The Hitchhiker's Guide to how the VP debate is sometimes more memorable than the presidential debates

It’s doubtful that this week’s statement betwixt Vice Presidential nominees Tim Walz and JD Vance volition bid rather the aforesaid attraction arsenic the statement betwixt the nominees: Vice President Harris and erstwhile President Trump. But historically, tilts betwixt the moving mates are often much pugilistic. A batch feistier. More amusive to watch. And sometimes, much memorable.

It’s hard to accidental wherefore the undercard tin beryllium much intriguing than the main event. But archetypal circular playoff games successful hockey are often amended matches than the Stanley Cup Finals. I’ve agelong asserted that the American League and National League Championship Series is mostly much competitory shot than what you acquisition during the World Series.

Perhaps it has thing to bash with the vice statesmanlike candidates introducing themselves to the audience. They simply aren’t arsenic good known.

"Who americium I? Why americium I here?," quipped precocious Rear Admiral James Stockdale erstwhile autarkic Presidential campaigner Ross Perot tapped him arsenic his 1992 moving mate.

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Stockdale’s folksy enactment instantly drew laughter and applause from the assemblage gathered that nighttime successful Atlanta.

"I’m not a politician. Everybody knows that. So don’t expect maine to usage the connection of the Washington insider," said Stockdale from his lectern wedged betwixt future President Clinton’s moving mate, then-Sen. Al Gore, D-Tenn., and Vice President Dan Quayle.

While Gore and Quayle quarreled, their verbal fusillades caromed backmost and distant successful beforehand of Stockdale. He was mostly a mute bystander. At 1 point, trying to get successful a connection edgewise, Stockdale abruptly blurted that helium felt similar helium was successful the "middle of a Ping-Pong" match.

Precedent suggests that the Vice Presidential statement betwixt Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance volition apt beryllium a much entertaining bout than the main lawsuit – its statesmanlike counterpart. (Getty Images)

Later successful the debate, moderator Hal Bruno of ABC News asked if mudslinging tactics were "necessary" successful the campaign. Stockdale replied helium didn’t perceive the question.

"I didn’t person my proceeding assistance turned on. Tell maine again," Stockdale requested of Bruno, again triggering howls from the audience.

Sometimes the VP candidates indispensable consciousness each different out.

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"The archetypal clip I ever met you was erstwhile you walked connected the signifier tonight," said then-Vice President Dick Cheney to erstwhile Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., past John Kerry’s moving mate astatine the 2004 VP debate.

Running mates sometimes effort to look much down-to-Earth than those astatine the apical of the ticket.

"Nice to conscionable ya," declared erstwhile Alaska Governor and 2008 VP nominee Sarah Palin (R) arsenic she shook the manus of then-Senator Biden connected signifier successful St. Louis. "Can I telephone you Joe?"

Vice Presidential candidates often effort to contiguous themselves arsenic much down-to-earth than their Presidential counterparts, arsenic good – lawsuit successful point: then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's folksy greeting of then-Delaware Sen. Joe Biden astatine their 2008 faceoff. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

"You tin telephone maine Joe," responded the aboriginal president with a smile.

Mr. Biden tried to exude an "aw, shucks," lunchpail personae successful the 2012 VP debate. He deployed laic connection erstwhile trading barbs with GOP VP nominee and aboriginal House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.

"When we look weak, our adversaries are much consenting to trial us. They’re much brazen successful their attacks," said Ryan.

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"With each owed respect, that’s a clump of a malarkey," countered the aboriginal President.

Palin tried the aforesaid thing, utilizing phrases similar "doggone it" and winking astatine the assemblage not once, but 4 times, to punctuate her responses.

Vice Presidential debates are often stocked with wry humor.

Wry wit is different staple of Vice Presidential standoffs, specified arsenic Al Gore's 1996 committedness to refrain from telling "warm and humorous stories astir chlorofluorocarbon abatement" should hostile Jack Kemp steer wide of sharing shot anecdotes. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

"If you won’t usage immoderate shot stories, I won’t archer immoderate of my lukewarm and humorous stories astir chlorofluorocarbon abatement," promised then-Vice President Gore during his statement with GOP VP nominee Jack Kemp successful 1996.

Gore was known for his views connected planetary warming and biology policy. A erstwhile congressman and Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Kemp besides starred astatine backmost for the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills successful the American Football League earlier it merged with the NFL.

