TIM Walz is gambling that the vice presidential debate is about personality but he has more holes and vulnerabilities than Swiss cheese, a Republican strategist has told The U.S. Sun.
Kamala Harris’ running mate will lock horns against Donald Trump’s pick Ohio senator JD Vance in New York City tomorrow night.
Tim Walz is part of a Democratic ticket that’s trying to do no harm, says GOP strategist John Thomas[/caption]
Vance, pictured in Pennsylvania in August, will face off against Walz on Tuesday in New York City[/caption]
The stakes are high as the showdown will likely be the only debate the two men will have 36 days from Election Day.
Walz and Vance are set to clash over issues ranging from migration and the economy as both try to communicate Harris and Trump’s vision for the American people.
Neither candidate can afford a slip-up. GOP strategist John Thomas revealed that there are risks on both sides.
“Both sides are not without risk,” he said.
“Walz is gambling that this is a likability question and he wants to come across as somebody who’s likable.
“But JD Vance has to look for opportunities to take the shot or take the jab on policy against Walz but not come off too hard in such a way that certain demographics don’t like him.”
Thomas warned that Vance has a soft spot with college-educated white women but Walz has more vulnerabilities.
“The softest spots and vulnerabilities that JD Vance has are JD Vance created, so he has to deal with that,” he said.
“But Walz has more holes than a thing of Swiss cheese,”
Thomas suggested that Walz would need to deliver a flawless performance in order to protect himself from the vulnerabilities.
“Whereas, Vance just has to be more focused on the offense and then do no harm, which is relatively easy for him,” he said.
In the run-up to the debate, Vance has been hitting the campaign trail – interacting with voters and has been pounding the airwaves, appearing on major news networks and radio stations.
Trump and Vance have done at least 59 interviews since the Harris-Walz ticket was formed, per Fox News. Meanwhile, the Democratic duo have just done 21.
Matthew Bartlett, a former Trump administration official in the State Department, credited Vance for putting himself out in the spotlight.
JD VANCE VS TIM WALZ
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance both had full lives before becoming politicians.
Walz and Vance both served in the military. Walz was in the Army National Guard for 24 years, and JD Vance was in the US Marine Corps for four years.
The veterans both share a love for Diet Mountain Dew.
However, Walz spent most of his early adulthood as a high school teacher and taught for one year in China after graduating college.
In 1999, he was the faculty advisor for the first ever Gay Straight Alliance at the high school he worked for.
Walz didn’t foray into politics until 2004 when he volunteered for John Kerry’s presidential campaign.
In 2006, he ran for Congress and beat incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht. He served until 2019, when he was elected Minnesota’s governor.
Vance, meanwhile, raised himself from a tumultuous childhood in Ohio and went to college after serving in the Marines.
After graduating from Ohio State University, he attended Yale Law School, where he started writing his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy.
Vance briefly worked in politics before moving to the technology sector in California, where he met venture capitalist Peter Thiel.
In 2016, he published his book and became a household name in popular culture.
Vance, who was once staunchly anti-Donald Trump, ran for Senate on a pro-MAGA platform in 2022 and was elected with Trump’s blessing.
“The worst thing you can do as a politician is live in your echo chamber and the bubble with your staffers,” he said.
“I give Vance great credit. Doing a lot of interviews prepares you.
“That makes you a better candidate, arguably a better politician, a better president or vice president.
“The process is supposed to grind on you and sharpen your skills.”
Thomas suggested that the Harris team could be protecting Walz so he doesn’t accidentally get into trouble.
“Hitting the campaign trail for scripted rallies is a different animal versus doing in-depth press sit-downs,” he said.
“JD Vance has done short-form, long-form interviews, friendly mediums, not friendly mediums.
“He’s availing himself to the press to answer questions and Tim Walz hasn’t.”
Thomas speculated that the Democratic Party’s objective is to do no harm.
They’ve packaged up the ticket as what I would dub as generic, centrist Democrat – without any real policy specifics locked around it,” he said.
Walz has more holes than a thing of Swiss cheese.
John Thomas
“The problem with doing interviews is that you could be forced to go places and talk about things that you don’t want to – even in spite of your best efforts.”
Thomas said that viewers will be waiting for Walz to “put the meat” on the “bones” of Harris’ policy proposals, while the challenge for Vance is to articulate Trump’s vision to the undecided voters.
“Vance articulates Maga and Donald Trump’s policies arguably almost better than Trump does,” he said.
“JD Vance is not only going to articulate and re-articulate Trump’s policies but he’s going to call out the holes in the cookie cutter kind-of vision that Walz and Harris have put forward.”
‘RISE TO PROMINENCE’
Meanwhile, Bartlett branded Vance a “unique figure” in American politics.
“He is a very compelling figure and has a compelling background,” he said.
Vance in his book Hillbilly Elegy detailed his journey from abject poverty to earning a degree from Yale Law School.
Bartlett delved into the contrasts that will be on display at the debate.
“Vance climbed to the tops of tech and investing and then became a senator with this populist wave, which is much more tuned into the American worker.
“He can articulate that in a way that resonates with people.
“Contrastingly, Tim Walz seems to have brought some excitement to the ticket, but maybe to the liberal side.
“They are trying to portray him as a coach, a guy.
“There are pictures of him with a gun and hunting, but it’s yet to be seen if he’s actually breaking through with any of those key swing state voters.”
DEBATE PREP
Walz and Vance have been holed up in their respective camps preparing for the showdown.
Vance has been preparing with Congressman Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s sixth congressional district and is just three years older than Walz.
Emmer, like Walz, is a former sports team coach.
Thomas is among those who have welcomed Vance’s strategy.
“JD Vance is not worried about a policy discussion, he is worried about a personality debate,” he said.
“He’s attempting to understand how you tactfully handle and dissect a folksy, awe-shucks, kind of opponent without coming off as over the top.
“There are loads of people who could make the Harris-Walz arguments but the Emmer selection showed me Vance is concerned about how to fillet the personality of Walz and handle that appropriately rather than being ju-jitsued on a policy level.”
Emmer recently told ABC News that his role in Vance’s debate preparation was to play Walz so Trump’s running mate knows what to expect.
The vice presidential debate will last 90 minutes and there will be no opening statements, per CBS News.
Neither candidate will make an opening statement nor will there be an audience.
Both candidates will be standing – a contrast to recent vice presidential debates.
THE RULES OF THE GAME
Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence were seated during their showdowns in 2020.
Vance and Walz’s microphones will be live when the other candidate speaks, but CBS News could turn them off.
Advisers will also be banned from giving their sides a pep talk during the commercial breaks.
Neither candidate will receive the debate topics or questions in advance.
Walz and Vance cannot bring notes onto the stage, but they will have a pen and piece of paper to jot down their thoughts.
Early voting has kicked off in several states and the race to 270 Electoral College votes couldn’t be tighter.
Harris has a 50% chance of winning the race while Trump is on 49%, according to Polymarket.
She holds a slender advantage in the battleground states of Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Trump has a higher chance of winning Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Harris has a two percent national lead, according to Real Clear Politics, but the aggregator suggests Trump would win the election with 281 Electoral College votes.
He has a 0.2% lead in Pennsylvania – one of the states he lost in 2020.
