This is painful to watch on multiple levels.
Vance is clearly the best public speaker among the 4 debaters so far.
Vance and Walz probably agreed about more than they disagreed on before Vance became a clout chasing Maga stooge.
Shapiro would’ve mopped the floor with Vance tonight.
Considering the hand he was played, i.e. being Trump's running mate and having to defend his madness as well as having few real policies, plus some of the cards he gave himself, Vance did really well. He is a very skilled speaker.
He did well to saniwash Trump and to listen to him it felt like Vance was the running mate of Romney, not Trump, at times. Quite surprised he didn't go on the attack against Walz like he did with the stolen valor and tampon stuff, but he must realise that wouldn't play well.
Some of it was pure gaslighting from Vance and revisionist history. He lies just as much as Trump and Walz wasn't able to call it out because Vance said it with authority and confidence.
Walz answers just were not as clear and as concise. And i'm not sure why Walz kept wanting to agree with Vance on many points. Walz let Vance off the hook on immigration lies, the Iran deal, gun control, the environment and abortion.
Re Abortion, Trump and Vance keep saying that the right thing to do was bring it closer to the people by letting States decide. When is a Democrat going to stand up and say the one thing closer to home than a state vote is allowing the woman to decide? Which is how it was prior to Dobbs. They seem to be letting Republicans off the hook with it.
Walz did well at the end on the J6 part of the debate. Did well to put Vance on the spot on whether Trump won the election. Should have reminded everyone though that Trump did not take place in a peaceful transfer of power and was the first President in over 100 years to not attend the next President's inauguration. He should have also brought up Trumps plans to pardon the J6 criminals.
Not sure if Shapiro would have wiped the floor with Vance, but would have done a better job.
Im still struggling to see what Walz brings to the ticket.
Yes, he has the "Napa Know How", can coach football and is a mean rifle shooter, but to me, he is not going to bring Harris many votes that she wouldn't have gotten anyway.