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Mahoning County political chairmen disagree on VP debate outcome
RELATED: Kaine attacks, Pence counters in only VP debate
YOUNGSTOWN
The lone vice-presidential candidate debate likely didn’t sway voters already backing the presidential nominees, Mahoning County Republican Party Chairman Mark Munroe said.
Meanwhile, county Democratic Party Chairman David Betras said GOP vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence did nothing to refute some of the outrageous statements Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said about women, Mexicans and Muslims. As he said after the Sept. 26 presidential debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Trump, Betras said Tuesday that he wonders if – like Trump – Pence is “living in an alternate reality.”
The comments came late Tuesday at the conclusion of the only debate that will occur between Pence and Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, at Longwood University in Farmville, Va.
“We have seen another debate that probably did little to change the minds of either Trump or Clinton supporters,” Munroe said. “Both sides scored points, but Pence came across as steady, reassuring and much more likable.”
In comparison, Munroe said, “Kaine seemed intent on interrupting a little too often, especially when [Democratic presidential nominee] Hillary [Clinton’s] problems were brought into focus. Pence was much more focused on policy; Kaine seemed stuck on Trump’s tax returns. On the serious issues, the edge goes to Pence.”
Betras said he “didn’t hear one scintilla of evidence” from Pence to refute previous statements from Trump that “all Mexicans are rapists and criminals,” that women are “fat pigs, dogs and slobs,” and that “women should be punished for having abortions. Donald Trump said those things, and Mike Pence couldn’t defend them.”
Actually, Trump didn’t use the word “all” when describing Mexicans, but has been strongly critical. He said on June 16, 2015, when announcing his candidacy, that when Mexico sends its people across the border, “they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Betras said Pence can’t defend Trump because the presidential nominee is “running a campaign based on misogyny, xenophobia, racism and bigotry.”
Betras also noted during the debate that Trump tweeted a false claim about Ohio voting.
The tweet read: “Ohio – absentee voting has started! A LOT of your neighbors have already voted, have you? Request your ballot” and gave a link to do so.
Except for absentee ballots sent to Americans overseas and in the military, none has been mailed to any other state residents. Those ballots will start to be mailed next Wednesday when early voting begins.
Trump is “so misinformed and ill-informed and disingenuous,” Betras said. “He’s disqualified to be president and commander-in-chief.”
Tracey Winbush, Trump’s Mahoning County campaign chairwoman and county Republican vice chairwoman, said of the debate: “Gov. Pence attempted to have an adult conversation, while Sen. Kaine insisted on having a 90-minute regurgitation of Clinton commercials.”
Winbush also said: “It is a disservice to the American voters to have a debate that is supposed to educate and inform them on issues that concern their future and allow it to become talk-radio entertainment. It shows the maturity of [Kaine’s] leadership.”
Ironically, Winbush is a talk-radio host.
Of the 29 statements fact-checked by Politifact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism organization, during the debate, two of them – both from Pence – were deemed “false.”
One was when Pence said that Clinton and Kaine are in favor of open borders, and the other was when Pence incorrectly claimed that only 10 percent of Clinton Foundation money goes to aid. Politifact checked this claim before and determined the foundation spends about 80 percent to 90 percent of its funds on programs, which is the industry standard.