Social media users and critics took notice of the differences between vice presidential candidates, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, during the debate, The Guardian reported.
The debate, which was moderated by CBS News correspondents Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan on Oct. 1, showcased a number of hot political topics ranging from the unfolding crisis in the Middle East, abortion restrictions, and Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump accepting the results of the 2020 election.
Both Vance and Walz began the debate by seemingly showing equal respect for one another and as the event went on, the opposing candidates seemed to agree to disagree on key topics concerning American voters. Their politeness was clearly different from that of the presidential debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on Sept. 10. It caught the attention of social media users, labeling the VP debate as “refreshing.” “Honestly the VP debate so far is much better than the entirety of the last Presidential debate,” @litcapital said on X.
“Two people actually answering questions is refreshing and it’s sad that this isn’t the norm.”
However, that didn’t stop critics from pointing out some flaws. Vance was called out for telling viewers about his life story, including tales of his mother’s drug addiction, which he constantly brings up when speaking about immigration. During that segment of the night, the Senator claimed he would often go hungry as a child because of his mother’s addiction and blamed it on debt. One X user alleged it was the drug use that kept the family in debt. “To be fair, your mom was in debt because she was buying drugs instead of feeding y’all,” @zibaddiejad93 said.
Perhaps Vance’s biggest flaw of the night was his continuous blame of policies on the Kamala Harris administration. A number of viewers, including actress Yvette Nicole Brown, picked on the VP nominee for his lack of knowledge. Since Harris isn’t the president yet, none of the policies mentioned during the debate fell under her reign. “Can someone tell that Smokey-eyed weirdo that @kamalaharris doesn’t (yet!) have an administration?!” she wrote.
Senator Dayna Polehanki also showcased how her colleague failed to admit that Trump lost the election in 2020 and celebrated Walz for not backing down.
While critics pointed out that both nominees did fairly well, Walz was dubbed the big winner of the night. MSNBC host Joy Ann Reid labeled Vance’s performance as “nothing memorable” but said the former football coach and state governor proved himself as “reliable.”
Walz received major points for his takes on healthcare, gun control, and abortion regulation. He mentioned the story of Amber Thurman, the young Black woman who lost her life due to Georgia’s dangerous abortion laws. Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing her family, released a statement on their behalf. “The fight for justice for Amber is a fight for every woman’s right to make decisions about her own body and access the medical care she needs,” the statement read.
“We will not stop until these dangerous laws are repealed, and no more lives are lost. Until then, we must keep saying her name: Amber Thurman!”
According to Newsweek, his performance earned him a boost in favorability poll results. A flash poll conducted by CNN and SSRS revealed the Minnesota governor received a 23-point boost — going from 14 to 37, in comparison to Vance’s 19-point increase.
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