Trump had ignored coronavirus, Kamala Harris at vice-presidential debate with Mike Pence

WASHINGTON, Oct 7: The vice-presidential debate between Republican Vice-President Mike Pence, a former radio talk show host who was active on the airwaves of Indiana long ago, and Senator Kamala Harris, an effective prosecutor and former Attorney General of California, on Wednesday evening (local time), moderated by Susan Page of USA Today at the University of Utah, centred on a wide gamut of issues like coronavirus, healthcare, taxes, climate change, supreme court nomination and foreign policy.

“The American people have witnessed the greatest failure of any presidential administration in our history,” her first opening line was a thunder. Later, about coronavirus, she asserted, “They knew what was happening and they didn’t tell you.” "He saw it coming, in his own words lately, but did not do anything," he denied the pandemic. About vaccine, she said if Dr Fauci or any other doctor says to take the vaccine, "I’ll take it, But if Donald Trump says to take it, I won’t," Harris said.

Harris was blunt when she accused Trump of not knowing anything about science. She said she picked up science lying around at home, her Indian mother was a medical researcher by profession. Her father is an economist grappling with egalitarian theories. And she herself is a an efficient lawyer by profession. No match! But she may be lacking in foreign policy background. But that did not show up, reeling out facts and figures, sometimes extempore, and she conducted well at that.

However, there were no satisfactory takes on several anticipated topics like court packing, Trump’s threat over peaceful transfer of power, Chinese relations and the President's tax evasion.

While an evasive Pence looked like one not hurting a fly (one was on his head) although social media carried caricatures of him holding a fly swatter, Harris put him on the mat over Americans dying like flies just because of the Trump administration's inability to take timely action when coronavirus spread like wildfire in the US. (During the debate, a fly landed on Vice-President Mike Pence's head and stayed put there for two minutes. (SEE PIC: TOP LEFT!) Four years ago, one landed on Hillary Clinton's head and she lost the election!)

They talked through plexiglass shields that separated them in view of the coronavirus epidemic. Especially as Mike Pence comes from White House, that has almost become a breeding ground for the virus with 20 staff, including President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump falling sick. But experts say plexiglass (acrylic) is no barrier for the pathogen. Pence had been tested negative but that is only an indicator at the time of the test. He was tested last week. Out of all places in the world, the virus is bombarding the most powerful and insulated White House, making it the worst infested and unsafe place on earth.

Pence is as mild as Biden. But he was facing an aggressive 'tiger' of Tamil origins. By all means the focus area could well be the pandemic. But that was not allowed to be. The official team could totally be defenceless as the House itself is on fire. It was not as much wild as everyone expected. At times smiling 'tiger' tore into an evasive Pence who preferred to move away onto other topics.