Final, final thought: if I could, I would write a piece tomorrow about understanding Pence through the DARVO model of abuse--particularly the "reverse victim and offender" element. As in, when Pence said to Harris "You're playing politics with people's lives." Pot meet kettle.

(The denial and attack elements are par for the course in a debate. But the gaslighting by Pence tonight was real and deeply troubling. And, of course, deeply of a piece with Trump's standard playbook.)

A crucial strategy Pence employed tonight was sounding as calm and confident as possible while repeating brazen lies--about the President's deep respect for the military, for example. It trips you up, and makes you feel for a second that it must be true. Otherwise how so certain?

It makes you feel--again, for a second--crazy for repeating to yourself what you know, e.g., that Trump actually called veterans losers, and wondered out loud what was in it for them. This is gaslighting 101, and it's epistemically destabilizing effects are well-documented.