For 90 minutes Tuesday night, the media spotlight will be aimed squarely at Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, the Republican and Democratic vice presidential candidates. And, unless one of them makes a colossal mistake during their debate, it will probably be the last time either candidate gets much national TV attention this year.
According to MRC’s ongoing tracking, Pence has received just over 42 minutes of coverage on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts since he was picked as Donald Trump’s running mate on July 14. Most of that coverage (31 minutes) came in July, immediately before and during the Republican convention.
In August, Pence received a mere eight minutes of TV news airtime; in September, that figure dwindled to just over three minutes of coverage.
The same pattern is true for Kaine, who has received just under 36 minutes of coverage since his selection on July 22, most (26 minutes, 30 seconds) immediately before and during the Democratic convention. Like Pence, Kaine virtually disappeared from the evening news in August (3 minutes, 37 seconds) and September (5 minutes, 40 seconds).
Compare that to how the networks covered the top of the ticket: during the past three months, GOP candidate Donald Trump was the focus of nearly 817 minutes (or more than 13 and a half hours) of evening news coverage, while Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton received 549 minutes (or just under 10 hours) of airtime.
In the past, the networks have given heavy coverage to GOP running mates they deem controversial, such as Dan Quayle in 1988 or Sarah Palin in 2008, while overlooking the various gaffes and blunders of Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden.
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This year, the networks are giving the Quayle-Palin treatment to the top of the ticket, pummeling Trump for one controversy after another. Exhibit A was last week’s debate, when moderator Lester Holt hit Trump on his tax returns, his birther theories, and his claim to have opposed the Iraq war — but offered only a single, mild question to Clinton on her e-mail scandal.
At the debate tonight, watch for both Pence and Kaine to be repeatedly asked about the GOP presidential candidate’s controversial comments, with little or no time spent on Hillary Clinton’s various scandals.
Then, assuming no major debacles, both Veep candidates will essentially disappear from your TV screens for the rest of the campaign.
