J.D. Vance needed to play the nice guy. He was determined to soften the negative perceptions of his views and his character that have made him one of the most unpopular vice presidential nominees in US history.

Tim Walz didn’t need to play nice – because that’s pretty much who and what most Americans think he is. But that also meant the ever folksy, friendly Walz often missed the opportunity to skewer the Trump campaign and Vance’s record on that. The traditional “attack dog” role of a vice presidential candidate was kept on a very tight leash.