Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance began with a focus on Donald Trump’s record in office as the vice presidential hopefuls were quick to take an attack dog approach to defending their presidential partner on the ticket.
In response to a question about growing turmoil in the Middle East, Walz, the 60-year-old Democratic governor of Minnesota, criticized Trump’s record on foreign policy and said that “almost 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about the size of crowds” is not what he need
Vance, the 40-year-old Republican senator from Ohio, responded, “Donald Trump really brought stability to the world.”
Both Republicans and Democrats hope Tuesday’s matchup will demonstrate their vice presidential candidate’s ability to connect with voters in battleground states that will play a crucial role in deciding the US election in November.
“They’ll both be trying to connect with those key voters in the Midwest, that’s part of why each of them was chosen,” said Matthew Lebo, an expert in US politics at Western University in London, Ont.
“Think especially of male voters in those key Midwestern swing states: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.”
Those states swung Republican when Trump won the 2016 election, and in 2020 they helped put President Joe Biden in the White House.
Walz has embraced his down-to-earth, plain-spoken demeanor since joining the bill earlier this summer. He has leaned on his roots in the Midwest and the title “Coach Walz” from his former football coaching days.
The strategy has seen him gain high favorability in polls but he will face a formidable opponent in Vance, who has become a mainstay on cable news shows since he was announced as Trump’s running mate in July.
A former Trump critic, Vance was elected to the US Senate in 2022 after becoming one of the former president’s staunchest supporters.
Before entering the political world, Vance rose to fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” The Republican vice presidential hopeful opened the debate talking about his life and struggles growing up.
Both men are expected to play on their working class narratives during the debate in order to give credibility to their party’s plans for the economy and inflation.
“Vance is great and I expect good things from him,” said Alec Beck, chairman of the fifth congressional district of the Minnesota Republican Party, at a viewing party in New Hope.
“And our governor is very good on his feet, although he is not on our team, I give his debt to the devil. He has a lot of skills in this area.”
Political experts have said that Vice President Kamala Harris dominated the presidential debate last month by pushing Trump into tirades that strayed far from his intended goals of focusing on immigration and the economy.
Aaron Kall, the University of Michigan’s debate director, said it’s unlikely Vance will fall for the same strategy, and he expects Tuesday night’s debate to weigh more on policy.
But that doesn’t mean there won’t be thorns.
Walz was credited with coining the label “weird” to describe his Republican opponents and the attack has stuck with Vance, with a number of viral videos and memes targeting the senator’s past comments and encounters with voters.
“They really couldn’t be more diametrically opposed, like Harris and Trump,” Kall said.
“I think there will be a lot of fireworks, given their personalities.”
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on October 1, 2024.
Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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