Possible Fireworks At Vice Presidential Debate? Expert Weighs In
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NORTH TEXAS (CBS11) - Many people are wondering if Tuesday night's one and only vice presidential debate will be filled with political fireworks or be a dud.
Republican VP nominee Mike Pence, Indiana's Governor, and Democratic VP nominee Tim Kaine, a Senator from Virginia, would love to score a knockout during their debate at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.
But many analysts believe that won't happen.
Scott Herndon, the Director of Debate at UT Dallas, said he doesn't expect a fiery face-off.
"They're kind of more meat and potatoes, not great primetime television. While everyone will look for the knockout blow kind of moment, I'm sure everybody has the zingers prepared for the right circumstance, it's just not the temperament for either of them," said Herndon.
Look for Kaine to make Donald Trump and his controversial comments the focus of the debate.
That will force Pence to defend Trump, but then pivot to the issues where Trump has done well in the polls: the economy and trade.
Many analysts also believe Pence will also try to sharply criticize Hillary Clinton, and her email troubles and the Clinton Foundation, topics Trump never fully discussed or mentioned during their debate last week.
Both Pence and Kaine are experienced debaters who spent a lot of time preparing.
Herndon said each of them has a different way of winning tonight's debate.
"A win for Pence is one where he really leaves people thinking about the policy side of what Trump says and a few knocks at Hillary," said Herndon. "I think a win for Kaine is holding his ground, riding coat-tails of the last debate."
As the debate airs, Trump says he'll be tweeting comments.
Even if there is a winner Tuesday night, most analysts say historically, the vice presidential debates haven't had much impact on the presidential race.
Since the first debate, Clinton has now jumped ahead slightly in four key battleground states that Trump was leading last week: Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, and Nevada.
Trump and Clinton go head-to-head for the second time at Washington University in St. Louis Sunday evening.
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