‘Nervous, glum’: Why Vance walked all over Walz in VP clash

And under the harsh spotlight of prime time TV, VP candidate Tim Walz struggled to meet the moment against his Republican rival JD Vance, writes Tom Minear.

Analysis

Vice presidential debates typically don’t make much of a difference in presidential elections.

But the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is one of the closest in decades, which upped the pressure on their running mates in their only head-to-head contest.

And under the harsh spotlight of prime time TV, Tim Walz struggled to meet the moment.

The Minnesota Governor came from the clouds to join the Democratic ticket based on his folksy charm, his joyful attitude and his viral attack on his opponents as “weird”.

None of that was on show against JD Vance, his Republican rival.

Republican vice presidential candidate, Senator JD Vance and Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, participate in a debate at the CBS Broadcast Center on October 1, 2024. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

Right from the start, Mr Walz was noticeably nervous. The crisis in the Middle East was the obvious first question, and yet he stumbled through his answer and confused Israel with Iran.

He was often on the defensive and seemed so focused on remembering his lines that he missed opportunities to confront his opponent.

And unlike the Vice President, who was constantly ready with a laugh or a smirk or a shake of the head in response to Mr Trump during their debate, Mr Walz’s expression during Mr Vance’s answers mostly landed somewhere between blank and glum and tired.

That Mr Vance was the more accomplished performer was no surprise. The Yale-educated lawyer regularly confronts tough questions from reporters, while the Democrats have surprisingly steered Mr Walz away from the media in recent weeks, depriving him of practice.

The Republican – who began the night as one of the most unpopular vice presidential picks in history – was also obviously determined to reach out to female voters. By and large, he shied away from his trollish tendencies, instead seeking common ground with Mr Walz while admitting he needed to work harder to convince voters to trust him on issues like abortion.

It made for a far less combative debate than the contest between Ms Harris and Mr Trump, with the pair shaking hands and introducing their wives at the end. But the winner was clear.