The vice presidential debate doesn’t matter. It never matters. And if you want proof, consider Lloyd Bentsen. In 1988, Bentsen scored the biggest knockout blow in the history of vice presidential debates, hitting Dan Quayle in a moment so vivid that it remains the most memorable moment of the entire campaign.

And what did Bentsen’s ticket get for it? Not only did Dukakis-Bentsen lose—they couldn’t even carry Bentsen’s home state.