Vance and Walz face off in the vice presidential debate, marking a key moment in political ascendancy

When the drama died down, Vance used his next question to call out Mandel for instigating the drama. “What a joke,” he said to applause.

It was seen as a pivotal moment for Vance, who at that point was struggling to gain traction in the crowded primary.

“He looked a lot better than me,” Gibbons recalled in an interview with the Globe. “He said exactly the right thing at the right time. And honestly, he went up in the polls after that.”

Walz, who has won a series of closely contested U.S. House elections and two statewide contests for governor of Minnesota, has faced sharp attacks before but often ignored them or tried to deflect them with deceptively sharp humor.

In 2018, his first run for governor, Walz faced sustained pressure from his Republican opponent Jeff Johnson, who repeatedly pointed out that Walz did not fully answer sensitive questions about undocumented immigration and single-payer health care.

In one memorable moment, Johnson pressed Walz about his knowledge of TV attack ads from Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a key outside group that supports the Democrat, which Republicans called dishonest.

“Here’s my pro tip, Jeff,” Walz quipped. “I haven’t watched TV for the last two weeks.” He then defeated Johnson by more than 10 points.

The fight should remain strict verbally as Vance and Walz meet for their only vice-presidential debate in New York – a moment that will highlight that dramatic political rise of both men.

Vance, a relative political newcomer with less than two years in the Senate, is sharp and relentless in his message and has a keen sense of how to exploit a moment. Walz, completely new to the national stage despite his nearly two decades in office, is a seasoned debater who doesn’t enjoy going on the offensive. Instead, he uses his disarming personal style to connect with the audience and outwit his opponents.

Ultimately, both candidates probably understood their task on Tuesday: It’s not about sharpening their own profile and winning votes for themselves, but about standing up for the top positions. The task has taken on greater importance because former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are unlikely to debate again before Election Day.

Nevertheless, there is plenty of reason for the two to argue. Democrats may want Walz to be in the spotlight a series of controversial comments Vance has made about “childless cat ladies,” his previously strong opposition to Trump, or his fomenting right-wing panic about Haitian migrants in Ohio. Republicans are eager for Vance to thwart what they see as Walz’s left-wing agenda as governor and for him to analyze occasional misstatements Walz has made about his military career.

Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, a longtime Walz ally, said Walz’s strength in big moments has always been that he is “relentlessly grounded.”

“Tim is so focused on who he is that when he moves into a different environment, like a national debate, he doesn’t try to become anything else,” Smith said. “He debated in farm fields, at fair stands and in many other places. I have no doubt he will be willing to argue the case.”

Walz always seemed more comfortable making off-the-cuff remarks at rallies and in one-on-one interviews than fighting an opponent. The governor’s messaging skills are a big reason for his rapid rise from relative obscurity. Before Harris was elected, his use of “strange” as a succinct attack on Trump and Vance was adopted by the entire party. His appearances on cable television greatly increased his share of VP discussions. Since his appointment as vice president, however, Walz has not given a single interview with a mainstream media outlet, while Vance has been inescapable.

Still, Democrats see Walz as well-equipped to counter sharp attacks from Vance. Marissa Luna, executive director of the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, said Walz’s authenticity and warmth are what have endeared him to voters so far.

“What we’ve seen from Trump, JD Vance and the Republicans are these really mean and crude personal attacks,” Luna said. “What Tim Walz has done consistently, and what he does well, is he doesn’t make these really inappropriate, personally demeaning attacks – he explains what his opponent has done to hurt people in their daily lives, which is backed up by him.” Proof.”

While Democrats are pleased that Walz is contrasting Vance in both content and style, Republicans see Vance as particularly well-prepared to counter the governor. They praise his instincts and intellect and demand that he be as aggressive as possible.

“JD Vance versus Tim Walz is like Mike Tyson versus a junior Olympian in a boxing match,” said Josh Culling, a Vance ally who has long been involved in Ohio GOP politics. “That’s why he’s here.”

Moments like Vance’s spread of debate combat on stage helped him stand out in a crowded 2022 GOP primary. In the general election, Vance struggled to defeat his Democratic rival, former Rep. Tim Ryan.

But Republicans recall a key exchange at a debate when Ryan Vance – who had expressed fears that an “invasion” of migrants would “replace” voters already here – linked him to the white supremacist gunman who had just killed ten black shoppers in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.

The typically even-tempered Vance responded angrily, citing his three children with his Indian-American wife.

“This is exactly what happens when the media and people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging in some grand replacement theory,” Vance said. “What is happening is that my own children – my biracial children – are being attacked online and in person by scumbags because you are so desperate for political power that you accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial babies, of racism. We’re tired of it. You can believe in a limit without being a racist.”

Moments like these show Vance’s advantages, Culling said. “He is a critical thinker who is battle-tested – he has ideas and has had to defend them time and time again, often against unfair criticism. He is a willing fighter for these ideas, he really enjoys it.”

There appears to be a desire among some Republicans for Vance, a skilled debater, to poke holes in the Harris-Walz agenda in a way that Trump failed to do during the big presidential debate, when he frequently used personal insults and random ones secondary damage was distracted.

“I think he’ll handle himself a lot better than Trump,” Gibbons said. “I texted him and said, ‘I’m sure there are people more qualified than me to advise you, but let the JD Vance I know come through because that’s what people want see.'”

Democrats like Smith acknowledge that Vance is “political” as a debater, but claim Walz has proven he is no pushover.

“The thing about Tim is he’s going to be himself,” she said. “That’s why the Americans found him so likeable. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being real.”

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Sam Brodey can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @sambrodey.