2016 Vice-Presidential Debate: on Principles & Values


Bill Weld: Trump's agenda is hurtful to America & the world

The Libertarian vice presidential candidate, William Weld, said that he plans to focus exclusively on blasting Donald Trump over the next five weeks, a strategic pivot aimed at denying Trump the White House and giving himself a key role in helping to rebuild the GOP. Weld's comments mark a major shift in his mission since he pledged at the Libertarian convention in May that he would remain a Libertarian for life and would do all he could to help elect his running mate, Gary Johnson.

While Weld insisted he still supports Johnson, he said he is now interested primarily in blocking Trump from winning the presidency. Weld said he is focusing on Trump because, while he disagrees with Hillary Clinton on fiscal and military issues, Trump's agenda is so objectionable it's "in a class by itself."

"Mr. Trump's proposals in the foreign policy area, including nuclear proliferation, tariffs, and free trade, would be so hurtful, domestically and in the world, that he has my full attention," Weld said.

Source: Boston Globe on 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate Oct 4, 2016

Donald Trump: A businessman, not a lifelong politician

PENCE: Hillary Clinton and Senator Kaine--God bless you for it--career public servants. That's great--Donald Trump is a businessman, not a career politician. He actually built a business. Those tax returns that came out publicly this week show that he faced some pretty tough times 20 years ago. But like virtually every other business, he used what's called net operating loss. We have a tax code that actually is designed to encourage entrepreneurship in this country.

KAINE: But why won't he release his tax returns?

PENCE: His tax returns showed he went through a very difficult time, but he used the tax code just the way it's supposed to be used. And he did it brilliantly.

KAINE: How do you know that? You haven't seen his tax returns.

PENCE: Because he's created a business that's worth billions of dollars today. This whole riff about people saying he didn't pay taxes for years--Donald Trump has created tens of thousands of jobs. And he's paid payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes...

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate Oct 4, 2016

Hillary Clinton: Led Methodist youth group as child

Q: Senator Kaine, on the campaign trail, you praised Secretary Clinton's character, including her commitment to public service, yet 60% of voters don't think she's trustworthy.

KAINE: Let me tell you why I trust Hillary Clinton. Here's what people should look at as they look at a public servant. Do they have a passion in their life that showed up before they were in public life? And have they held onto that passion throughout their life, regardless of whether they were in office or not, succeeding or failing? Hillary Clinton has that passion. From a time as a kid in a Methodist youth group in the suburbs of Chicago, she has been focused on serving others with a special focus on empowering families and kids. As a civil rights lawyer in the South, with the Children's Defense Fund, first lady of Arkansas and this country, senator, secretary of state, it's always been about putting others first. And that's a sharp contrast with Donald Trump.

Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University Oct 4, 2016

Mike Pence: Serve based on a lifetime of experience from small towns

I'm a small-town boy. I grew up with a cornfield in my backyard. My grandfather immigrated to this country when he was about my son's age. My mom and dad built everything that matters in a small town in Southern Indiana. They built a family and a good name & a business. And they raised a family. And I dreamed some day of representing my home town in Washington DC, but honestly, I never imagined I'd have the opportunity to be governor of the state that I love, let alone be in this kind of a position.

I would hope that if the responsibility ever fell to me in this role, that I would meet it with the way that I'm going to meet the responsibility should I be elected vice president. And that's to bring a lifetime of experience growing up in a small town, a lifetime where I've served in the Congress, where I've led a state that works, and whatever other responsibilities might follow from this, I would hope and, frankly, I would pray to be able to meet that moment with that lifetime of experience.

Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University Oct 4, 2016

Mike Pence: Clinton Foundation is platform for Clintons' world travel

PENCE: The Trump Foundation is non-profit. The Trump Foundation is a private family foundation. They give virtually every cent in the Trump Foundation to charitable causes. Less than ten cents on the dollar in the Clinton Foundation has gone to charitable causes. It has been a platform for the Clintons to travel the world, to have staff.

