By Todd Lassa
How to summarize Tuesday’s debate on CBS News Tuesday night between Republican veep nominee Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic veep nominee Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota?
It was nothing like Veep the TV show, except for the almost self-referential -self-stereotyping of Minnesota nice by Walz, who started out shaky and nervous on the way to finding a bit of sympatico with Vance on a couple of issues. He even apologized a couple of times for interrupting Vance and CBS News moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.
Walz’s presence strengthened while discussing the abortion issue as Vance tried to advance Trump’s argument that it is all about states’ rights and falsely claimed the first Trump administration strengthened universal health care rather than repeatedly attempt to appeal Obamacare.
Walz and Vance agreed on the need to build affordable housing, 3 million units according to Walz, while Vance insisted it’s an immigration problem and consistently blamed Vice President Harris for letting in millions of illegals in the past three-and-a-half years.
They agreed housing should not be commodities for financial institutions to manipulate and that local and state regulations that stifle construction of such housing should be eased, though neither knew how. Nor did either candidate mention how NIMBY is the key issue in stifling affordable housing construction.
Vance did raise the problem of the Harris/Walz home-building program triggering real estate inflation with up-front downpayment aid for, the Republican senator suggested, illegal aliens, which would pile on to the inflation for which he said Kamala Harris also is responsible.
Vance noted the Trump-Vance solution is to seize federal lands and build the needed housing on it. Vance also repeated Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” mantra, prompting Walz to ask; “Are we going to drill and build houses on the same federal land?”
Vance and Walz agreed on the need for federal money to pay for paid medical leave “to make families stronger,” according to Vance.
“I think there is a bipartisan solution here,” Walz responded. Trump/Vance seeks a $5,000 child-care tax credit while Harris/Walz have called for $6,000 for newborns followed up with $3,000 for children more than six-months old. Vance added a “school choice” style element in the way early child care is provided, saying churches and small-town communities should be eligible to receive such federal monies.
Though vice presidential debates are considered inconsequential auditions for a job not worth a bucket of warm spit, both Vance and Walz offered more substance and detail on policy proposals than Trump and Harris did in their single meeting.
Whereas Vance repeatedly criticized Harris for failing to do anything about illegal immigration and inflation while she has been President Biden’s veep, Walz called out the Trump administration’s tax cuts mostly for the rich and its resulting $8 trillion increase in the federal debt. The Democrat cited warnings from economists -- including economists from the Wharton School (Trump’s alma mater) – that the Trump/Vance proposed tariffs would spur much higher inflation than we’ve had since the pandemic.
Without using the word “tariff,” Vance said the heart of Trump’s plan is to cut taxes, “but penalize companies that are shipping jobs overseas.”
Vance and Walz argued, civilly, it must be said, over the January 6th Capitol insurrection and freedom of speech.
Vance cited Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as Trump supporters. Walz said the Harris campaign’s support ranges from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to former veep Dick Cheney to Taylor Swift. (Expect an all-caps Trump response to the latter on Truth Social.)
Finally, Walz pressed Vance on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and noted that Mike Pence was not on the stage with him as a result of those efforts.
“Did he lose the 2020 election?” Walz asked Vance.
“Tim, I’m focused on the future. ...”
Who won?: Did JD Vance win this one, or at least soften his image enough to improve his low favorability ratings, or was Tim Walz the winner? Email your thoughts about the vice-presidential debate to editors@thehustings.news and please, indicate your political leanings (those on the left are allowed to admit Vance won, and those on the right can give the win to Walz) in the subject line. Or simply enter your comments in the left or right column.