Well, that was boring.
The 2020 VP debate has come and gone, and it wasn’t much of a show. Lots of deflection from Kamala Harris, lots of rote monotone and Zen calm from Mike Pence, and a fly on the wall Vice President’s hairdo. And no, we didn’t use that picture for our lead image, because we aren’t hacks.
Anyway, like we said: Boring.
The political debate props on offer were also less engaging than those for the first Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden a week ago, though we actually thought they were easier lines to study and hit.
Indeed, we were confident going into this thing that we’d come out on top, and we were just as confident that you would, too.
To that end, let’s see how we did:
2020 Vice President Debate Betting Results
What will Kamala Harris be wearing for the debate?
- Pants/Blazer -500
- Skirt/Dress +300
Winner: PANTS/BLAZER
We bet on “pants and a blazer all the way,” and there was never any doubt. Harris indeed wore her typical pantsuit to the 2020 VP debate.
What color will Kamala Harris’ blazer be?
- Black (any shade) +150
- Blue (any shade) +175
- Purple (any shade) +300
- Gray (any shade) +300
- White (any shade) +600
Winner: BLACK
We figured Harris would wear a black or gray blazer, and she wore a black one. We didn’t wager here, but if you picked black, you’re in the black! (Also, for MyBookie’s future reference, “any shade” of black also includes “any shade” of gray. But not this time, unfortunately for us.)
What color will Mike Pence’s tie be?
- Red (any shade) +125
- Blue (any shade) +150
- Green (any shade) +275
- Black (any shade) +325
Winner: RED
Usually, Pence wears a blue tie. But he wore a red one in the VP debate, and looked dang sharp, if we do say so ourselves. We didn’t wager on this debate prop, and as we were leaning “blue,” we’re glad we stayed away.
Will Mike Pence wear a striped tie?
- Yes -170
- No +130
Winner: NO
This is another one for which a Google image search offered no help, as Pence often wears both solid and striped neckwear. For the debate, however, he went solid – to reflect his solid performance, no doubt!
Will anyone be escorted out of the debate for not wearing a mask?
- No -900
- Yes +450
Winner: NO
At least, we don’t think so. Admittedly, we didn’t watch the debate in its entirety, as we were still recovering from Trump vs. Biden 1. Either way, we didn’t go on this particular bet, despite the nice payout on the “yes.”
How many times will Kamala Harris say “coronavirus”?
- Over 1.0 -170
- Under 1.0 +130
Winner: UNDER
Not one freaking time? Really? After all these lockdowns for a popular leftwing talking point that put the entire world on hold for a year, the VP candidate for the White House didn’t say the word even once? We took the over. FFS.
How many times will Kamala Harris say “COVID”?
- Over 3.5 -120
- Under 3.5 -120
Winner: UNDER
Again, not one freaking time. Really. FFS. Twice.
How many times will Mike Pence say “coronavirus”?
- Over 2.5 -120
- Under 2.5 -120
Winner: OVER
We advised taking the over, and Pence went way over, saying “coronavirus” nine total times in the VP debate. That negates our losses on the previous line, at least.
How many times will Mike Pence say “COVID”?
- Over 2.5 -120
- Under 2.5 -120
Winner: UNDER
Zero times. Zero. Sheesh. For what it’s worth, debate moderator Susan Page said “COVID” six times. But neither VP candidate so much as uttered the term. We lost this bet, and you probably did, too. If that’s because you listened to our advice, we’d apologize, but whose fault is that, really?
Will Kamala Harris say “China virus” or “Chinese virus”?
- No -2500
- Yes +700
Winner: NO
We graded this one “Not a chance in the world.” And we were right. But then we threw in a caveat banking on the probability that Pence would say the term and have Harris repeat it in dismissal. We wanted that +700 payout. We lost. Bah.
Will Mike Pence say “China virus” or “Chinese virus”?
- No -130
- Yes -110
Winner: NO
We told you it was a campaign theme. Because it is a campaign theme. And yet, we were losers on this one.
How many times will Mike Pence say “China”?
- Over 4.5 -145
- Under 4.5 +105
Winner: OVER
Pence cleared the O/U by 13.5, saying “China” 18 times in total. Finally, we get another notch in the win column!
Will Kamala Harris say “President Trump”?
