Kaine, Pence Square Off Tuesday in Vice Presidential Debate

WASHINGTON — Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Mike Pence will have their moment in the spotlight Tuesday in Farmville, Virginia, site of the only vice-presidential debate of 2016.

This faceoff comes a week after the first of three presidential debates between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, a debate that energized Democrats and disappointed some Republicans.

Opinion polls in the wake of that debate gave a boost to Clinton and raised fresh questions about Trump’s temperament, particularly in the wake of several Tweets by him aimed at a former Miss Universe, Alicia Machado, who was targeted for gaining weight.

The first Clinton-Trump showdown drew a record television audience for a presidential debate, more than 80 million people tuned in.

The vice presidential debate between Kaine and Pence is likely to draw fewer viewers, if history is any guide.

The 2008 debate between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Sarah Palin drew nearly 70 million viewers, the largest audience for any vice presidential debate in history.