Vice Presidential debates were never a thing until 1976. In the brief history of Veep debates, none has ever had an impact on the election outcome; not even in 1988 when Lloyd Bentsen reduced J Danforth Quayle to a puddle of goo. It was entertaining but had zero impact on the election result.
I have a hard time picking debate winners because I’m biased. Unless, that is, a candidate bombs. That did not happen last night. They weren’t any knock out punches or even any memorable lines. I give it to Walz on points, but Vance certainly performed better than his running mate in last month’s debate.
That fucking donut JD Vance came off as a normie for much of the evening, but when he was cornered, he either lied or ducked the question, which is what one would expect from a Yale educated lawyer. Vance is slick, Walz is not. That’s okay, Tim Walz knows who he is. JD Vance does not have the foggiest idea who or what he is. He blows with the wind and the prevailing breeze comes from Trump’s big fat bazoo.
Tim Walz did not get off to a good start. He was visibly nervous and a bit verbose for the first half hour of the debate. He is not a good counter puncher and blew some chances to slam Vance. But Walz closed strong, especially on abortion, health care, and democracy. That fucking donut JD Vance refused to say that Trump lost the 2020 election and made the preposterous claim that Trump saved the ACA. The arch-birther saved Obamacare? In a word: bullshit.
Vance was more on message but what a gloomy and depressing message: Immigrants are to blame for all our problems except those caused by Kamala Harris. Who knew that a Veep could be so powerful?
As the evening wore on, Vance’s slickness became grating in contrast to Walz’s sincerity. Vance tried faking sincerity, but it stopped working in the middle of the joint press appearance.
If Tim Walz were a cartoon character, he’d be Popeye:
If JD Vance were a cartoon character, he’d be a fast talking Wile E. Coyote, and like the Roadrunner’s nemesis, things kept blowing up in his face at the end of the debate:
Walz’s best moments came at the end with these exchanges as chronicled by MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin:
Gov. Walz to Vance: "Did he lose the 2020 election?"
Vance: "Tim, I'm focused on the future…"
Walz: "That is a damning non-answer."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 2, 2024
Gov. Walz: "He lost the election. This is not a debate. It's not anything anywhere other than in Donald Trump's world. Because look, when Mike Pence made that decision to certify that election, that's why Mike Pence isn't on the stage."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 2, 2024
Name dropping Mike Pence was a thing of beauty and helped Walz to a narrow victory after his wobbly start. Sincerity trumped slickness. Pun intended. It always is.
I remain convinced that this election will not be as close as most expect it to be. Pundits are like generals, always fighting the last war. I’m old enough to have lived through the 5 of 6 presidential elections lost by the Democrats from 1968-1988; four of which were blow-outs. We’ve had a lot of close elections this century, but my gut tells me this one will be different. I could be wrong, but Team Trump’s campaign is built on a rotten foundation of lies and bigotry. Like every other structure with a flimsy foundation, there’s a chance that the Trump campaign will collapse under the weight of its own malakatude.
Is that a prediction? Hell no, I stopped making predictions after the 2016 debacle but let’s just say that it’s more than a feeling.
The last word goes to Boston:
Oh god, I hope your gut is right!
Dems have over performed polls since Dobbs. I see no reason for that to change. My fingers are crossed.
Trump, unfortunately, still has people primed to react to his victory being “stolen”, even if it is a double digit loss. Those people I worry about.
My reason for agreeing with Adrastos is that news outlets and political polling outfits alike have no appreciation for women’s votes. Being told that your health care decisions are subject to the whim and veto of some old white guy in the state legislature isn’t a persuasive campaign message. Especially when said men have no understanding of women’s anatomy or how pregnancy works.
Reporters and pollsters alike seem determined not to talk Dobbs during the 2024 election. But as President Biden warned them, they’re going to hear from women in November.