By Jeremy Coolidge ‘28
The October 1st Vice Presidential Debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnisota Governor Tim Walz was rather civil compared to the Trump-Harris Debate of September 11th. Both candidates started off the debate with a hand shake, which is a simple but effective gesture to show unity and civility between the candidates. Throughout the night they both talked about vital issues facing the American public such as abortion and immigration.
Both candidates had their share of weird answers at the debate. Governor Tim Walz was asked why he said that he was present during the Hong Kong riots in Tiananmen Square when he was not in fact there during the riots but instead there a week after. He called himself a “knucklehead” when explaining why he forgot when he was in Hong Kong.
Senator Vance dodged questions regarding Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 Presidential Election. He avoided the question, instead stating, “I’m focused on the future.” Governor Walz replied by saying “That is a damping non-answer.” That was really the only part of the debate with true argumentative aspects.
All and all, the debate was more tame than others we’ve recently grown accustomed to. The candidates showed many instances of vulnerability and vocalized healthy arguments. However, we may be too close to the election for the debate performance to change anybody’s minds, but it was a relieving breath of fresh air. If you are eligible to vote in this election, please make sure you and other adults in your life register to vote because our livelihood depends on it!
Image credit: PBS
