2016 Campaign Watch

Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence was generally judged to have had a better debate last night than Democrat Tim Kaine, though it was hardly a knockout and few expect it to make much difference, at least based on most of the commentary that followed. Here’s how Bloomberg Politics described it:

Pence Succeeds in Debate Without Really Trying to Defend Trump

Calm and measured, Pence showed off his preparation for his vice-presidential showdown with Democrat Tim Kaine, fending off a slashing, interrupting ...

There doesn’t seem to be much doubt that Republican Donald Trump did not help himself last week. The question now, at least according to Politico, is whether he can turn things around:

Can Trump turn the page?

Barring a major shake-up coming out of Tuesday’s vice presidential debate between two low-wattage running mates and a mid-week Wikileaks release predicted by Trump confidant Roger Stone to be “the end of Clinton” actually coming to fruition, the Republican nominee’s next opportunity to dramatically change ...

It might not be the headline he sought, but CNN provides coverage of Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and his recent struggles:

Why is Gary Johnson still in the race?

Gary Johnson is trying to be a major figure on the world stage, and it doesn’t sound like he’s doing it for the company.

The Libertarian presidential nominee was asked by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews during a town hall forum to name his “favorite foreign leader.” Johnson began to restate the question, and Matthews interrupted: ...