Democratic Party’s nominee for vice-president race Kamala Harris will collide with Republican Party’s rival candidate Mike Pence on a television debate on Wednesday, October 7.

The Brookings Institution regarded it as the most important vice-presidential debate ever. The 90-minute debate will take place at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Dominant topic of discussion could be Covid-19, and the Trump administration’s handling of it. Pence, 61, the current Vice President of US is in charge of the presidential task force on the pandemic, and he will be pressed to defend the administration’s response.

Kamala Harris, 51, the California senator and an aspirant to be the first female vice-president in history, will probably be asked about her record on criminal justice as attorney general of California, as well as her shifting positions on healthcare reform. She ran to the left of Joe Biden during the race for the presidential nomination, so Pence’s debate success may hinge on how well he is able to pin her more liberal views to Biden.

The fact that the president has been seriously ill has reminded the public they have the two oldest presidential candidates in history. Being first in the line of succession has never been more significant, and both debaters will be aware they have to deem themselves as fit for the tedious job of US Presidency.

The first debate between Trump and Biden was also so bereft of serious policy that some have said they’re hoping for a proper discussion about the vision for America being offered by each ticket.

It could even also be the final debate of the campaign, depending on whether the president recovers in time.

Debate organisers are aware that President Trump could have been contagious during the first debate, and potentially infected Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace (though both have tested negative so far), they want to make no mistakes this time.

The Commission on Presidential Debates has agreed to seat Kamala Harris and Mike Pence 12ft apart – up from 7ft at the presidential debate.

There will also be a glass shield around each candidate’s side of the stage to regard social distancing protocols, with no no more than 200 people on site.

Member of staff, the author is a Political Science alumna from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She keeps an eye out for issues of social justice, censorship and our changing political discourse. She can be reached at rabeeaqamar@thecorrespondent.pk

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