Vance, Walz to Go Head-to-Head

(Left) Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). (Right) Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Adam Bettcher/Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

This text appeared in the ‘Top Story’ email newsletter sent on Sept. 28, 2024.

In what is expected to be a fiery and momentous contest, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will compete in the only vice-presidential debate of the election cycle on Tuesday.

CBS News is hosting this year’s showdown between the two major parties’ running mates, which will run for 90 minutes starting at 9 p.m. ET from the network’s broadcast center in New York City.

Network “Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan will run the debate, which can be viewed on the CBS broadcast network, CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+ streaming platforms, CSPAN, and NTD—The Epoch Times’ sister media outlet.

The matchup will be a chance for both candidates to present their respective parties’ standard bearer’s vision for America, with Vance championing former President Donald Trump’s “America first” agenda and Walz promoting the Biden-Harris administration’s record and his own policies as governor.

The rules are almost identical to two previous presidential debates this year: there will be no studio audience, time limits for responses and rebuttals, and candidates will receive only a pen, pad of paper, and water bottle onstage.

But unlike the other debates, microphones will remain hot for the duration of the debate, with CBS reserving the right to mute them whenever necessary.

Vance has wasted no time in the past month preparing for the showdown, going as far as recruiting Walz’s fellow Minnesotan—and former congressional colleague—Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) to stand in for the governor.

Walz has instead looked toward the Biden cabinet, enlisting the assistance of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who helped Vice President Kamala Harris prepare for her 2020 debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence.

According to political experts who spoke with The Epoch Times, both candidates have a competitive edge on the debate stage.

Vanze and Walz often present themselves with confidence and poise while leaning into personal stories—the governor likes to tout his coaching and teaching experiences, while the senator appeals to his childhood adversity and Appalachian roots.

Both also display unique strengths and weaknesses, especially in style and approach.

“I think conversationally, Vance is much more likely to be bold and declarative,” Thomas Hollihan, a professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, told The Epoch Times.

John Murphy, a professor specializing in presidential rhetoric at the University of Illinois, said Walz deploys a more relaxed approach using “a regular-guy, dad-joke speaking style.”

Vance also prefers to cite facts and statistics before drawing larger conclusions from them, whereas Walz focuses on storytelling to paint a picture.

“Expect to see more of that narrative style in terms of what [Walz’s] going to do,” David Schultz, distinguished professor of political science at Hamline University, told The Epoch Times.

When it comes to tough questions, each has reverted to a particular pattern in previous debates.

Walz will sometimes change the subject before touting his past achievements, whereas Vance often makes a cursory answer before quickly pivoting to a topic that presents a weakness in his opponent.

Schultz said that Walz’s oratory style has sharpened in the past six years, with the governor appearing more cordial in his 2018 gubernatorial debates but much more combative while running for reelection four years later.

Katherine Jellison, a professor specializing in contemporary politics at Ohio University, characterized Vance’s approach as more aggressive when it comes to rebutting his opponent.

“He came after [his Democrat opponent] with energy—and sometimes with anger,” she told The Epoch Times.

Even with the two candidates bringing their best to the matchup, Thomas Hollihan, a professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, told The Epoch Times that vice presidential candidates can hurt a ticket but rarely do much to boost their prospects ahead of the election.

Dustin Carnahan, a communications professor at Michigan State University, agrees—writing that research has indicated presidential debates, in general, have had limited impact on vote choice.

“Debate viewers tend to be among the most politically engaged and thereby likely to have their minds made up well before the debate,” he said.

Carnahan, however, acknowledged that other research, including a study on presidential primary debates, has shown that a candidate’s performance can affect how voters—especially those who remain undecided—perceive them.

This was particularly evident in June when Biden’s performance caused a tsunami of top Democrats to call for his exit from the race.

As far as what the two candidates should do to prevail in the contest Tuesday evening, Schultz offered some advice.

“For both, do no harm and make no mistakes. They both need simply to make the case for their presidential candidate without making mistakes or making people not like them,” he said.