When your team and your supporters are still lowering expectations for you after a debate, you may not have had the best night.
That was the case Wednesday morning for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, after Tuesday night’s CBS vice presidential debate in New York City.
To be fair, once Vice President Kamala Harris’ pick eventually found his stride during the exchange, he gave as good — albeit haltingly — as he got. But, overall, he was outmatched by the Republican vice presidential candidate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who not only was smooth and polished but presented to viewers relatively unfamiliar with him a different image from what has been concocted on behalf of Harris by the national media.
Instead of a “weird” guy who imagined immigrants eating cats and dogs and a misogynist masquerading as a senator, he was friendly and measured, poised and thoughtful, smart and open. Watchers learned of his hardscrabble roots, his appreciation of his wife and his love for his children.
Vance came into the event with the most to gain and the most to lose. If he had been the angry attack dog national media has called him, if he’d been more like Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, sympathy would have redounded upon Walz, about whom the media has cooed and praised as a kindly father figure.