For me, it was meaningful. The saying that a VEEP is a heartbeat away from being president is truer today than it has ever been. After watching the debate, I found Pence to be much more Presidential than rude Kaine.
One in five veeps become presidents. Not to imply that there is anything important about who exactly is president. Eisenhower pretty well demonstrated that the government does not need a president, and 18 shutdowns since 1976, for periods up to three weeks, and the fact that nobody noticed, pretty much demonstrates that the country does not need a government.