Well it was livelier than I thought it would be.  Governor Pence and Senator Kaine brought a fairly high-energy presentation and some very pointed attacks.

Mr. Pence won the debate on points largely because he seemed more presidential and was more in control.

According to ABC News, Senator Kaine interrupted Pence 70 times.

The governor interrupted the senator 40 times.

But there is no question that Mr. Kaine's demeanor hurt him.

PENCE: "He's employed tens of thousands of people in this country -"

KAINE: "(interrupts) And paid few taxes and lost a billion a year."

((EDIT))

PENCE: "She had a private server ..."

KAINE: "Now, I get to weigh in.  Now, let me just say this..."

((EDIT))

PENCE: "She had a Clinton Foundation accepting contributions from foreign governments and foreign -"

KAINE: "You are Donald Trump's apprentice.  Let me talk about this..."

PENCE: "Senator, I think I'm still on my time."

KAINE: "Well, I think -- isn't this a discussion?"

It was a discussion that got out of control and the moderator -- CBS News woman Elaine Quijano -- had a hard time containing things. 

PENCE: "Senator -"

QUIJANO: "Alright gentleman -"

PENCE: "He's going to release his tax returns when the audit is over ..."

QUIJANO: "... I need to ask you about Social Security ..."

KAINE: "Richard Nixon released tax returns when he was under audit."

QUIJANO: "Gentlemen.  Gentleman."

KAINE: "If you can't meet Nixon's standard ..."

QUIJANO: "The people at home cannot understand either one of you when you speak over each other."

What Ms. Quijano should have done is call a time out and explain to both candidates that only one speaks at a time.

She should have done this firmly -- that would have embarrassed the guys and it would have been an appropriate move.

The problem for both Kaine and Pence was that they had to defend mis-statements by their bosses.

I say mis-statements because both Secretary Clinton and Donald Trump have had to walk back stuff they've said.

No surprise when candidates speak as much as these two.  There will be mistakes.

Also, positions will be clarified.

But that doesn't seem to matter when politics are involved:

KAINE: "When Donald Trump says women should be punished or Mexicans are rapists and criminals ..."

PENCE: "I'm telling you ..."

KAINE: "... or John McCain is not a hero, he is showing you who he is."

PENCE: "Senator, you've whipped out that Mexican thing again.  He - look ..."

KAINE: "Can you defend it?"

PENCE: "There are criminal aliens in this country, Tim, who have come into this country illegally who are perpetrating violence and taking American lives."

KAINE: "You want to -- you want to use a big broad brush against Mexicans on that?"

PENCE: "He also said and many of them are good people.  You keep leaving that out of your quote." 

Too much time was spent going back and forth about what Clinton and Trump have said in the past.

PENCE: "If Donald Trump had said all of the things that you've said he said in the way you said he said them, he still wouldn't have a fraction of the insults that Hillary Clinton leveled when she said that half of our supporters were a basket of deplorables."

Those kinds of attacks take away from issues.

And it is here that Pence made some strong points.

PENCE: "Iraq has been overrun by ISIS, because Hillary Clinton failed to renegotiate ..."

KAINE: "Well, if you want to put more American troops in Iraq, you can propose that."

PENCE: "Hillary Clinton -- Hillary Clinton -- Hillary Clinton failed to renegotiate a status of forces agreement..."

KAINE: "No, that is incorrect.  That's incorrect."

PENCE: "And so we removed -- we removed all of our ..."

QUIJANO: "Gentlemen, we'll get to ..."

PENCE: "... troops from Iraq, and ISIS was able to be conjured up in that vacuum."

KAINE: "But I'd like to correct ..."

PENCE: "... and overrun vast areas of Iraq."

Despite Kaine's interruptions, what Pence said is true.

The Obama administration with Hillary Clinton as secretary of state failed to negotiate a deal that would have kept American troops in Iraq.

So when Mr. Obama pulled the troops out of there, ISIS quickly took advantage, leading to the catastrophe we have today.

Senator Kaine on the other hand did not seem interested in debating that reality.

He constantly went back to the personality game.

KAINE: "These guys have praised Vladimir Putin as a great leader.  How can they defend that?  (EDIT) He loves dictators.  He's got kind of a personal Mount Rushmore -- Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, Muammar Gadhafi and Saddam Hussein." 

It was only on the subject of abortion where there was some clarity.

Governor Pence is against most abortions, he is solidly pro-life.

Senator Kaine, who is Catholic, says he is personally against abortion but supports changing laws to make the procedure easier and to have all American taxpayers fund abortions.

PENCE: "I have appreciated the fact that you've supported the Hyde amendment, which bans the use of taxpayer funding for abortion in the past, but that's not Hillary Clinton's view.  People need to understand, we can come together as a nation.  We can create a culture of life. More and more young people today are embracing life because we know we are -- we're better for it."

((EDIT))

KAINE: "We can encourage people to support life.  Of course we can.  But why don't you trust women?  Why doesn't Donald Trump trust women to make this choice for themselves?"

Talking Points would like to make a personal comment to senator Karine.  How can you create a culture of life when you support abortion on demand for any reason at any time?

That permissive policy would do grave damage to the unborn.

Now the fact that Governor Pence was credible helped Donald Trump because he selected the governor.

But there are reports today that some in the Trump camp were disappointed that Governor Pence did not directly refute stuff like this.

KAINE: "I just want to talk about the tone that's set from the top.  Donald Trump during his campaign has called Mexicans rapists and criminals.  He's called women slobs, pigs, dogs, disgusting.  I don't like saying that in front of my wife and my mother."

Talking Points believes that kind of personal attack made Kaine look bad.

And Pence was wise to speak in support of Trump's policies and stay away from the swamp.

Please hear this clearly: Nobody wins in the swamp, nobody.

And Pence is smart enough to know that.

Summing up, many Trump supporters are feeling good today.  Their VP candidate came across as smart, responsible and articulate.

On the Democratic side Tim Kaine proved himself to be an aggressive campaigner but did not show the gravitas that Pence did.

And that's the memo.