Unlike the Presidential debate, I found the Vice Presidential debate to be a pleasant watch. While I disagreed personally with much of what Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance said, I appreciated the professionalism and respect he brought to the Republican Party. That being said, Tim Walz won the debate. Despite the pleasantries and respect that came from both sides, much of the same dangerous and divisive rhetoric remained. On many issues, Vance seemed to act sympathetic, yet failed to even acknowledge the real issues at play. His response to questions on Hurricane Helene and climate change was essentially “What should we do about it?”. He continued to say that we should reshore fossil fuel energy onto American soil, as if the source of climate change is because we allow China to produce fuel rather than domestically. Climate change happens whether fossil fuel is burned in China or if it’s burned in the United States.
On the issue of abortion, Vance sent a message that fell on deaf ears for me, and certainly will on many other Americans. He never said he would protect women’s reproductive rights or a woman’s right to choose. He mentioned a woman who he knew who needed to get an abortion, otherwise her life would have been destroyed. His response was just that the Republican Party needs to win back the trust of the American people. He did not say how this would be done. All he said was that Trump should be trusted on this issue. Walz said that he trusts women, and he trusts doctors. He seemed to be correctly putting issues where they should truly lie, with the interest of the American people.
Vance, Trump and the Republican Party’s agenda is to advance the interests of the Republican Party. To advance ideas held by a minority of Americans. On guns, the same Trump rhetoric came out, just in Vance’s more pleasant attitude as compared to that of Trump’s rambling, rude and abrasive speaking style. He blamed gun violence on the illegal obtaining of guns from “Kamala Harris’s open border.” Again, we are acting like Harris is directly responsible for the border situation. She is not. She is the Vice President. Kamala Harris does not control foreign policy. Biden does.
Both Vice Presidential candidates speak about how their job is to speak for the president, and work under the President’s vision. Yet, Vance, Trump and other Republicans do not seem to want to acknowledge this fact when it comes to Harris. Throughout this election, it has been nothing but lies and false rhetoric coming from the Republican Party, and despite the refreshingly pleasant demeanor, the same ideas were at play in this debate. Walz is only speaking for Kamala Harris. In doing so, he clearly communicated that he and by extension, Harris, is on the side of the people. On issues like climate change, abortion and guns, the majority of Americans agree with Harris and Walz. Simply by virtue of delivering arguments grounded within the reality of the situations America is in, and by telling the truth, Walz won the debate.