CHAUDHURY: Takeaways from this vice presidential debate
2024 is an unprecedented election year.
President Joseph R. Biden dropped his reelection bid on July 21 following party pressure.
Former President and current Republican nominee Donald J. Trump was subject to two assassination attempts.
But now, Vice President and current Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is the first majority-party woman of color to run for office.
History is in the making, and in a year full of surprises, another surprise has been the importance of the candidates' respective vice presidential picks.
Traditionally, vice presidential picks have held little significance in determining the result of presidential elections. Mark P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, told PBS News that "voters aren't really swayed by a candidate's running mate."
Even so, there are benefits to a great vice presidential pick, including debate performance. Vice presidential debates allow the candidates to platform themselves and their respective candidates.
These vice presidential picks have dramatically shifted the tides of the election. Following Biden's lackluster debate performance against former Trump, he trailed 42 percent to 43 percent in the popular vote, according to the national poll done by Bendixen & Amandi.
This is not news, as Harris's first choice to select Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) was touted as one of her best. An Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (AP-NORC) poll found that 27 percent of voters favored Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) over Walz.
As of Monday, Harris leads Trump in the polls, 50 percent to 46 percent in the popular vote. With the election in nearly 2 months and less than 3 months of campaigning left, the vice presidential debate matters.
Debates can change the momentum of elections. One of Walz's weaknesses is public speaking, as a self-proclaimed "bad debater." Meanwhile, Vance thrived in a gauntlet of debates to be elected in Ohio. Despite this, both sides celebrated the debate, but ultimately, Vance did not dominate.
The debate's timing is relevant not only with the shortened race but also with the difficulty of our times. According to an AP-NORC poll, 59 percent of Americans believe that democracy is on the line in this election. The debate will hold more weight than ever before.
People tuned into the debate Tuesday night without a solid definition of the Harris ticket's policy while looking for a recovery after Trump's last debate performance. This uncertainty is unique to modern times.
The pressure was on Vance to make up for the ground that had been lost, as he has been the subject of intense public criticism. He has sent emails regarding the "radical childless leaders in this country," has been dismissed by his running mate for "speaking for him" and in a podcast with Steve Bannon in 2021, Vance said "I don't really care what happens to Ukraine."
Meanwhile, Walz has been touted as a "joyful warrior" by Harris. A Washington Post op-ed crowned him for "cornfed unpretentiousness" and has a record that compliments his running mate.
The debate was in Vance's favor, but the highlight went to Walz in the final minutes. He contested Vance on the issue of Trump's defeat in 2020 and deemed Vance's shift to discuss censorship a "damning non-answer."
Walz and Vance conducted themselves with civility and accomplished their respective goals of expanding on policy and appearing more likable on Tuesday night. Although the match favored Vance, it was a loss for the Republicans. In an unprecedented year, this debate will be a reason that the Democrats get to celebrate in November.
Shayan Chaudhury is a first-year in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in philosophy and economics and minoring in philosophy, politics and economics. Shayan Chaudhury’s column, “Keeping up with the Capitol,” runs on alternate Wednesdays.
Columns, cartoons, letters and commentaries do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
YOUR VOICE | The Daily Targum welcomes submissions from all readers. Letters to the editor must be between 350 and 600 words. Commentaries must be between 600 and 900 words. All authors must include their name, phone number, class year and college affiliation or department to be considered for publication. Please submit via email to oped@dailytargum.com and eic@dailytargum.com to be considered for publication.