A batch of radical would wage to beryllium a alert connected the partition during immoderate of the statement prep. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., has been playing Walz during the sessions with Vance. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has portrayed Vance during his rehearsals with Walz.

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But you don’t adjacent person to beryllium a alert connected the partition for these debates. Sometimes a alert conscionable shows up – and lands connected the caput of erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence. Such was the lawsuit erstwhile Pence debated Vice President Harris 4 years agone successful Salt Lake City.

But Vice Presidential debates bash turn testy.

Besides the fly, galore champion retrieve the 2020 Harris/Pence statement for the Vice President repeatedly declaring "I’m speaking," beseeching Pence to hold his turn.

The alert that landed connected then-Vice President Mike Pence's caput during his 2020 skirmish with then-California Sen. Kamala Harris was acold from the ugliest happening to transpire onstage that night. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Viewers besides retrieve Pence and Democratic VP nominee and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., talking each implicit 1 different during their 2016 debate.

In the archetypal televised VP statement successful Houston successful 1976, GOP Vice Presidential nominee and aboriginal Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., depicted World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam were "Democrat wars." He past added that "the pardon of Richard Nixon is down us. Watergate’s down us."

"I deliberation Sen. Dole has richly earned his estimation arsenic a hatchet antheral tonight," responded aboriginal Vice President and then-Sen. Walter Mondale, D-Minn.

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And aboriginal President George H.W. Bush drew the ire of pistillate voters erstwhile helium appeared to talk condescendingly to 1984 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, D-N.Y., – the archetypal pistillate to ever look connected a large enactment ticket.

"Let maine assistance you Miss Ferraro astir the quality betwixt Iran and the embassy successful Lebanon," said Bush.

"Let maine conscionable say, archetypal of all, that I astir resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing cognition that you person to thatch maine astir overseas policy," changeable backmost Ferraro.

Then-New York Rep. Geraldine Ferraro accused her Republican opponent, incumbent Vice President George H.W. Bush, of unnecessary condescension successful a spat implicit overseas argumentation astatine their 1984 debate. (Photo by © Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

The congresswoman noted she had served astir six years successful the House by that point.

But 1 zinger from a Vice Presidential statement is without question 1 of the champion lines successful the past of American politics.

During the 1988 campaign, the property corps and immoderate successful the nationalist jeered astatine Quayle arsenic Bush 41’s moving mate. His youthful looks and predominant verbal faux pas made Quayle look unprepared for the job. Quayle was 41 years aged astatine the time. But helium had already served astir 8 years successful the Senate and 4 successful the House. To compensate, Quayle often spun his younker successful the aforesaid mode that precocious President "Jack Kennedy" captured the imaginativeness of Americans.

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Compared to Quayle, 1988 Vice Presidential nominee and Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Tex., presented himself arsenic poised, stately and steady. Bentsen and his handlers were good alert of Quayle’s "Jack Kennedy" comparisons. And truthful during the statement successful Omaha, Neb., Bentsen waited for Quayle to bait his ain trap.

"I person acold much acquisition than galore others that sought the bureau of Vice President of this country. I person arsenic overmuch acquisition successful the Congress arsenic Jack Kennedy did erstwhile helium sought the presidency," said Quayle.

Bentsen pounced.

Democratic Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen's 1988 quip that Republican hostile Dan Quayle was "no Jack Kennedy" is commonly dubbed 1 of the astir memorable one-liners successful caller governmental history. (Photo by Steve Liss/Getty Images)

"I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a person of mine. Senator, you're nary Jack Kennedy," said Bentsen.

The auditorium erupted into hales of applause and shouts.

Quayle stewed, staring daggers astatine his Senate colleague.

"That was truly uncalled for, Senator," fumed Quayle.

Bentsen’s enactment has echoed for decades, lampooned connected everything from Saturday Night Live to 30 Rock.

Just 1 historical footnote. JFK and Bentsen ne'er served unneurotic successful the Senate. But they were members of the House during the aforesaid play successful the precocious 1940s and aboriginal 1950s.

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Running mates person 2 responsibilities. They indispensable show that they’re acceptable to measurement into the main job. And they aren’t expected to overshadow the existent nominee. Yet with vice statesmanlike debates, the one-liners often bash conscionable that.