The 2024 Vice Presidential debate provided insight into the ideals of the two campaigns running for office in this election. Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Republican Donald Trump’s VP pick went up against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Democrat and current Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris’s VP choice. CBS hosted the debate with fact-checks from several news outlets in real time. 

Pre-Debate 

Vance and Walz entered the stage, formally shook hands, exchanged smiles, and walked to their microphones. There was concern about opponents disrespecting each other, a reflection of last month’s presidential debate. But both men appeared to be showing what USAToday called a “Midwest nice.”

Walz’s Slow Start

Walz appeared to get off to a shaky start. He seemed to lack confidence, when asked first about the war in the Middle East, he confused Israel with Iran. He failed to rebuff Vance’s false statement that climate change was “Weird science,” and even went as far as calling himself a “knucklehead.” 

State High history teacher and Speech and Debate co-advisor Brian Smith described the most important parts of debating. “[The most important part of debating is] having confidence being able to answer the questions and…to refute opponents. Being able to take what they say and not just talk over them but address the point that they make,” Smith said.   

Vance’s Early Lead

Vance got off to a more confident start, he started by reintroducing himself to the audience. He spoke about the hardships of his early life, how his other suffered from substance abuse, and how his family struggled to earn enough money to put food on the table. He also took advantage of the border crisis and seemed to repel Walz’s criticisms of Trump, while also criticizing Harris’s policy on the economy. 

Second Round

The tables turned towards the end of the first half of the debate. Walz appeared to kickstart his upbeat personality. Walz slammed the Trump campaign on abortion, preaching for the women who suffered through hardships after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. When Vance called the Harris campaign “pro-abortion,” Walz shot him down, stating, “No, we’re not. We’re pro-women. We’re pro-freedom to make your own choice.” 

During the second half of the debate, Vance attempted to recover from his argument on abortion by leading into gun violence. A pro-gun politician and close National Rifle Association (NRA) ally, Vance stated that he believed the way to stop gun violence, particularly in schools would be to enhance security and law enforcement. 

Walz, a former NRA supporter until the Parkland massacre in 2018, called for red flag laws and universal background checks on the purchase of guns. He supported his argument by sharing personal experiences of his son witnessing a shooting at a volleyball center and talks he had with the parents of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting while in Congress. 

The debate ended with a stumble from Vance when asked by Walz if Trump lost the 2020 election (something that his running mate has constantly denied). Vance dodged the question saying, “Tim, I’m focused on the future.” He paused for a moment. “Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their minds in the wake of the 2020 situation?” 

The governor gave Vance a stern look. “That is a…damning nonanswer,” he said.

Who Won?

It’s controversial who won this year’s Vice Presidental Debate. In a poll conducted by CBS, 42% of respondents thought that Vance had won, 41% said the same about Walz, while 17% thought it was a tie. In the same survey, respondents believed that Vance had slightly bested Walz in the topics of economy and immigration, however, the majority also said that Walz dominated Vance in the discussion of abortion and healthcare. Respondents believed the opponents had tied regarding the war in the Middle East. 54% said that they thought Walz had spent his time explaining his views instead of criticizing the other side while only 45% said the same about Vance. 74% said that Walz sounded reasonable and 65% said the same about Vance.  Overall, 88% of viewers said that the debate had a positive tone.

“[Debating is all about] being flexible and taking into account what the opponent is saying,” Smith said. This debate was overall viewed positively, reflecting how both opponents showed respect towards one another.

A poll from USAToday showed that 92% of registered Democrats said that Walz had won the debate, while 91% of Republicans said the same about Vance.  34% of Independent voters surveyed believed that Walz won compared to the 25% that said Vance won. 44% said Walz would make a better Vice President while 36% picked Vance. 

Does The Vice President’s Position Matter?

“[The role] of the Vice President has been just to be prepared in the event that the president cannot carry out their duties,” AP government teacher Andrew Merritt said. “So…they kind of run in the background. I would hope that the President is checking in on the Vice President on major issues like ‘here’s where we are, here’s where we’re headed if something goes bad very wrong very quickly.’ Beyond that, it’s going to funerals.” 

As we head down the final stretch of this election, candidates on both sides will be in overdrive campaigning across the country. The race for the presidency is within reach for both sides, but in the end, it will be the people’s perception of who is more fit for leadership.