Previewing the Vance-Walz VP Debate

Vice presidential candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz will face off tonight on CBS in what is likely to be the last debate of the election season. 

The Rules: The 90-minute debate begins at 9 p.m. EST and will feature no opening statements, no studio audience, and no live fact checking from the moderators. The mics will be hot, but they can be muted at the request of the network.

Expectations: Voices on the left and right noted that Vance has polished debate skills, having faced off against a strong Democratic candidate, Tim Ryan, in his 2022 senate race. Semafor (Lean Left bias) writer David Weigel characterized Walz's previous Republican opponents as "either less sharp-edged than Vance, or under-funded," and said, "Walz is comfortable on the attack, less steady if his opponent hits back, and cautious about his word choice." The National Review's (Lean Right bias) Audrey Fahlberg said, "Tonight is an opportunity for Walz to lean into Harris’s 'we are not going back' shtick by characterizing the GOP ticket as 'weird,' chaotic, and out of touch with the average American voter on abortion."

How Much Does It Matter?: Writers at The Hill (Center) said the vice presidential candidates are mostly seeking to do "as little harm as possible to the top of the ticket" and noted that vice presidential debates have "rarely come close to presidential match-ups in their effects on a campaign."