Mike Pence emerged as the winner of Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate against Tim Kaine, according to a post-debate survey.
A CNN/ORC instant poll found that 48 percent of voters who watched the debate felt that Pence, the Republican governor from Indiana, did a better job while 42 percent thought Kaine, a Democratic senator from Virginia, was the victor.
“He was able to stick to policy. He is very affable, very genial — unlike Senator Tim Kaine (who) for whatever reason could not stop interrupting both Mike Pence and the female moderator,” Donald Trump presidential campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Wednesday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”
But despite giving Pence a narrow victory, 58 percent of voters who watched the debate thought Kaine did a better job in defending Hillary Clinton while only 38 percent said believed that Pence did a better job in backing Trump.
Throughout the debate, Pence dodged questions about Trump’s tax returns, comments he’s made about women and his immigration proposals.
When asked who won the debate, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said, “Donald Trump lost.”
“What I’m trying to say is that, you know, Governor Pence was smooth,” Podesta said. “He seemed sort of likable but he didn’t get the job done. The vice president’s job is to go in and try to defend the top of the ticket. Mike Pence looked like more like he was looking at 2020 than 2016. He kind of walked away. . . . He didn’t sound at all like what Donald Trump has been saying out on the campaign trail.”