Chethma De Mel, Jadetimes Staff
C. J. De Mel is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Entertainment News
Tuesday night's vice-presidential debate between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz offered a cool, measured discussion on key issues ahead of the 5 November election-a contrast in tenor from the more combative presidential debates earlier.
The debate, hosted by CBS News in New York, saw both candidates spend more time attacking their opponents' running mates than attacking each other. Walz fumbled his opening but gained his stride during exchanges on abortion and the riot in the Capitol. Vance was crisp and professional, sanguine in mapping out a courteous, approachable version of Trump's conservative populism.
Vance berated the idea of "doom and gloom" should Donald Trump get reelected, touting low inflation and higher take-home pay on Trump's watch. He did at moments take umbrage with the moderators' fact-checking and even when their microphones were briefly muted, but overall it was a friendly tone, as both candidates expressed similar views on several issues. Even Vance took offense in a concerned manner as Walz shared his son's tale of having to witness a shooting.
But the sharpest exchanges in the debate involved Trump's false claims about the 2020 election. Vance sidestepped a question about whether Trump lost the election, and Walz attacked the evasion as another example of divisive rhetoric he said is ripping the country apart.
Stylistically, Vance's silky, surefooted delivery was juxtaposed with Walz's far folksier approach. Whereas Vance did best when mindlessly staying on message, Walz fumbled with answers to questions on foreign policy, especially regarding a prospective Israeli preemptive strike on Iran. On issues of immigration and abortion, on the other hand, the Minnesota governor finally hit some of his stride, speaking of bipartisan cooperation in immigration reform and a pro-women stance on reproductive rights.
Walz, given past support for gun rights, took a more moderate tack on gun control, while Vance emphasized security within school premises rather than more stringent gun laws.
Civil in tone, the debate isn't likely to have much consequence for the overall election. Traditionally, vice-presidential debates rarely matter, as evidenced by 1988, when Democrat Lloyd Bentsen was seen as winning the debate, yet Republican Dan Quayle went on to become vice president. All the same, Vance's poise likely gives a boost to Republican morale and cements his status as an emerging player in national conservative politics.
While Walz was able to hold his own and flash moments of Midwestern charm, it is Vance's clear articulation of Republican priorities that could have more lasting impact inside his party.
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