The debate between Vice President Pence and Senator Harris was more civil than the recent debate between President Trump and Vice President Biden. But the debate fell short ethically.
Both candidates were relatively calm and measured, each generally let the other speak (though Harris scolded Pence on several occasions for trying to cut her off), and they both spoke for almost the exact same amount of time. The interactions were sharp elbowed and the rhetoric biting, but had they been allowed to, one imagines they would have shaken hands at the end and commended each other on a job well done.
Unfortunately Vice President Pence repeatedly misstated or overstated the facts, and he also failed to assure voters that the electoral process was fair.
As the New York Times’ David Leonhardt put it,
“To be clear, both Pence and Harris also engaged in mild overstatement and rhetorical flourishes at times. That’s normal in politics…But Pence was far more dishonest...
The most disappointing aspect of Pence’s performance is that he has deep disagreements with Harris and Biden that don’t depend on distortions. It’s entirely possible to make a fact-based case against higher taxes on the rich; or widely available abortions; or high levels of immigration; or new restrictions on police.
But that is not what Pence did.”
The New York Times’ full fact check is here.
In addition to getting the facts wrong, the Vice President did not assure voters that all of the votes cast in this election would be counted, and that he and President Trump would accept the outcome.
The Vice President was given a clear opportunity to promote our democratic process and he did not take it. The debate moderator asked Pence, “If vice president Biden is declared the winner and president Trump refuses to accept a peaceful transfer of power, what would be your role and responsibility as vice president?...” The Vice President spent his allotted two minutes attacking Hillary Clinton and Democrats in Congress, and telling people that he and Trump would win. He also accused Democrats of trying to change the rules of the election in ways that would increase voter fraud. His only comment addressing the question was at the end of his answer when he said, “And we have a free and fair election. We know we’re going to have confidence in it.”
In contrast, when asked what she and Biden would do if Trump and Pence refused to accept the election results, Harris repeatedly told people to vote - “We believe in the American people, we believe in our democracy, and here’s what I’d like to say to everybody. Vote, please vote, vote early, come up with a plan to vote, go to Iwillvote.com…Joe Biden on that stage [with Trump] said, Hey, just please vote. So I’ll repeat what Joe said. Please vote.”
(A full transcript of the debate is here, the discussion about the election starts at the 42:03 mark).
Vice President Pence and Senator Harris could have - and should have - reminded voters that voting by mail is safe and secure and that vote fraud almost never happens. As the New York Times wrote, “Studies have shown that all forms of voting fraud are extremely rare in the United States. A national study in 2016 found few credible allegations of fraudulent voting. A panel that Mr. Trump charged with investigating election corruption found no real evidence of fraud before he disbanded it in 2018.”
Elected officials and candidates should assure voters that their votes will be counted, the count will be fair and complete, and that the loser will accept the outcome. Those who participate in our electoral process have an ethical responsibility to that process. If our elected officials don’t have confidence in the process that brought them to power, why should the rest of us?