- Yes -250
- No +170
Winner: YES
We reservedly bet the “yes” here, and it took 46:24 for Harris to finally say the name of he who shall not be named. Later, an hour and six minutes into the debate, she even said it again!
How many times will Kamala Harris say “Trump”?
- Over 5.5 -250
- Under 5.5 +170
Winner: OVER
We took the “way, way, way over” on this. Harris said “Trump” 35 times during the debate, so another rare win here for Team VEO.
How many times will Mike Pence say “Biden”?
- Over 3.5 -160
- Under 3.5 +120
Winner: OVER
Pence said “Biden” four times within the first six minutes of the debate. Then he said it a million more times. We won this one, and you probably did, too.
How many times will Kamala Harris say “mask”?
- Over 2.5 -160
- Under 2.5 +120
Winner: UNDER
We dubbed this prop “almost too easy.” Our emphasis should have been on the “almost” and not on the “easy,” because Harris only said “mask” one time. Maybe the left is growing more wary of the unpopularity of their mandated government uniforms…
How many times will Mike Pence say “mask”?
- Over 1.5 -140
- Under 1.5 +100
Winner: UNDER
We took the over here, just as above. And we lost here, just as above. Pence didn’t say the word a single time.
Who will say “mask” first?
- Kamala Harris -250
- Mike Pence +170
Winner: HARRIS
Our prediction verbatim: “Whichever VP candidate is asked about the coronavirus or national safety first will say ‘mask’ first. It’s that simple.” And it was that simple. Harris was asked first, and she said “mask” first. Because it was a 50-50 shot as to which candidate would get the COVID query first, we took the bigger payout on Pence. It was a good wager, but we didn’t hit.
Who will say “Trump” first?
- Mike Pence -120
- Kamala Harris -120
Winner: PENCE
We stayed away from this wager given its coin-flip pricing, but we reckoned as above that the first candidate to speak would be the first to say “Trump.” Harris went first, but she didn’t mention The Donald.
Who will say “police” first?
- Kamala Harris -350
- Mike Pence +225
Winner: HARRIS
We didn’t bet on this line, but Harris was the first to say “police,” nearly 70 minutes into the debate.
Will Kamala Harris say “racist”?
- Yes -220
- No +155
Winner: NO
We’ve never been more wrong. The word “racist” was uttered just once in the entire debate, and it was Mike Pence who said it, defending the US from accusations of “systemic racism.”
Wow, we suck at this.
While we just finished in the black for the first Trump-Biden debate, we managed to lose a bundle (or, more accurately, a bindle) on this Vice-Presidential yawn-fest.
Overall, we were 7-8, but we figured we’d go something like 10-5 at worst.
Hopefully, you made better bets than we did, and you learned some more political nuance to help you make sound wagers in the upcoming Trump vs. Biden rematch – if there is one.
The President has already bailed on a second “virtual” debate, as the Biden campaign is unwilling to face Trump in person, and Trump’s not doing the webcam thing.
Despite the guidance from the CDC that a live debate, slated to be held on October 15, would be perfectly safe – you know, despite the “science” – Team Biden doesn’t want another go-round with Trump.
They believe they won the first debate, and the betting odds show that gamblers do, too. There’s no health risk, but why take the political risk?
In fact, Biden’s betting odds went up after the VP debate, so there’s even less impetus for his campaign to entertain another in-person debate with Agent Orange. Pre-debate odds are in parentheses:
2020 Presidential Election Odds – Winner
Bovada:
- Joe Biden -190 (-175)
- Donald Trump +145 (+160)
- Mike Pence +3000 (+4000)
- Kamala Harris +5000 (-)
- Hillary Clinton +10000 (-)
BetOnline:
- Joe Biden -200 (-190)
- Donald Trump +170 (+160)
- Mike Pence +3300 (-)
- Kamala Harris +6600 (-)
- Jo Jorgensen +50000 (-)
- Hillary Clinton N/A (+15000)
- Michelle Obama N/A (+15000)
- Elizabeth Warren N/A (+25000)
MyBookie:
- Joe Biden -170 (-)
- Donald Trump +140 (+145)
- Kamala Harris +15000 (-)
- Mike Pence +10000 (+7500)
- Any Other Candidate +25000 (-)
Source: USA Today