Tonight, as with any debate, there will be a lot of issues bandied back and forth.
And on that debate stage, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of simply going back and forth on those issues. But even if you do that well, against someone who will be a skillful debater (I think Vance will prove to be that), that’s not how you win.
The way to win the debate tonight is: 1) for Tim Walz to come across as the Tim Walz we’ve seen now since he was picked;
and
2) to make JD Vance THE issue.
Because while Vance may prove to be a skilled debater, he remains the worst VP pick in modern history, and deeply underwater in the polls, for a reason: he is absolutely unfit to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, especially when his running mate is the oldest presidential candidate in history.
Vance not only has toxic views that are wildly outside the mainstream of the American people (he basically IS Project 2025), but he has no meaningful experience to speak of.
Do the math:
Vance has 1/6th the experience in elected office that of Quayle had when selected as VP.
He has 1/7th the experience of Palin.
And before running for office, in Ohio, he began a non-profit he claimed was to battle the opioid crisis. It turned out to be a sham—a cynical and dishonest cover to help himself run for office in a state he had left for the West Coast. Which is why what Vance is doing in Springfield is so on brand for the guy; use Ohio communities as the props for his own ambition and advancement.
Vance also did venture capital for a few years, jumping from firm to firm. But the business of venture capital requires years of work. You hit the road to raise dollars. Carefully invest those dollars in a select group of businesses. Then help steward those businesses to success. Takes years to succeed.
Vance’s time in venture capital was so minimal, he still had training wheels on—but kept jumping from bike to bike.
So after law school, beyond his book, that’s the net total of this man’s experience.
All of this explains why Vance, in 2022, actually had a close election in Ohio, while the rest of his ticket won easily. And that was after Trump, Peter Thiel, and Mitch McConnell bailed him out repeatedly with dollars he didn’t have.
As a Senator, he’s basically been a blogger or right-wing pundit (with a nice new house in Virginia) more than an elected official. And his most consistent activity has been leaping to Trump’s defense whenever the former President steps in it. We just happen to be paying for his salary.
As far as Ohio is concerned, the most high profile thing he’s done has been pushing for ways to make rails safer after the crash in E. Palestine. But after lobbyists objected, Vance literally is pushing to delay the implantation of his own legislation!
Bottom line: to win tonight’s debate, don’t simply fall into a traditional back and forth on the issues of the day. Address those issues, of course. And lay out the plan that Harris/Walz have for the nation. And let the disarmingly authentic Tim Walz we’ve seen in the past several months shine throughout.
But as you do that, know that the American people already see through Vance, which is why his polling numbers are so deeply underwater.
Consistent with that, make Vance himself THE ISSUE tonight.
With his toxic views and lack of experience, he has no business being this close to the presidency.
For far more on the very odd rise of Vance in Ohio, go HERE.
Whiteboard: Winning the VP Debate