Here is a video of the entire debate.
I thought both men performed competently. I did not listen to it live. So I heard the press reports before I listened to the debate. After I listen to the debate, I wondered what those reporters watched. Hence, I encourage everyone to listen to the video.
Kaine did interrupt Pence quite a bit. Why? He was probably both trying to throw Pence off stride and cover up his words. I thought the moderator, however, did a relatively decent job. She asked pertinent questions, and she let both men answer without trying to “fact check.”
Kaine focused on Donald Trump. He tried to make a long string of out context quotes and Trump’s taxes the issue. Pence did not take the bait. He focused on issues and Clinton’s record. He defended Trump, but he did not waste his time trying to answer every charge. So he won on substance.
Citizen Tom 
I thought it was funny when he made that joke about his biggest challenge with Catholicism was opposition to the death penalty. It made me chuckle.
I thought that odd as well Stephen. I didn’t buy Kaine’s answer on that issue either. As governor, Kaine was not just allowing something lawful that he admits runs counter to his faith. He was actively participating in an execution system that Kaine had the authority to stop. And Kaine could have run for governor standing on that principle (even though it may have cost him the election).
That said, I can understand how is not easy to be a perfectly principled Catholic politician, no matter which political party you call home. An uncompromisingly principled politician is not just scarce – it’s an oxymoron.
Ad given the fact that it is expensive and inefficient to execute people these days, he could have not run the state budget into the red at least in that regard.
As to Catholic politicians, there is a party though. We are just told, year after year, that one of the major party’s represents us. Now there is one that does.
http://www.aspva.wordpress.com
http://www.solidarity-party.org
Stephen,
On the sites you gave, interesting. I’m a little leery of anything that calls itself “The Christian Democratic Party” given the many xenophobic right wing nationalist variants of that name that have been and are out there around the world. But I will try to get past the label and look into it. Thanks.
It is more in the strain of the Christian democratic movements like OVP in Austria who’s political ancestor fought Hitler.
As to the xenophobia, I was also wary of it for the same reason. Yet, our positions are race relations mirror that of great Americans like Martin Luther King Jr. and the moral censure of good philosophy and religion like the founders intended us to be.
Joke, well sort of. The man is definitively selective about whose life he cares for. His running mate wants to use tax payer dollars to murder the innocent.
I too thought both men did a good job. Tim Kaine did a good job of running for Vice President by defending his running mate and attacking the record and policies of Trump, which is the main role of VP nominees in these things. Pence did a good job of running for President in 2016, but he did not do Trump any favors for several reasons. First of all, he did not even try to defend Trump on the several resonating criticisms that are rapidly sinking the Trump presidency. Secondly, he stated a completely opposite foreign policy on Russia and Syria than Trump (a more sane policy) which will leave Trump to try and explain the changes and differences in the next debate. Thirdly, Pence’s more unflustered Presidential composure, grasp of the issues and policies, and obvious moral centering makes Trump’s recent irratatic debate performance pale by comparison, and, given his deficiencies in all these areas, will set an impssiblly high bar for Trump in the next debate. Should be fun.
Pence told serveral lies for which there is tape to show demonstrable falsehood, but compared to his running mate, who provably lies about every few minutes, Pence seemed like the height of factuality. I know, the press (and reality) are just biased against Republicans this year. 😭
https://citizentom.com/2016/10/06/case-study-of-a-lie-the-post-modern-muckraker-at-work/