor on stage. Pence is sort of oozing ultra-calm. Harris is more animated and as people are pointing out (including me) she’s not only a more aggressive questioner/answerer, but her facial expressions are animated, etc.

Ripe territory for dissecting sexism and the performance of gender and our tolerance for aggression from women! I think men will receive Harris differently than women will. My gut reaction is, they might not like it as much. But … Harris might not care because women voters might receive it well, and as we’ve discussed, women voters — in particular white, college educated women — are the new swing voters. And they might be picking up what she’s putting down.