KAINE: The Clinton Foundation provides AIDS drugs to 11.5 million people. Hillary as secretary of state took no action to benefit the foundation. But let's compare this with the Trump organization. His sons have said that the organization has a lot of business dealings in Russia. And the Trump organization is not a non-profit. It's putting money into Donald Trump's pockets, whereas the Clinton Foundation is a non- profit and no Clinton family member draws any salary.

Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University Oct 4, 2016

Tim Kaine: I bring experience of service at all levels of government

Q: What about your qualities, your skills, and your temperament equip you to step into that role at a moment's notice?

A: Hillary told me why she asked me to be her running mate. She said, "The test of a Clinton administration will not be the signing of a bill or the passage of a bill. It'll be whether we can make somebody's life better, whether we can make a classroom better learning environment for schoolkids or teachers, whether we can make a safer--it's going to be about results." And she said to me, "You've been a missionary and a civil rights lawyer. You've been a city councilman and mayor. You've been a lieutenant governor and governor and now a US senator. I think you will help me figure out how to govern this nation so that we always keep in mind that the success of the administration is the difference we make in people's lives." And that's what I bring to the ticket, that experience having served at all levels of government.

Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University Oct 4, 2016

Tim Kaine: Faith in personal life, but First Amendment for nation

Q: You have been open about the role that faith has played in your lives-how do you balance your personal faith with public policy?

KAINE: Yeah, that's an easy one for me. I'm really fortunate. I grew up in a wonderful household with great Irish Catholic parents. I was educated by Jesuits at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. My 40th reunion is in 10 days. And I worked with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras, now nearly 35 years ago, and they were the heroes of my life. I try to practice my religion in a very devout way and follow the teachings of my church in my own personal life. But I don't believe in this nation, a First Amendment nation, where we don't raise any religion over the other, and we allow people to worship as they please, that the doctrines of any one religion should be mandated for everyone.

Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University Oct 4, 2016

Tim Kaine: Clinton Foundation helps millions as Trump lines his pockets

PENCE: The Trump Foundation is non-profit. The Trump Foundation is a private family foundation. They give virtually every cent in the Trump Foundation to charitable causes. Less than ten cents on the dollar in the Clinton Foundation has gone to charitable causes. It has been a platform for the Clintons to travel the world, to have staff.

KAINE: The Clinton Foundation provides AIDS drugs to 11.5 million people. Hillary as secretary of state took no action to benefit the foundation. But let's compare this with the Trump organization. His sons have said that the organization has a lot of business dealings in Russia. And the Trump organization is not a non-profit. It's putting money into Donald Trump's pockets, whereas the Clinton Foundation is a non- profit and no Clinton family member draws any salary.

Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University Oct 4, 2016

Tim Kaine: Run partisan, but after election, work with everyone

She worked across the aisle after 9/11 to get health benefits for the first responders who bravely went into the towers and into the Pentagon. She has a track record of working across the aisle to make things happen. I have the same track record. I was a governor of Virginia with two Republican houses. And in the Senate, I have good working relationships across the aisle. I think it's fine to be a Democrat or Republican or independent, but after Election Day, the goal is work together.
Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University Oct 4, 2016

Tim Kaine: Hillary apologized for "deplorables"; Trump never does

Clinton said something on the campaign trail, and the very next day, she said, you know what, I shouldn't have said that. Look for Trump apologizing to John McCain for saying he wasn't a hero to Trump apologizing for calling women slobs, pigs, dogs, disgusting. Did Trump apologize for taking after somebody in a Twitter war and making fun of her weight? Did he apologize for saying African-Americans are living in Hell? Did he apologize for saying Obama was not even a citizen of the US?
Source: 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate at Longwood University Oct 4, 2016

  • The above quotations are from Vice-Presidential Debate, Oct. 4, 2016, moderated by Elaine Quijano of CBS News.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Principles & Values.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Mike Pence on Principles & Values.
  • Click here for more quotes by Tim Kaine on Principles & Values.
2016 Presidential contenders on Principles & Values:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI)
Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Dec 09, 2018