Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz did something Tuesday that hasn’t been seen by Americans on the national stage for many years: They debated while largely avoiding sinking their teeth into each other.
After Democrats — including Walz — spent weeks vilifying Vance over what he’s said or what he believes, the Ohio senator spent most of Tuesday’s vice presidential debate in a mode far different from the aggressive partisan warrior that polls show had turned off some voters. Even when Walz was given an opportunity to attack Vance for his positions on things like conspiracies about migrants in Ohio or childcare and abortion, he largely held off.
It was a debate where both candidates had clear goals. For Vance, that was softening his divisive image and raising his favorability ratings. For Walz, it was to do no harm, even as that meant not getting in Vance’s way.