VP debates rarely matter – the showdown between Walz and Vance is different

Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance will meet for their only vice presidential debate on Tuesday evening in New York City.

While the stakes in such vice-presidential encounters are typically low – a side effect of the presidential main event – this one could be different.

In a close race that could be decided by tens of thousands of votes in a few states, any opportunity to generate positive attention and political momentum is valuable.

At the very least, the debate will be a fascinating contrast between two men with very different styles and political beliefs and two campaigns with different strategies for capturing the White House.

Donald Trump announced his choice of Vance back in July, at the start of the Republican National Convention and just a day after his near-assassination.

The former president was running high in the polls, and his choice of the 40-year-old senator from Ohio was seen as more than just a nod to the white working class in the industrial Midwest – a key demographic in a region that is among the top voters in the battleground – but also as a way to establish one’s political legacy.

Unlike Trump's first vice president, Mike Pence, Vance is an ideological soul mate whose focus on trade and immigration fits with Trump's top policy priorities.

If Vance were one of the leading candidates to replace Trump, Walz's path to the Democratic second place would be much less likely. After Joe Biden abandoned his re-election bid, Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in as standard-bearer and began searching for a candidate shortly thereafter.

Walz, the Minnesota governor, was not a primary candidate for office, but his viral television appearances mocking Republicans as “weird” and his ability to defend liberal policies in moderate-friendly language won over Harris.

During the election campaign, both men tried to use the political skills that won them the position of running mate.

Vance is polished and experienced—a former Silicon Valley venture capitalist with an Ivy League pedigree that belies his rural Appalachian roots. Walz is a high school teacher turned politician with a penchant for Midwestern folksy humor.

Vance has been a frequent supporter of the Trump campaign on mainstream media newscasts. He has also rallied potential supporters in rural areas of battleground Midwestern states, part of the Trump campaign's strategy to attract sympathetic voters who may not have voted in previous elections.

Last week in Traverse City, Michigan, Vance gave his signature speech that touched on immigration, the economy and trade.

“We will pursue sensible tax and economic policies,” he told the crowd of a few thousand cheering supporters gathered at a local fairgrounds. “We’re going to do it with American workers, not foreign slave labor.”

Although many of those at the rally didn't know much about Vance before his election as vice president, they said they liked what they'd heard so far — even though Vance has often flirted with controversy. His reinforcement of untrue rumors that Haitian migrants in Ohio were stealing and eating pets is a current example.

The Democrat has been a fixture in more rural areas of the battleground states — often appearing in places that are traditionally more conservative. A former high school football coach, he has tried to highlight his background and ties to America's most popular sport. On Saturday he was at the Michigan-Minnesota college football game, which was played in front of 110,000 spectators.

When Harris introduced Walz as her running mate at a rally in Philadelphia in early August, she repeatedly referred to him as “Coach Walz” – and emphasized his background as a high school educator.

Democrats may hope that his clear and sober appeal could Cut into the Republican fringe areas outside of the major metropolitan areas.

“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and their personal choices,” Walz said in Philadelphia. “Even if we wouldn’t make the same decision for ourselves, there’s one golden rule: mind your own damn business.”

During Tuesday night's debate, Vance will likely continue to press Democrats on the economy, immigration and crime – areas where polls show Trump and Republicans are favored.

He could accuse Walz of being slow to respond to the sometimes violent demonstrations in Minnesota following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, and highlight some of the more controversial liberal policies Walz has implemented as governor, including regarding transgender people -Right.

He may also be referring to Walz's sometimes contradictory statements about his previous service in the Minnesota National Guard.

Walz could counteract this by highlighting Vance's previous controversial statements – about the Haitians in Ohio and his snarky comments about Democratic women who don't have children being “childless cat ladies.”

He may also notice Vance's connections to people who oversaw Project 2025, the proposed government agenda of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. He is sure that he will also shift the focus to the social issues on which the Democrats are stronger – such as health care, the environment and, above all, abortion rights.

Both men had relatively low profiles in national politics prior to their nomination as their respective presidential candidates. Vance, who served less than two years in the U.S. Senate, is best known for his best-selling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” Walz had a lengthy political career, having served as governor and congressman in rural Minnesota, but he was never in the upper echelons of party leadership.

The two will have their first opportunity to introduce themselves to millions of Americans on Tuesday night – and their performance could impact the judgment and decision-making skills of the presidential candidates who select them.

Vance may be particularly in the spotlight considering that if Trump wins, he will be the oldest person ever elected president. Vance could also use the opportunity to add ideological depth and detail to Trump's conservative populism, as he did during his speech at the Republican National Convention in July.

For Walz, it's not just a chance to help Americans learn more about him as a candidate, but also about a Democratic candidacy that didn't exist two months ago — one that polls show many Americans are still unsure about . If he can do that in a way that appeals to moderate and independent voters – his touted strength – all the better for the Harris camp.

Typically, the vice presidential debate takes place in the middle of a series of presidential debates – an interlude between the candidates' really important power struggles.

But with no other presidential debates scheduled this year, the face-off could be the last chance for American voters to see the two candidates in direct contrast before casting their ballot.