According to CNN’s instant (scentific) poll of debate watchers, 48 percent said that Mike Pence won, while 42 percent said Tim Kaine won. That seems about right to me. Pence was better than Kaine on both substance and style.

Pence was smooth, while Kaine appeared agitated when he interrupted and awkward when he recited cheesy lines about Pence being Trump’s “apprentice” or talked about how Hillary Clinton would be a “you’re hired” president, while Trump would be a “you’re fired” president. Much of the debate was conducted along normal ideological and partisan lines, and that ought to be a recipe for Republican victory in 2016.