So the consensus after the Vice Presidential debate last night was that Mike Pence won pretty easily. He was more in command of the issues and despite people criticizing him for how he defended Trump, the fact of the matter is, he did a far better job of making the case for Trump than Tim Kaine did a case for Hillary Clinton.

Pence was cool under pressure. He didn’t snap or get angry despite Tim Kaine’s constant interruptions and complaining. Granted, there were several times when Mike Pence failed to really answer the debate moderators questions, especially as it related to Trump and statements he has made in the past. But Kaine could never capitalize on that because he came off like such a smug, condescending jerk.

That said, Hillary chose wisely. Smug and condescending is one of her stronger traits and no matter what kind of effort Tim Kaine puts into it, he is never going to overshadow Hillary Clinton. It’s the reason why she didn’t choose somebody with a big personality. Some people were wondering if she might select Massachusetts Senator, Elizabeth Warren. Not a chance. Warren is a figure that would draw more headlines and more news than Clinton. She wanted the most milquetoast candidate she could find and she got that with Tim Kaine.

As for Mike Pence, he presents a bit of a problem for Donald Trump. A lot of Republicans, myself included, were left wondering during and after the debate, “Is there any way we can swap Mike Pence for Donald Trump as the candidate?”

It’s going to be the talk of the race (at least part of it) for the next couple of days. If there is one thing Trump hates, it’s to feel as though he’s not the most important person in the room. Combine that with so many voters last night thinking about

what could have been if there was somebody with the temperament, knowledge and political skill of Mike Pence going up against Hillary Clinton.

For whatever reason, I can envision Trump trying to tear down Pence is some way over the next week or so. It will be Trump’s way of telling Pence he’s still “the man.”

As for the race itself, this debate won’t have an effect on the race. It never does. People do not vote for President based on who the vice presidential nominee is. When it comes down to the general election, people are going to consider Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Their running mate will not factor into that decision. So don’t look for any poll shifts over the next few days based on this debate.

Pence won the debate but is not likely to matter in the long term scheme of things.