GUEST COLUMN: VP Debate All About Top of Ticket: Adam Tiouririne with Bloomberg

It may have been the only Vice Presidential debate of 2016, but it was still all about the presidential candidates.

Mike Pence and Tim Kaine mentioned their own running mates by name 50 and 54 times, respectively – both breaking Joe Biden’s record of 48 Barack Obama mentions in the 2008 VP debate. The new record, featured as a top chart for more than a quarter-million Bloomberg Terminal users across the financial world, underscores Pence and Kaine’s shared challenge of defending their well-known and highly-unpopular presidential partners.

Of course, Pence and Kaine played offense as well as defense. Kaine attacked Trump’s Russian relationships, tax troubles, and colorful comments in 85 by-name mentions, shattering the previous record of 49 Bill Clinton mentions by then-VP Dan Quayle in 1992. Pence mentioned Hillary Clinton 62 times on Tuesday.

The combative back-and-forth resulted in long stretches where the candidates steamrolled – or outright ignored – debate moderator Elaine Quijano. Aside from Trump and Clinton, and even more than each other, Pence and Kaine’s most-mentioned person was “Elaine.”

For more, including the exact number of times Pence and Kaine mentioned Russia, taxes, and more, check out @Tiouririne on Twitter.