Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota engaged in a vice-presidential debate facilitated by CBS News.
The vice-presidential debate on Tuesday night between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz seemed to be a polite and reasonably controlled discussion about the topics that will be on the minds of American voters leading up to the election on November 5.
It differed from the two presidential debates held earlier this year.
During their more than ninety minutes on the CBS News stage in New York, the two men attacked each other's running mate far more often than they did each other.
After a rocky beginning, Walz found his footing when discussing abortion and the Capitol brawl.
However, Vance, a skilled public speaker, most likely benefited from the calm, policy-focused discussion that contained few political body blows.
In case Vance was chosen due to his ability to add intellectual substance to Trump's conservative populism, he also presented a courteous and modest image of them on Tuesday night.
He stated, "Something these guys do is make a lot of claims about all of these terrible consequences that will ensue if Donald Trump becomes president." However, Donald Trump was actually president. There was little inflation. Pay at home increased."
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The Republican candidate occasionally became irate about what he perceived to be unjust fact-checking by the two CBS moderators, and at one point, both of their microphones were momentarily silenced.
However, the conversations on stage were generally civil.
And there were other instances when the two men agreed on matters — and stated so.
As the evening was coming to an end, Walz said, "There's a lot of commonality here."
Vance was sincere in his concern when Walz mentioned that his 17-year-old had witnessed a shooting at a community facility.
"I hope he's doing okay and I apologize for that," he said. "Christ, please, it is terrible."
Friendly but occasionally tense
The debate's most heated arguments were in the conclusion when it came to Trump's unfounded allegations that the 2020 election was rigged against him.
When asked if Trump lost the previous presidential contest, Vance sidestepped the subject and criticized Kamala Harris for what he claimed to be censorship.
It was immediately observed by Walz as a "damning non-answer."
"To downplay the events of January 6, which marked the first attempt to rig an election by a US president or anybody else." This must end," he declared. "It is causing division in our nation."
Walz continued by saying that Mike Pence, the former vice president of Donald Trump, was not present on stage since he had verified the election of Joe Biden.
Vance refused to respond, emphasizing that despite his agreeable manner and affable demeanor, he would not deviate from Trump's stance.
Two distinct aesthetics
Walz and Vance brought different skill sets to the discussion. Vance has engaged in contentious television debates with reporters. On the campaign trail, Walz is comfortable contrasting more polished politicians with his rustic manner.
Vance was much more at ease during the first portion of this discussion, which took place in a television studio in New York City with both candidates positioned behind podiums. Despite Vice-President Kamala Harris's assurances, he consistently reminded the audience in his polished and on-point responses that Democrats had controlled the White House for the previous three and a half years.
Regarding the first topic, which was Tuesday's Iranian missile launch on Israel and whether the candidates would back an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran, Walz appeared hesitant and uncertain. The governor of Minnesota rarely discusses international affairs, and it was clear that he was uneasy talking about it.
- An overview of JD Vance
- An overview of Tim Walz
As the discussion progressed, the Democrat calmed in and both he and Vance delivered well-honed themes during their confrontations on immigration, a subject on which the Republicans are strong.
Vance refuted allegations that he spread untrue tales of dogs being stolen and eaten by Haitian immigrants in Ohio.
"The American citizens whose lives have been destroyed by Kamala Harris's border policies are the people I'm most concerned about in Springfield, Ohio," he stated.
Undocumented migration, according to Vance, strains municipal resources, raises costs and lowers salaries.
Walz cited Trump's earlier this year resistance to bipartisan immigration legislation that was introduced.
"While I think Senator Vance wants to find a solution, by supporting Donald Trump and refusing to collaborate, this just becomes a talking point, and at that point, we dehumanize and demonize other people."
When the conversation shifted to abortion rights, which polls show to be a Democratic stronghold, Vance played defense, admitting that Republicans needed to do more to win over American voters.
He declared, "I want the Republican Party to be pro-family in the truest sense of the word." "I want to see the financial burden of raising children reduced for mothers. We can take so many steps in the area of public policy to provide women with greater choices.
In response, Walz stated that the Democratic Party's stance on abortion is straightforward: "We support women." We support having the freedom to choose for yourself.
Walz was more adamant about abortion, but when the conversation shifted to gun control, he backed off.
Rather than supporting Democratic requests for assault weapon bans and other gun control measures, Walz promoted background checks after Vance stated that it was critical to bolster security in schools by making doors and windows "stronger."
As a congressman, Walz consistently supported gun rights and opposed numerous gun control initiatives, earning the admiration of the National Rifle Association, which supports firearms. He claimed during the debate that the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012 changed his opinion on gun regulation, but some Democrats could be upset that he did not question Vance further on Tuesday night.
How will this affect the race?
The history of American politics indicates that vice-presidential debates are essentially meaningless.
Democrat Lloyd Bentsen destroyed Republican Dan Quayle in 1988. A few months later, Quayle's ticket won by a wide margin, and he was sworn in as vice president.
It might turn out that the outcomes of November have nothing to do with this argument either. It will be the final opportunity for both parties to address the issue on a debate stage before Election Day unless a last-minute debate is announced.
Harris chose Walz because he didn't hurt the Democratic ticket and displayed some of his Midwestern charm.
However, Vance's impressive showing will probably help Republicans in the coming days.
Given his capacity to unmistakably pursue their ideological goals on the biggest platforms, the Ohio senator, who is barely forty, may also have a lasting effect on his party's members by persuading them that he has a future in national conservative politics.
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