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Vice-Presidential Debate Highlights: Walz vs. Vance
In a highly anticipated vice-presidential debate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance took center stage, each bringing their distinct personalities and styles to the forefront. Walz, characterized as approachable and affable, found himself up against Vance, whose campaign blunders have made him a constant figure of online memes.
Commentators quickly noted the contrasting approaches to debate. Walz stumbled through his opening statements, particularly when addressing the complexities of the Middle East crisis, appearing anxious and tentative. In contrast, Vance opted to evade direct inquiries, such as a question regarding Iran, instead referencing his bestselling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, in what many perceived as an attempt to pivot the dialogue.
“I see JD has studied at the trump school of not answering the question.” #VPDebate2024
— Cyrus Rutherford Beene Apologist (@goldskinned__) October 2, 2024
As the debate progressed, Vance’s reference to the 1985 cult classic film “Weird Science” regarding climate change caught the audience’s attention, illustrating how lexical choices can influence public perception. Such an unintended reference may have further fueled critiques from Walz, who has labeled Vance as “weird” during the campaign.
“JD Vance brings up weird science, makes sense because he was made in a weird lab.”
— organizermemes (panda era) (@OrganizerMemes) October 2, 2024
Social media buzzed with reactions to Vance’s appearance, which sparked conversations about his style, particularly rumors regarding his grooming choices. Despite his wife’s dismissive comments categorizing the speculation as unfounded, users on various platforms drew comparisons to aspects of pop culture, showcasing a mixture of admiration and ridicule.
“JD Vance has the face of a man caught between eras. He looks like he wants to segregate a My Chemical Romance concert.”
— Ashwin Rodrigues (@shwinyo) October 2, 2024
Walz, meanwhile, made headlines for a different reason – with the appearance of a friendship bracelet on his wrist prompting speculation among viewers about connections to celebrities like Taylor Swift, who has notably supported Kamala Harris. This quirky detail generated its own share of online commentary.
“Tim Walz is wearing friendship bracelets on his right wrist.”
— wally (@wally_stearns) October 2, 2024
The moderators also faced their challenges during the debate, particularly Margaret Brennan of CBS, who struggled with Vance’s repeated interruptions as she attempted to move the conversation along. Many viewers empathized with her situation, recognizing the all-too-common occurrence of being talked over.
“Every woman on earth felt that ‘thank you for describing the legal process’ in her bones.”
— Sophie Vershbow (@svershbow) October 2, 2024
One of the most bizarre moments came when Walz mistakenly claimed, “I’ve been friends with school shooters,” during a discussion about gun control. This slip became fodder for social media commentators, who circulated it widely.
“I’ve become friends with school shooters.”
– Tim Walz
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) October 2, 2024
In his closing remarks, Walz managed to revert to a more engaging tone, expressing gratitude to viewers who prioritized watching the debate over entertainment like “Dancing with the Stars” and celebrating the campaign’s diverse coalition from various political backgrounds.
As the debate concluded, many social media users reflected on the broader implications, questioning the event’s utility for undecided voters. For many tuned in, the primary draw appeared to be in anticipation of the humorous memes that would follow. With this debate marking the final one of the election cycle, the implications of their performances will linger as the campaigns head into the final stretch before the election.
Source
www.theguardian.com