Northeast Ohio Political Experts Break Down 2020 Vice-Presidential Debate

Vice President Mike Pence squared off against California Senator Kamala Harris last night in the first and only debate between the vice presidential candidates this election. It was held in Salt Lake City a just one week after a jarring and chaotic presidential debate hosted right here in Cleveland. 

In any other election year, voters would likely view the vice-presidential debate as an undercard but 2020 continues to defy at every turn.  This election year all eyes were on this event.  With the ages of the presidential candidates an area of concern, the focus is intense on both Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris.  Yet, neither candidate talked directly about the subject during the debate.

There were definitely interruptions, questions evaded or completely ignored and sharp retorts at times, but the candidates did deliver their points on the economy, healthcare, the courts and the pandemic during the 90-minute debate.

And perhaps the most memorable aspect of the night.  What was up with that fly??

We discuss the vice-presidential debate with our panel of experts.  There are two presidential debates remaining and the next one will be virtual with each candidate in separate locations.

Later in the program , four law professors along with the Open Society Justice Initiative have filed a complaint against the United States government over an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in June.  The order imposes steep sanctions and penalties for those who support the International Criminal Court or ICC located at The Hague.  The ICC has launched an investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan. The lawyers allege the president's executive order violates constitutional rights including freedom of speech.

We are more than six months into the COVID-19 pandemic and along with keeping ourselves safe and healthy, we fending off scammers and thieves looking to cash in on the turmoil unleashed by the virus.

The Federal Trade Commission says that it has fielded more than 200,000 complaints associated with the pandemic and that Americans have lost more than $145 million to fraud.  As the pandemic continues, the FTC warns that the scammers will be adjusting and fine-tuning their methods to keep pace with current events.

For More Information:

FTC Consumer Information Page

• Tom Sutton, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, Baldwin Wallace University
• Kathryn Lavelle, Ph.D., Professor in World Affairs, Case Western Reserve University 
• Matt Cox, Founder, President, Capitol Partners 
• Milena Sterio, Professor of Law and Associate Dean at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law 
• Jon Miller Steiger, Director, East Central Region, Federal Trade Commission