JD Vance may well be thinking about 2028 and beyond. He will need a lot more than a fairly mild 90-minute debate to fully soften his image.
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During the vice-presidential debate on Tuesday night, Senator JD Vance of Ohio tried to pitch a gentler version of himself.
Senator JD Vance of Ohio was trying to un-weird himself.
Over the course of his debate on Tuesday night with Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, Vance did not directly repeat the most incendiary elements of the false and debunked claims he promoted last month about migrants in Ohio eating people’s pets. He did not have to talk about “childless cat ladies,” because Walz did not bring up the disparaging words that have come to define Vance in the minds of many in his party.
As Walz skipped opportunities to attack Vance more forcefully, Vance seized the chance to pitch a gentler version of himself and act out a political comity that has been lost in the era of Donald Trump. It seemed to be working.
And then came Walz’s question about the 2020 election.
Vance had just promised that Walz would have his prayers and best wishes if he and Vice President Kamala Harris were elected. Walz asked him whether Trump, who finished well behind President Biden in both the Electoral College and the popular vote four years ago, had lost re-election.
“I am focused on the future,” Vance said, before trying to change the subject to censorship, which has long been a familiar target on the right.
“That is a damning non-answer,” Walz shot back.
It was a moment that laid bare a deep gulf between two men onstage who seemed not to want to be terribly confrontational. And it also made it clear that Vance, an ambitious political figure who may well be thinking about 2028 and beyond, will need a lot more than a fairly mild 90-minute debate if he ever wants to fully soften his image.
“America, I think you’ve got a really clear choice on this election,” Walz said, “of who’s going to honor that democracy, and who’s going to honor Trump.”
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Source: nytimes.com
