Who won the vice presidential debate?

Governor Mike Pence did not change the underlying dynamics of the campaign Tuesday night, but he did provide a significant service to Donald Trump: he gave fresh heart to Trump supporters and may have stopped the downward spiral of their campaign.

Democrats and many journalists argue that Pence succeeded only by throwing Trump under the bus, refusing to defend his boss from repeated attacks. But they miss the point: voters rarely scrutinize debates line-by-line, instead making their judgments on the overall tone and performance of a candidate. Pence will not fare well with fact checkers, but his poise and polish played well with voters. For better or worse, style counts a lot in these debates.

Tim Kaine had a much sharper mastery of policy but was forced to play attack dog, a role that doesn't fit his personality. His frequent interruptions didn't help, either -- he seemed less Rottweiler than fox terrier. And by the way, who screwed up his camera angle, so that he was often looking off into space instead of talking directly to viewers? That wasn't fair to him or the audience.

With a CNN poll showing a Pence victory, Republicans finally have reason to cheer again. Trump himself should see how much preparation paid off for his running mate. But now it is up to the candidate to show he can win at this game, too: the upcoming debate this Sunday in St. Louis is make or break for Trump.

Sally Kohn: Mike Pence is living on an alternate planet

Well it turns out, if you refuse to acknowledge any of the horrible things that Donald Trump has actually said, then it's pretty easy to defend him.

This was the main takeaway from the vice presidential debate. Over and over again, Democratic VP nominee Tim Kaine tried valiantly to hold Republican Mike Pence accountable for the misogynistic, xenophobic, anti-Muslim, pro-Putin things that his running mate Donald Trump has said. And over and over again, Pence acted like Kaine was not only making these things up but, in so doing, actually perpetrating a campaign of insults simply by repeating the things that Donald Trump had said yet Mike Pence refused to acknowledge. I'm pretty impressed that Kaine's head didn't explode. Mine certainly came close.

I don't know how you debate someone who seems to have encamped himself on a different planet. Yet to his credit, Mike Pence dished out his flurry of lies with calm confidence -- while Tim Kaine, the truth-teller, came off as ruffled.

In a moment in American media and political history where the very existence let alone definition of "facts" seems worryingly debatable, I pray that the American people can still tell the difference. Or else I pray that not that many people were watching — and that the morning-after media will do its job of fact checking Pence for his downright lies and thus the impression most voters will walk away will be one closer to -- well, fact.

Donald Trump has praised Putin. Donald Trump has said it might not be a bad thing if more countries get nuclear weapons. Donald Trump has said we shouldinstitute a temporary ban to prevent Muslims from entering the United States. And Donald Trump has said Mexico was sending immigrants who are "rapists" andcalled women "fat pigs" and "dogs." No amount of vigorous head shaking on the part of his running mate changes this. Donald Trump has said he would round up and deport every single undocumented immigrant in the country using a "deportation force."

Facts are facts. We have literal recordings and transcripts.

But if anything, the VP debate tests the relevance of facts in this election. Donald Trump and Mike Pence's strategy seems to be to repeat lies often enough to convince 51% of voters that they're the truth. And unfortunately, what actually is true doesn't matter as much as what voters believe to be true. Donald Trump has already bent the electoral process, the media and the boundaries of basic civility to his whims. He may now bend the concept of fact as well. Certainly, his loyal running mate is trying.