Last Tuesday’s vice presidential debate brought back an element that has been missing in American politics for years: civility. Both Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz exhibited mutual respect and politeness. The two candidates agreed often, and assumed the best of each other, directing most of their attacks at their opponent’s running mate.
Both candidates presented themselves as calm and levelheaded, and Gov. Walz frequently mentioned his state of Minnesota and people and communities he’s met. Sen. Vance focused on emphasizing the weak economy and border security and comparing it to the first Trump administration.
Even with their differences, they both agreed on many things. “I’m sure Governor Walz joins me in saying our hearts go out to those innocent people (…)” Vance said when talking about the people affected by Hurricane Helene. Governor Walz returned the hospitality, even admitting “I agree with a lot of what Senator Vance is saying” on controversial issues like abortion.
However, both candidates had some shortcomings as well. Many people criticized Senator Vance for bringing up how he was told there would be no fact checks, even though he explained the facts afterward, and for avoiding answering questions about January 6th. Tim Walz also faced a lot of scrutiny, including from Donald Trump himself, after accidentally misspeaking and saying “I’ve become friends with school shooters.”
With fewer than 25 days left until Election Day, the stakes of this debate are moderately high, since polls have shown that many Americans weren’t familiar with either candidate prior to the debate. A new poll by CBS shows that 1% more people thought JD Vance won, however almost a fifth thought it was a tie. It is also important to note that a majority of the people that participated in this poll were Democrats. Most other polls also show that the debate was very close.