Vice presidential nominees Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz both went into Tuesday’s debate knowing that their contest, traditionally an afterthought in presidential politics, was going to command the nation’s focus in unusual fashion.
Over 43 million viewers were treated to a calm and more substantive conversation about national political issues. Vance and Walz’s showdown was the highest-rated vice presidential debate since Joe Biden and Sarah Palin squared off in 2008, according to Nielsen.
Rather than focusing explicitly on one another, the two candidates aimed most of their criticisms at the other’s running mate. Walz warned about Republican nominee Donald Trump’s policies on abortion, the economy, and immigration. At the same time, Vance repeatedly reminded the audience that Kamala Harris is the current Vice President and is at least partially responsible for the Biden administration’s policy failures….