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On Tuesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance met for the first and only vice-presidential debate. YouTube
Both sides are encouraged that the debate was civil and respectful:
“Even amid the profound rancor and deep consequence of this political moment, it’s possible for Republicans and Democrats to exchange viewpoints with civility… While Vance seemed the stronger and more poised of the candidates, both men showed that personal insults and acrimony need not define an election. Considering the venom that defines hard-line supporters in both the Republican and Democratic parties today, the civility on display here deserves recognition…
“While they offered sharp words of critique against each other’s respective policy preferences, they did not allow it to define their exchanges. They focused on arguments of policy over attacks against personality. They focused on answering questions and rebutting each other’s arguments… For reminding the nation that a discussion of great issues with great consequences does not require great personal insults, Vance and Walz deserve our shared national thanks.”
Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner
“In a welcome shift from the recent presidential faceoff, the vice-presidential candidates maintained a measured and respectful tone throughout the evening. They didn’t bait each other with personal attacks but rather focused on policy…
“There were even moments of grace and generosity, with Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), for instance, expressing regret that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) son had witnessed a school shooting. The interaction showcased the type of leadership that has grown woefully unfamiliar in recent years. This more productive tone offers a bit of hope for the nation’s political future. It also gave Americans a chance to evaluate the two major party tickets on substance.”
Editorial Board, Washington Post
Other opinions below.
“When Vance provided a non sequitur rather than an answer on climate change, for example — ‘the best thing to do is to double down and invest in American workers and the American people’…
“[Walz could have] reminded listeners of Trump’s multiple phony promises to save or build American factories. And he could have made clear that the Biden administration really has made an enormous investment in green energy and has saved far more manufacturing jobs than the Trump administration could have imagined doing…
“[Walz also] sped so quickly through his criticism of Vance’s vile comments about Haitian immigrants as criminals and pet eaters that he failed to explain that Vance and his boss have tried to drain legal immigrants of their humanity. And he let Vance get away with falsely claiming he never supported a national abortion ban or, bizarrely, that Trump ‘salvaged Obamacare, which was doing disastrously until Donald Trump came along.’”
David Firestone, New York Times
“In fact, Trump attempted repeatedly to destroy Obamacare, without ever developing a replacement for it. When his efforts to repeal the law failed, he sabotaged it administratively, resulting in some three million Americans losing their health insurance. Walz was able to convey that the Democrats are the party of protecting Obamacare, but he could not come close to getting across the absurdity of Vance’s lie…
“Vance claimed Trump did nothing wrong in his coup attempt, because the attempt failed: ‘First of all, it’s really rich for Democratic leaders to say that Donald Trump is a unique threat to democracy when he peacefully gave over power on January the 20th.’ Walz finally reminded the audience Trump continues to falsely claim the election was stolen. He turned to Vance and asked, ‘Did he lose the 2020 election’? Vance replied, ‘Tim, I’m focused on the future.’ Walz turned back to the camera and said, ‘That is a damning non-answer.’”
Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine
“Vance was smooth, personable, fluent in the deep details of policy (yet capable of discussing it in a way that wasn’t boring or incoherent), and basically ran rings around a flustered, jittery Tim Walz… Vance’s most remarkable achievement tonight is that he single-handedly put flesh on the bones of Trumpism — if you hate Trumpism this could well terrify you — and for once made it seem like a governing program rather than a series of slogans.”
Jeffrey Blehar, National Review
“Gov. Walz was grossly outmatched. Even with both moderators helping him out, it wasn’t enough for him to compete with Sen. JD Vance. Vance was calm, cool, and sharp. He had good answers for the questions, knew his facts, and repeatedly hit on the right points, including the fact that Kamala Harris is the sitting vice president who claims to have all these great ideas to fix the problems in this country but, for whatever reason, isn’t.”
Matt Margolis, PJ Media
“[Vance] delivered the best answer that any Republican has ever given on climate change. ‘Our Democratic friends talk a lot about carbon emissions,’ Vance said, ‘this idea that carbon emissions drives all the climate change… Well, if you believe that, what would you want to do? The answer is that you’d want to restore as much American manufacturing as possible, and you’d want to produce as much energy as possible in the United States of America because we’re the cleanest economy in the entire world.’…
“He was articulate and even-keeled and showed a keen ability to explain the nuances of the Trump campaign’s policy platform in a manner easily accessible to voters while brilliantly dismantling the indefensible record of Vice President Kamala Harris, leaving a stumbling Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) thoroughly defeated. With his all-star performance, Vance has staked his claim as the future of the Republican Party, regardless of whether or not the Trump ticket is victorious in November.”
Jeremiah Poff, Washington Examiner
