Smooth
Last night’s debate was a stark contrast. Regardless of your side of our political chasm, there are some things that are factually true. Senator JD Vance was smooth, silky smooth. His answers were articulate, well thought out, and true or not, sold with conviction. After watching him last night, I understand why billionaires Peter Thiel and Donald Trump and Trump’s real heirs, Don Junior and Eric, picked Vance as the “heir apparent” to MAGA world.
Vance was willing to go to any length to sell his message. He spent minutes convincing Americans to, “not believe your lying eyes”. He tried to persuade us that as President, Donald Trump saved the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare. It was really only a few years ago, when we sat up late into the night, watching the US Senate determine the fate of the medical insurance plan. Many of us were still awake when Arizona’s John McCain walked into the Senate chamber up to the voting clerk, raised his damaged arm, and voted “thumbs down” to the effort to cancel the plan.
Big Lies
And we remember how furious Trump was, once again one-upped by the “Maverick”. In fact, at the behest of Trump, the Republicans in Congress tried to end the Affordable Care Act thirty-nine times. But, in the silky words of Senator Vance, Trump was really trying to save it.
But the big “lie” last night, was about the “Big Lie”. Vance would have us believe that Trump was sending a mob to the Capitol on January 6th, to “peacefully protest” (as opposed to “fight like Hell”) to stop the Presidential certification. We watched that too; as it seemed the very existence of our Constitutional Democracy was in the balance. But Vance blew it off; after all, Biden was inaugurated on January 20th. And Vance would not, could not, admit that Biden actually won. As Governor Walz said, “That was a damning non-answer”.
There were lots of other lies by Vance, so many, that there was no way to “fact-check” him. The basic theory of debate, with two candidates present their positions, depends on facts and truth. But Vance presented a perverted history that doesn’t stand up to the “smell test”.
Stage Fright
And what about Governor Walz? No question, he was damn nervous, especially at the beginning. Democrats watching the first ten minutes had “Biden flashbacks”. But the Governor settled down, and, other than an awkward question about what he did thirty-five years ago, he handled questions well. He got “wonky” on issues, something many undecided voters wanted; about agriculture, abortion, housing, and guns. And he was able to call out Vance for de-humanizing migrants, using them as the scapegoat for every ill in America.
Walz was not a “tough debater”. He wasn’t after the “gotcha” moment with Vance. And he wasn’t looking for the tag-line: “You’re no Jack Kennedy”, or “I’m speaking”. Instead, he was trying to answer the questions and explain his views to the American people.
And Vance tried to “out-Walz”, Walz. They had several answers where they turned to each other and said “we agree”. And to my friends on the left, who wanted Vance’s blood and guts on the floor, that’s disappointing. Walz let Vance seem like a “normal” politician, a Joe Biden versus Paul Ryan style Vice Presidential debate. The Vance on the stage last night isn’t the same Vance that’s been on the campaign trail, and Walz let him “get away” with it.
No Harm
The first goal for both was to “do no harm”. But Democratic core members are disappointed, kind of a “…how dare Walz be nice, and find common ground, with Vance!!!”. We’ve all seen Walz on the stump, and we know he can be a firebrand, COACH WALZ at halftime. So what happened?
The last two elections have been narrowly decided, and this one is going to be as well. If 2016 was decided by 74,744 votes in the swing states, and 2020 decided by 44,000; how narrow will 2024 be? There’s time for Harris and Walz (and the Obamas, and Bidens, and Clintons) to energize the core, but there’s not much time to reach those still undecided. And Walz was reaching for them, presenting a political world of collegiality that, maybe, really doesn’t exist. Walz wasn’t a firebrand; he was a Governor of a state, touting Minnesota’s achievements and applying them to the Nation.
The small middle is looking for a “return to Normalcy”, and Walz presented that last night. And Vance showed us he could sell “iceboxes to Eskimos” (probably not an appropriate phrase anymore). He lied, cleanly, coolly, with a straight and “honest” face. The goal of both debaters was clear: reach those few in the middle who remain straddling the fence. And frankly, both were able to do so.
But I don’t think those few will be fooled by the obvious lies of Senator JD Vance, called out by Governor Walz. And, that may make all the difference, five weeks from now when the votes are counted.
