James Morrow: JD Vance wipes the floor with ‘knucklehead’ Tim Walz in first and only VP debate

Vice presidential debates are normally pretty boring affairs. This one was different. And it revealed JD Vance as something of a star orator. A flustered Tim Walz was outplayed.

ANALYSIS:

It’s safe to say the joy is gone from the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign.

Because while vice presidential debates are normally pretty boring affairs, watched by only the most dire political tragics, this one was different.

The matchup between Republican JD Vance, loathed ­in the press for his comments about “cat ladies” and Democrat Tim Walz, who was plucked from obscurity to become the last minute Democrat running mate, did two things.

One, it gave viewers a shockingly cordial debate that stayed mostly around the issues – even if those issues seemed to be selected to tilt the tables towards Walz.

And two, it revealed JD Vance as something of a star orator, with most commentators handing him the win.

The US vice presidential debate plays on bar televisions within blocks of the CBS Broadcast Center on October 1, 2024 in New York City as JD Vance, left, faces Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Pictur: Getty Images

In the generally Democrat-friendly Washington Post’s instant poll, twice as many viewers said Vance performed better than Walz as the other way around.

Republican pollster Frank Luntz said that by the first ad break, his live focus group said Vance was winning by a margin of 10 to three – a big deal when only five members of the group were leaning Trump at the start of the showdown.

J.D. Vance gestures as he speaks to a Fox News reporter in the spin room after participating in the debate. Picture: AFP

Vance, who had been tarred in the media as some sort of wild-eyed radical right winger came across as measured, thoughtful, and gracious – while at the same time never taking a back foot.

In one of the most impressive moments of the debate, Vance fact checked the fact checkers, stopping the moderators from moving on after they tried to steamroll him over whether or not certain migrants were illegal or not.

Walz, on the other hand, was just himself. And that turned out to be a problem.

Selected in a rush by the Harris camp to play the role of goofy suburban sitcom dad – a cynical ploy to win over the white guy vote – Walz acted exactly to type.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during the debate. Picture: Getty Images via AFP)

He blundered. He got flustered. Eventually, he got outplayed.

Asked why he had lied multiple times about having been in Hong Kong for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Walz gave a two minute non answer in which he called himself a “knucklehead”.

In another exchange about gun violence, Walz fumbled and said, “” I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I’ve become friends with school shooters. I’ve seen it.”

Within moments the internet lit up with a million memes.

It was the sort of moment that can break campaigns (those with long memories will recall Dan Quayle being forever tarred with misspelling “potato”).

Right now, the Trump campaign will be thinking, we should get this guy Vance out in front of the camera more.

And the Harris campaign will be thinking, we picked this guy instead of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro?