The vice presidential debate between Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) featured far fewer fireworks than the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The two running mates lobbied most of their attacks against their rival presidential candidates, opting to refrain from attacking each other harshly.
But it was Vance’s smooth performance, pivoting away from his more pugnacious attacks that won him plaudits post-debate, as experts wondered where Walz’s famous Midwestern dad energy had gone.
In an interview with the Washington Examiner, GOP strategist Ford O’Connell said, “Vance turned in one of the best VP debate performances on record.”
“Some folks may not know J.D. Vance’s name before tonight, but they do after tonight,” he continued. “When it comes to Walz, look, he was nervous, and at times, he looked like a deer in the headlights.”
During the debate, there were no attacks from Walz about Vance’s “childless cat ladies” comments, his being “weird” or Vance undercutting the Minnesota governor’s record in the National Guard, a stark contrast from the Trump-Harris debate last month.
It was a sharp departure for Vance who has excoriated the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail, even at one point calling for Harris to “go to hell.”
One of the most controversial moments came when Vance pushed back against the moderators fact-checking him during the immigration portion of the debate.