In what promises to be one of the most anticipated moments of the 2024 US election, Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz will square off in New York for the only vice presidential debate on Tuesday.
The showdown, hosted by CBS News, might not carry the same stakes as the September 10 debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris but it offers both running mates a critical opportunity to make their case to voters and vouch for their bosses, fulfilling time-honoured role of a running mate.
As the undercards of the election, Vance and Walz have spent months sharpening their attacks on each other, setting the stage for a fiery debate.
Vance, a 40-year-old senator from Ohio and author of Hillbilly Elegy, brings a populist, small-town America narrative to the Republican ticket. Meanwhile, Walz, a 60-year-old governor of Minnesota and a former high school teacher, leans into his military service and rural Midwestern roots as he positions himself as the voice of everyday Americans.
This debate will involve the biggest television and online audience either No. 2 will see before Election Day. Here’s what we can expect from the US VP faceoff.
Abortion rights can take centre stage
A key issue expected to dominate the debate is abortion rights.
Democrats, led by Walz, are counting on the issue to motivate their core voters and appeal to swing voters.
Walz frequently highlights how he and his wife, Gwen, underwent fertility treatments to have their daughter, personalising his stance on reproductive rights. Democrats have been quick to criticise Vance for his 2021 remark about “childless cat ladies” influencing American society. Walz has echoed Harris’ strong focus on abortion rights as a key part of her campaign theme of “Freedom.”
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On the Republican side, Vance and Trump have struggled to maintain a consistent position on abortion, reflecting the challenge Republicans face since the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Public support for abortion access has risen since that ruling, which ended a woman’s constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.
Trump often touts his role in appointing the conservative justices who overturned Roe and returned abortion regulations to state governments. While many Republicans now advocate for federal restrictions on abortion, Trump has indicated that reversing Roe is sufficient. He has also waffled on how he’ll vote on a Florida referendum that would expand abortion rights.
Vance said in August that Trump would veto a national ban if it cleared Congress. A couple of weeks later, during Trump’s debate with Harris, the former president demurred on an answer, saying, “I didn’t discuss it with JD.” The Harris campaign has amplified audio of Vance saying as a Senate candidate that he would like to see abortion outlawed nationwide.
Battle on economy
The economy is set to be a major battleground in the debate, with Vance often providing more direct arguments than Trump on issues like boosting American manufacturing, supporting workers, and holding corporations accountable.
He frequently criticises the Biden-Harris administration for inflation. If there’s a broad topic where Vance wants to put Walz on the defensive and tether the Democratic ticket to President Joe Biden, it’s the economy.
Harris, on the other hand, has emphasised that “building the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.” While acknowledging economic hardships, she defends Biden’s achievements, including economic growth, low unemployment, and rising wages post-COVID.
Both campaigns present competing economic proposals, including different tax cuts and sector subsidies. The debate is likely to see the running mates focus on persuading voters that their party’s platform better addresses the economic concerns of average US households.
Spotlight on families
As much as the debate is about Harris and Trump, the running mates got here in no small part because of their respective biographies.
Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy” memoir and a small-town Ohio native, was chosen to reinforce the GOP’s appeal to middle America. His economic populism resonates with voters in a way that contrasts with the billionaire Trump.
In contrast, both Walz and Harris grew up in middle-class environments.
Walz’s journey from a Nebraska farm to high school classrooms in Minnesota reflects his commitment to everyday Americans. This narrative complements Harris’s own story as the daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father.
Family is central to the identities of both Vance and Walz, each with working spouses and children.
Walz has two children, one a young adult and the other a teenager, while Vance has three young children. Compared to their presidential nominees, the Walzes and Vances represent more traditional political families.
Harris, for example, has adult stepchildren from her decade-old marriage to Doug Emhoff, and Trump has five children from three marriages.
As the debate unfolds, expect both running mates to share their personal stories while keeping the focus on their respective candidates.
Is it more Walz vs Vance or Harris vs Trump?
Running mates face a delicate balancing act. Their primary role is to advocate for their presidential candidates, but their credibility and rapport with the audience are crucial for success. If voters don’t connect with the messenger, they are less likely to support the message.
Recent polling data from AP-NORC indicates that Walz enjoys greater favourability than Vance, potentially complicating the Republican’s efforts in the debate.
The poll found that only a quarter of registered voters have a somewhat or very favourable view of the Ohio senator, while about half have a somewhat or very unfavourable view. About a quarter don’t know enough to say. Walz is viewed positively by about 4 in 10 voters and negatively by about 3 in 10; the rest don’t know enough to say.
However, Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia and the 2016 vice presidential nominee, cautioned candidates against becoming overly focused on their personal narratives.
“The only advice that matters is to protect the top of the ticket,” Kaine emphasised, referencing the 2000 debate between Republican Dick Cheney and Democrat Joe Lieberman. “Cheney kept attacking (Al) Gore, and Lieberman, instead of defending Gore, tried to make himself likable… You can’t leave attacks unanswered.”
With input from AP