What to Watch in 2024 VP Debate Between JD Vance and Tim Walz
By Jordan Pagkalinawan
The 2024 vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance kicks off tomorrow, Oct. 1, at 9:00 p.m. ET on CBS. Here are three points to watch as the candidates face-off in person after months of jabs through television and social media.
Balancing their views with those of Harris and Trump
Both Vance and Walz will need to appeal to their respective bases just as Harris and Trump did in early September. That will require discussing their own views instead of regurgitating the talking points of their superiors. An updated AP-NORC poll found that Walz and Harris were more liked by Democrats than Vance and Trump were by Republicans.
The AP added: “About half of registered voters have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Vance, up from about 4 in 10 in late July, while around one-quarter have a somewhat or very favorable view of him…Walz, by contrast, is better liked. About 3 in 10 voters have a negative view of Walz, while about 4 in 10 have a positive opinion.”
Prominent issues include abortion, economy
Abortion rights is one of the central issues of the 2024 election, and both candidates will be tasked with defending their own positions on the matter. Walz has shared his family’s story with IVF treatments, in hopes of empathizing with women and families going through similar experiences and ensuring their needs are met in future policies. In contrast, the Trump-Vance ticket has delivered inconsistent messaging on the matter, with Trump claiming that overturning Roe v. Wade was “enough” while Vance has said Trump would veto a national ban on abortion.
The economy will continue to be a sticking point among both parties. Vance will be prepared to attack Walz and the Biden-Harris administration over inflation, while Walz will look to deflect those attacks and echo Harris’s promise of “building the middle class.” Polling from CBS News states that more voters have described the economy as “good” compared to the 4 in 10 Americans who see it as “bad.” They added that Walz has made strides in economic policies through his governorship in Minnesota, which include supporting K-12 students while raising taxes on wealthier residents to pay for social programs.
Candidates in charge of fact-checking
Finally, contrary to the presidential debate, the moderators will not be charged with holding each candidate accountable—that will be up to the candidates themselves. Vance and Walz will be tasked with keeping their facts in line and calling out any misstatements that arise.
Angie Drobnic Holan, director of the Poynter Institute’s international fact-checking network, told the AP: “You’re basically off-loading one of your journalistic responsibilities onto the candidates themselves, so I don’t think that it’s ideal. It takes journalistic courage to be willing to fact-check the candidates, because the candidates are absolutely going to complain about it. I don’t think the moderators’ first goal is to avoid controversy.”