We need a strong vice presidential debate

The vice presidential debate is just two days away and this election cycle it will be a much more important event than previous instances.

Both Joe Biden and President Trump are in their seventies. Biden has had multiple brain surgeries and Trump is battling COVID-19. We certainly hope for many more healthy years for both men but age and ailments could change things and that could mean that the vice president might have to assume the role of president.

We need the debate, to be held at the University of

Utah in Salt Lake City, to be a robust exchange of ideas and certainly not the untethered donnybrook we saw last week in Cleveland.

Wednesday, the moderator will be Susan Page, the Washington chief for USA today.

It is incumbent upon Page to maintain order during the affair — undoubtedly an easier task than Chris Wallace had — and press the candidates to answer the questions put before them.

We should get a concrete answer from Kamala Harris on what the campaign’s position is on fracking, mask mandates and how much, if any, of the Green New Deal the Biden administration would attempt to implement.

From Pence we will need answers on health care — is there a plan at all? — as well as specifics on the next steps to be embarked on to restore our previously thriving economy.

The Trump administration was all in on criminal justice reform and President Trump has been very vocal about his support for the First Step Act. Will the administration push for further reforms?

Sen. Harris has been very supportive of police reform measures, which have come to the fore since the killing of George Floyd. She should explain, in detail, those measures. Her background as the Attorney General of California gives her unique insight into the benefits and challenges of law enforcement reforms.

Both Pence and Harris are capable politicians. Pence showed in his 2016 debate with Tim Kaine that he was capable of needling his opponent and Kamala Harris demonstrated her ability to deliver a crippling attack on a debate opponent just months ago — just ask Joe Biden.

Both candidates need to have a clear vision on how to deal with China in the postCOVID-19 world. How will we disentangle our economy from China’s, (long term) and how do we ensure we have enough PPE and affiliated equipment produced domestically (short term)?

Will the Biden/Harris administration immediately return Obama-era regulations on Title 9 provisions struck down by Trump? Will the administration look to rekindle the Iran Nuclear Deal even in the wake of normalized relations between Israel and some Arab states of the Persian Gulf ?

In 2020, crime has skyrocketed in many major cities. What approach will the candidates take to stem the tide and reverse the trend?

Of course, both Harris and Pence will need to articulate a clear COVID-19 plan and explain how they would protect the country from other major outbreaks in the future.

This debate is likely the last in-person debate we’ll see this year. With President Trump quarantined and subsequent precautions planned, if those debates go on at all they will be remote.

Thus it is up to Pence and Harris to deliver a spirited exchange on Wednesday, and deliver a much-need conversation to the American people.