It was not at all a good night for Tim Kaine. As Caleb Howe discusses here, Pence won the night handily due to his keeping steady on talking about the issues, and using biting wit when necessary.

There’s simply no question about it. Pence seemed calmer, he was more prepared to discuss his own policy views and get into details than Kaine was, and less interested in simply bashing the opponent’s running mate. Pence had several great lines. Possibly the best was when he blasted Kain’s cheap shot, saying “that’s beneath even you and Hillary.”

Kaine often came off as insecure, and unable to best Pence. This was best seen by the way Kaine wouldn’t let Pence speak for too long without having to chime in. According to the GOP, Kaine interrupted Pence a total of 72 times. In fact, the GOP decided to prove it by creating a video that showed Kaine’s inability to keep his mouth shut when it was Pence’s turn to speak.

Kaine’s performance will definitely be a hit to the campaign, but the way Pence handled himself won’t necessarily reflect well on Trump either. In the end, it will likely reflect well on Pence, who will have generated a standalone reputation for himself, being such an opposite of his boss.