One of the most noteworthy aspects of the vice presidential debate was the lack of personal rancor between the two candidates. Walz in particular thanked Vance and noted the times when he agreed with his Republican counterpart.
That’s not to say that Walz didn’t do his job in attacking Trump, dragging in Vance whenever he needed to make his point. But this did not sound like a Trump-era debate, but rather a throwback to a more civil political era. Vance also was decaffeinated compared to Trump’s most recent showing and his 2020 debates with Biden.
In vice presidential debates, nice guys have often finished last. Jack Kemp memorably thanked Al Gore in 1996 for absolving him of the racism with which the Democratic vice president painted much of the rest of the GOP. Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman had a fairly sleepy debate in 2000, at odds with a contentious election aftermath. But Vance and especially Walz went with Midwestern nice on Tuesday night.
