analysis
JD Vance surprised, Tim Walz was initially nervous: The US running mate both had strong and weak moments. Who scored points on which topics? Five insights from the TV duel.
Points win for JD Vance
While Kamala Harris made a better impression in the TV duel with Donald Trump, the debate between the vice presidential candidates went to JD Vance. The senator from Ohio appeared more confident, was more rhetorically skilled and also seemed better prepared in terms of content. Tim Walz, on the other hand, started off visibly nervous, often looked down to take notes and only became more confident as the debate progressed.
Vance pursued a clear strategy: no verbal attacks against Walz; repeatedly praising Donald Trump's achievements while at the same time blaming Harris for all the problems of the past four years. In contrast, Walz missed many opportunities to correct or counter Vance's attacks on Harris. Instead, the governor of Minnesota repeatedly pointed out how exemplary things are going in his state. However, the most important task of the vice presidential candidate is not to praise his own work, but to highlight the achievements of his presidential candidate. Walz succeeded in doing this too rarely.
Factual debate instead of exchanges of blows
In recent weeks, Vance and Walz have attacked each other with polemical criticism. Walz described Vance as a “weird” and “extreme guy.” Conversely, Vance accused the Minnesota governor of being a “radical leftist” with ties to communist China.
There was no sign of this in the TV duel. The debate was largely objective and fair. Vance in particular tried not to attack his counterpart personally, but rather to come across as friendly and empathetic. However, Vance always switched to attack when it came to Harris. He accused her of inflation, increased food prices and the significant increase in refugees who came into the country illegally. Vance barely mentioned incumbent President Joe Biden. The naturally friendly “Coach Walz” was too lulled by his opponent’s unexpectedly friendly appearance. He should have been tougher on Trump and Vance, especially on the issues of abortion and gun laws.
What topics were up for debate
Right at the start it was about Middle East politics. When asked whether they would support a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran and its nuclear facilities, both candidates answered evasively. Walz criticized Trump as “fickle.” As president, he turns to those who flatter him the most. In contrast, Vance emphasized that America had experienced stability in the four years of Trump's presidency. The weakness of the current US government is partly responsible for the many current wars and crises.
The topics of economics, inflation and immigration that are important to US citizens took up a lot of space. Here Vance was able to score points with striking, sometimes false, claims. On the other hand, Walz appeared more convincing on the topics of abortion, climate protection and gun laws.
Strongest moments and mistakes
Walz made the best impression when it came to Trump's behavior after losing the 2020 election and the storming of the Capitol on January 6th. While Vance answered evasively when asked whether he and Trump would challenge the election results again after a defeat, Walz demanded clearly: “The winner must be the winner.” And with a view to Trump's speech before the storming of the Capitol, he added: “A president's words have weight.”
However, Walz also made mistakes. At the beginning he confused Israel with Iran. And when he was confronted with the fact that he had not been following the Chinese massacre in Tiananmen Square in 1989 in Hong Kong, as claimed, but from Nebraska, Walz replied unconvincingly: “I misspoke.”
How important is the TV debate for the election outcome?
Normally, the TV debates between the vice-presidential candidates don't play a role. The presidential candidates are decisive for the outcome of the election. But this year a lot is different. Trump and Harris are tied in seven battleground states. And most likely there will not be another TV duel. In this respect, this TV duel between the vice-presidents could perhaps tip the scales for undecided voters. No matter how the election turns out on November 5th, Vance has qualified for Trump's political legacy through his convincing performance.
