((NARRATOR))
Could the vice-presidential debate have been the final debate of 2020? 

(Mitchell McKinney, Communication Professor, University of Missouri)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype)) 
“I think there will be another debate.” 

((NARRATOR)) 
Halfway through the four scheduled debates, the quadrennial campaign ritual is on hold.  

After President Donald Trump’s COVID diagnosis, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced the next presidential debate on Thursday October 15 — planned as a town hall event with undecided voters asking their questions — would be held virtually for pandemic safety reasons. 

((Mitchell McKinney, Communication Professor, University of Missouri)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype)) 
“If we could go forward with the virtual town hall, I think it would be so symbolic, emblematic of what the nation is doing.” 

((NARRATOR))
President Trump told Fox Business News he was not going to waste his time on a virtual debate, calling it “ridiculous.” 

((Karrin Vasby Anderson, Communications Studies Professor, Colorado State University)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype)) 
“If it's on Zoom and his mic(rophone) is cut, then he can raise his voice and keep speaking as much as possible, but it is technologically possible to silence him. In any face to face context, you can cut his mic, but if he's speaking up, it's going to be picked up by Biden's mic. 

((NARRATOR))
The announcement of a virtual debate and President Trump’s dismissal of it came less than 12 hours after Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris met in the year’s only vice-presidential debate.  

((Karrin Vasby Anderson, Communications Studies Professor, Colorado State University)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype)) 
“So did Pence kind of bolster Trump's appeal and what Trump has been saying about these various issues? And did Harris project a consistent message, message that was consistent with Biden? Yes, they both absolutely did that.” 

((Mitchell McKinney, Communication Professor, University of Missouri)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype)) 
“There were two starkly different narratives developed by these two candidates. One is, ‘Boy, these four years have been, you know, wonderful under the leadership of Donald Trump. And if not for Donald Trump it would just be much worse.’ And all of the right things, even on the coronavirus and on. And then of course you know her prosecuting the record of what, at one point what did she say on the coronavirus? ‘This is the worst debacle in the history of the presidency and doesn't deserve four more years.’ So, we had those two contrasting images of narratives.”

((NARRATOR)) 
Analysts saw a recurring theme from the debate performances of Trump and Pence: ignoring the moderator and breaking rules. 
((Karrin Vasby Anderson, Communications Studies Professor, Colorado State University)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype)) 
“As we got into the debate, he made it clear that he thought that it was his role to decide how long he spoke, when he spoke, what he spoke about. So, he he wrested authority that had been rooted in the moderator who happened to be a woman moderating this debate. And and in fact, as the debate went on, he took the initiative to try to get Senator Harris to answer his questions, that had not been posed by the moderator. So, he made it very clear that he thought that it was his role to be the authoritative presence in that debate.” 

((Mitchell McKinney, Communication Professor, University of Missouri)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype)) 
“I do think that maybe Mike Pence took advantage in a way of, ‘OK, you know, I'm winning this battle. I'm I’m ignoring the rules, I’m breaking the rules.  

((Susan Page, Moderator “I did not make the rules for tonight”))

((Mitchell McKinney, Communication Professor, University of Missouri)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype)) 
"She's she's kind of pleaded with me. I'm just going to. I'm just going to continue doing it.’ And then she sort of after a while, just sort of gave it up.” 

((NARRATOR))
The scheduled town hall debate on October 15th will not take place. 
Former Vice President Joe Biden has already scheduled a televised event that night, taking questions from voters. 
President Trump has indicated he wants to hold a live event that evening as well.   
The final presidential debate is scheduled for October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Trump campaign is pressing for another debate on October 29. 

Steve Redisch, VOA News, Washington.