"The vice presidential debate was livelier than I thought it would be. Governor Mike Pence and Senator Tim 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, while the governor interrupted the senator 40 times. There is no question that Mr. Kaine's demeanor hurt him. It was a discussion that got out of control and the moderator, Elaine Quijano of CBS News, had a hard time containing things. She should have called a time out to explain to both candidates that only one speaks at a time. The problem for both Kaine and Pence was that they had to defend mis-statements by their bosses. But too much time was spent going back and forth about what Clinton and Trump have said in the past. The fact is that Governor Pence was credible and helped Donald Trump because he selected the governor. Talking Points believes the personal attacks made Kaine look bad, and that Pence was wise to speak in support of Trump's policies while staying away from the swamp. Please hear this clearly: Nobody wins in the swamp, nobody. 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."

For more on the debate, The Factor welcomed political journalists Reid Wilson and Caitlin Huey-Burns. "We need to look at what happens next," Huey-Burns declared. "Mike Pence effectively cleaned up a bad week for the Trump campaign and he showed discipline. He provided a road map for Trump for the next debate and put pressure on Trump to perform better. Looking at all the reaction, Mike Pence won the debate." Wilson agreed that Governor Pence had an impressive performance. "A debate is a multi-day affair. The campaigns build up expectations and then the campaigns spin the results. The Trump campaign is doing well now promoting a very strong debut on the national stage by Mike Pence. The biggest winner last night was the 'Mike Pence for President in 2020' campaign!" The Factor concluded, "The folks got a look at a guy, Mike Pence, who could be president."

On Monday former Marine Sergeant Chad Robichaux asked Donald Trump a serious question about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Trump answered thoughtfully, but some Trump-haters and Hillary Clinton herself accused him of saying that strong people aren't affected by PTSD. Robichaux himself entered the No Spin Zone with his take on the controversy. "I was very privileged," he said, "to be able to ask such an important question about health care for veterans. I was satisfied with his answer - don't take my word for it and for sure don't take the media's word for it. Play it for yourself and come to your own conclusions. This is a very sacred issue and I hope Mr. Trump, if he becomes president, will surround himself with the great generals who were in that room." The Factor complained about "the exploitation of the issue that was used to attack Trump."

Why did Donald Trump finally decide to pull the trigger and run for the White House? The Factor put forth this original theory: "We believe that an incident on April 30, 2011 may have planted the seed. That was when President Obama mocked Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner for more than five minutes about the birther deal." At that dinner, with Donald Trump looking on awkwardly, President Obama joked about releasing his 'birth video.' He also ridiculed Trump by saying he could finally get back to issues that matter such as "did we fake the moon landing and what really happened in Roswell?" Finally, President Obama mocked Trump's TV show 'Celebrity Apprentice.'

The Factor ran the above theory past FNC analysts Katie Pavlich and Eboni Williams. "I think that certainly played a role," Pavlich said about the dinner, "but you also have to consider the timing. Donald Trump has talked about running for president since the 1980s, but this time he is in the position to see that people are angry with the Obama and Bush economies. 2016 gave him the opportunity to run as an outsider and against a weak candidate. There is no better payback than winning the White House and destroying President Obama's legacy." Williams agreed that the 2011 dinner may have provided Donald Trump with added impetus. "I think that was gasoline on an already burning oven. What Obama did to him in that room was brutal, Trump did not like it at all, and I think it was a male power play." The Factor insisted, "I don't know if he ever forgave that, he was put up as an object of derision."

Dennis Miller, currently visiting South Africa, checked in to report on his adventure. "I'm here wearing Ugg boots, a loin cloth, and a Factor Gear helmet," Miller quipped. "Did you ever think there would come a time where I would have to leave the United States and go to South Africa to escape racial tension? I'm hoping to see the big five here - the lion, the leopard, the rhino, the elephant, and the Bernie Sanders supporter who has two jobs, which is the rarest of breeds." Miller departed by aiming a poison verbal dart at Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson. "If you said to Johnson that Miller is abroad, he would say, 'Oh, I thought he was a guy.'"

Martin Cohen, Port St. Lucie, FL: "It's obvious after watching both debates that the Clinton strategy is to make this election all about Trump, bringing up his perceived shortcomings on a continuous basis."

Tom Calnan, Lansdowne, PA: "Bill, after last night's debate I still know nothing about either VP should they have to step in as our president. The debate was a waste of my time."

Liz Levy, Willowbrook, IL: "It is the abortion issue which will be the Trump/Pence ticket's undoing. The law of the land must be upheld."

If you want your arguments to be heard and considered, avoid the vitriol and bombast. Don't demonize your ideological opponents, engage them in a thoughtful way.