Despite a civilized and often convivial vice presidential debate on Tuesday night, Democratic candidate Tim Walz at times appeared nervous and unprepared, while his Republican rival JD Vance worked to downplay his image of an uncompassionate weirdo.
Ultimately, the Ohio senator’s confidence, command of party lines and smooth delivery made a largely positive impression during the New York showdown, contrasting to his recent controversies including false claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been eating their neighbors’ pets.
Snap polls from both CNN and CBS following the debate revealed a virtual tie between the two candidates. The CBS poll found that 41 percent surveyed felt Walz had won, and 42 percent saw the debate as a victory for Vance.
“JD Vance came to land a bunch of punches and he did… Tim Walz didn’t seem prepared for it,” CNN anchor Abby Phillip said after the debate wrapped. “There was a clear lack of preparation and execution here on Walz’s part.”
Walz had a shaky start to the debate after being hit immediately with a question about the Middle East conflict – an ongoing source of criticism for the Biden administration – but later found his rhythm. Vance appeared largely unflustered throughout.
CNN commentator David Urban, former senior advisor to the 2016 Trump presidential campaign, gave Vance “10 out of 10.”
“He landed a lot of good punches but he did so with an iron fist in a velvet glove,” Urban said.
“He was very smooth, he was likable, he looked presidential. He had a command of the facts. He wasn’t flustered, he was a guy you’d want to have a beer with.”
One of the stickiest moments for Walz came when he was challenged over his previous statements that he was in Hong Kong during the April 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
The Minnesota governor dodged the question before finally admitting he “misspoke”.
“I’ve not been perfect and I’m a knucklehead at times,” Walz said, before adding that he sometimes “will talk a lot” and “get caught up in the rhetoric.”
Urban described the moment using a popular Trump catchphrase.
“Coach Walz fumbled bigly on Tiananmen Square… He went on and on, he should have just said ‘Look, I misspoke, I screwed up, I’m human’,” Urban said.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, former Trump White House communications advisor, added: “Tim Walz was a little in over his head tonight, I think his performance got better by the end of the night.”
GOP pollster Frank Luntz praised both candidates. “I misjudged JD Vance,” he said. “He really is a good communicator and a great debater. And Tim Walz has given viewers more details about more policies tonight than his running mate has all year.”
Another notable feature of the debate, compared to the fiery showdown between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris last month, was its civilized nature, described as a “good old fashioned policy debate” by NBC commentators.
The two men shook hands at the end, and even introduced each other to their wives on stage. They were also seen shaking hands and thanking the moderators.
“It didn’t get nasty, it didn’t get weird. They took their shots but it was earnest and there were even moments of congeniality,” said NBC anchor Savannah Sellers.
“The American voters won tonight because it was civil, it was substantive and there wasn’t a lot of name calling,” added CNN’s Van Jones, who served as president Barack Obama’s special advisor for green jobs.
But out of the two, Vance seemed to have triumphed to a greater degree in his personal objectives.
“JD Vance knew his challenge tonight was to come across as more likable,” said NBC News’s Kristen Welker.
“I had texts from Democrats that said he was very effective at doing that. He’s coming off as normal, even compassionate even on the issues of abortion and the economy.”