A vice-presidential debate between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz on Tuesday night seemed to remind everyone of how the whole election should be addressed, but so far, at least more notably than any of the presidential debates. Both candidates stuck to the major concerns of American voters, less personal rivalry, and more talk about the opponents’ running mates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
The refined orator Vance seemed a step ahead in this more controlled forum. He speaking got positively combative when it came to Trump’s presidency, citing low inflation and wages that he said increased with him as president. Walz turned to his rival’s attempts to undo the outcome of the 2020 election, including the riot at the Capitol as part of a national crisis.
The sharpest disagreements were over abortion, immigration, and false claims of the Trump election. The more interesting part of the debate, however, was the growth of Walz, who began a bit shaky but steadied by a long way by emphasizing differences in domestic policy-issues like abortion. On the other hand, Vance kept pounding away at failures of Democrats to what he described as Biden’s policies.
The argument helped point out the potential for Vance as a conservative star in the rising pool of conservative stars, and the ability of speaking populist ideas within the same breath he said those words while maintaining his head pretty composed. Walz positioned himself with his Midwestern roots and bipartisanship but shied away from actual inquiry on gun control issues.
Though such vice-presidential debates rarely alter election courses, Vance may have really secured his position in the Republican Party and marketed himself as a potential future leader.
