Tuesday's vice presidential debate will be best-remembered for Democrat Tim Kaine's constant interruptions and Republican Mike Pence's evasion of certain questions concerning Donald Trump.
During an exchange over abortion, however, both candidates expressed opinions that differed from their party's standard bearer.
Pence, a stalwart social conservative, responded to a question about abortion the way one would expect from a traditional Republican.
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He proclaimed his commitment to the "pro-life" cause and denounced Clinton for opposing a bill to bar partial birth abortion. He also spoke in religious terms aimed at Christian conservatives, many of whom have been distressed by the lack of piety at the top of the GOP ticket.
"(M)y faith informs my life," he said. "I try and spend a little time on my knees every day. But it all for me begins with cherishing the dignity, the worth, the value of every human life."
Trump's own position on abortion has changed and remained muddled throughout his campaign for president.
After years of saying he supported abortion rights — including hinting that he wouldn't support the partial abortion ban more than a decade ago — Trump declared himself pro-life during his presidential campaign and even said "there has to be some kind of punishment" when asked if there should be legal consequences for women who get abortions, a position that few anti-abortion politicians embrace.
Although Trump quickly backed away from that position, saying he had been misinterpreted, Clinton and Kaine are devoted to holding the GOP ticket to Trump's original statement
"(W)e don't think that women should be punished, as Donald Trump said they should, for making the decision to have an abortion," said Kaine last night.
Pence responded, "Donald Trump and I would never support legislation that punished women who made the heartbreaking choice to end a pregnancy," and upon further needling from Kaine on the issue, attributed Trump's original statement to him not being a "polished politician" like Kaine and Clinton.
The issue of abortion, however, is awkward for the Democratic ticket as well. Kaine, a devout Catholic, has said that he is personally opposed to abortion and has supported certain restrictions pushed by the anti-abortion movement. He has opposed the use of taxpayer funds for abortion, has voiced support for the ban on partial birth abortion and has supported laws requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions. Clinton differs from him on each of those issues.
As many other pro-choice Catholic candidates have done, Kaine said that while he was personally opposed to abortion, he could not impose his religious beliefs on others.
"(W)e really feel like you should live fully and with enthusiasm the commands of your faith. But it is not the role of the public servant to mandate that for everybody else," he said.
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