Stephen Colbert recaps the Kaine-Pence VP debate, and he has a winner

Stephen Colbert recaps the 2016 VP debate

(Image credit: Late Show)

last updated 5 October 2016

Stephen Colbert's Late Show went on live right after the first and only vice presidential debate between Sen. Tim Kaine (D) and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R), and "man, was that vice exciting," Colbert said, surprised. "For those of you who missed the debate, I'll boil it down for you," he said. "Once upon a time there was a man who didn't release his taxes and a woman who didn't release her emails — and fight!"

"They say these vice presidential debates don't matter, and Hillary Clinton had better hope so," Colbert said. "Because both men tried their hardest, but it was like watching a loaf of white bread get pistol-whipped by a jar of mayonnaise: Not a lot of flavor, but there was a clear winner." He didn't specifically name Pence the winner, but that was the clear inference (as well as what the first poll said). Not that winning saved Pence from some barbs. "I gotta say, Pence had a pretty good night," Colbert said. "There were some surprising admissions from this cultural conservative," though, he added, cueing up an out-of-context line from Pence about getting down on his knees and an off-color joke about Vladimir Putin and Pence's own law allowing businesses to refuse service to LGBT customers: "Fair warning, Mike: Indiana businesses can now refuse to serve you."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.