Oops: GOP Declares Mike Pence Winner of VP Debate Hours Before It Starts

The GOP prematurely declared Mike Pence the winner of Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, hours before it even started.

A post titled “Who Won the Vice Presidential Debate” appeared on the Republican National Committee’s website on Tuesday afternoon, claiming that Donald Trump’s running mate Mike Pence was the “clear winner” before the debate had begun.

The post was quickly removed, but an archived version can be seen here. The original link now redirects to an error page mocking Hillary Clinton.

Also Read: VP Debate Coverage Guide: How To Watch Mike Pence v Tim Kaine

“The other clear winner from tonight’s debate was Donald Trump,” the post read. “His running mate perfectly shared Trump’s vision to make America great again and that message is resonating with Americans all across the country.”

Other posts that appeared on the site concerning the debate between Pence and Democrat Tim Kaine included “5 Questions Tim Kaine Was NOT Asked,” “10 Things Voters Are Saying About the Debate” and “It’s Clear Who Lost the VP Debate, Hillary Clinton.” All have since been pulled down.

No one expected the debate to be particularly lively, but come on, GOP. Nothing is this predictable. Then again, it isn’t like Republicans are going to call Kaine the winner. Or like Democrats would ever call it for Pence.

Twitter users roundly mocked the GOP for the error:

https://twitter.com/Brazil201/status/783446151034990594

https://twitter.com/gawaragcha/status/783447898298003456

https://twitter.com/GossiTheDog/status/783451548496105472

In the spirit of the GOP site launching a "Who Won the VP Debate" page, we are declaring that our candidate Tim Kaine won the debate bigly

— The Democrat Machine (@DemocratMachine) October 4, 2016

How does the GOP know who won the debate before the Drudge online poll has even been released?? https://t.co/VI922SRK4N

— Justin Taylor (@between2worlds) October 4, 2016

View the now-unpublished GOP post below.

gop vp debate premature mike pence tim kaine

GOP.com

6 Weirdest Things About Trump's VP Running Mate Mike Pence (Photos)

From dubbing Disney movie "Mulan" as liberal propaganda to saying smoking doesn't kill, here are a few things that Mike Pence has done or said that's got us confused.
"Mulan"
Pence wrote an op-ed in 1999 decrying Disney's "Mulan" as the propaganda of a "mischievous liberal" aimed at supporting women in the military. "Many young men find many young women to be attractive sexually. Many young women find many young men to be attractive sexually. Put them together, in close quarters, for long periods of time, and things will get interesting," he bizarrely claimed. "Just like they eventually did for young Mulan. Moral of story: women in military, bad idea."

Disney
Towel charms
Ever been frustrated when you just can't figure out which bath towel is yours? Don't fear, Mike Pence's wife, Karen, has your back with her towel charms, which promise to solve all of your towel-induced woes. Since Pence was introduced as Trump's VP, however, the business has been "on hold," according to its website.

That's My Towel Charm Inc.
"Just IN"
Pence tried to launch a state-run news organization called "Just IN" that would only publish content written by Indiana's state communications office. Luckily it never came to fruition due to heavy backlash, but had it gone live, the outlet would have been funded by taxpayers.
Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images
Chili's and vampire children
There are a couple of things that people found fault with Pence's July 16 tweet: First of all, there is no Chili's restaurant in Manhattan. The closest are in New Jersey, Staten Island or Queens. Second, where is his daughter's reflection in the mirror? The Internet naturally concluded that she must be a vampire.
Mike Pence via Twitter
We are all like passengers on the Titanic
Pence penned a number of columns in the '90s, such as a piece on why the Titanic is a metaphor for modern America. "Like the passengers of the Titanic who gave no thought to the strength of the Irishmen who built their vessel at the Harland & Wolf shipyards in Belfast, so do we give no thought to the virtues of those who built our ship of state. And we, like they, do so at our peril."
mikepence.com
Smoking doesn't kill
Pence also apparently thought that smoking doesn't kill. "Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn’t kill," he wrote. "Those of you who find the tobacco deal acceptable should be warned as you sit, reading this magazine, sipping a cup of hot coffee with a hamburger on your mind for lunch. A government big enough to go after smokers is big enough to go after you."
mikepence.com

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From claiming smoking doesn’t kill to touting his wife’s towel charms, the Indiana governor has had his fair share of head-scratching moments

From dubbing Disney movie "Mulan" as liberal propaganda to saying smoking doesn't kill, here are a few things that Mike Pence has done or said that's got us confused.

View In Gallery

6 Weirdest Things About Trump's VP Running Mate Mike Pence (Photos)

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