Vance vs. Walz: Highlights of the Vice-Presidential Debate

On Oct. 1, Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took to the stage for the first and only Vice-Presidential debate of the 2024 election season. Since the Trump and Harris administrations don’t currently have another debate set up, this was a monumental display of the Trump and Harris policies, as it may be the last one until the election season. While the ideas discussed were, at times, polarized, we gained key takeaways for the stances of each party that will affect the general welfare of the US. Here are some of the highlights from the debate that will help summarize the two-hour-long showdown.   

Muted Mics  

After the Biden vs. Trump debate where neither candidate would move on from their question, moderators and news channels have incorporated a new trick. Instead of attempting to cut the candidates off verbally, they have now opted to turn off the microphones to get the candidate’s attention and fully pull the focus to the new question at hand. With a mix of passion and desire to rebuttal, Vance was trying to clear up Trump’s statements about the Haitian population in Springfield, Ohio; however, it quickly transformed into a quarrel between the candidates and, soon after, the moderators. Regardless, the method of silencing the microphones allowed for a swift transition to examine other policies.  

Gun Rights 

While politics can often be seen as vicious and demeaning, the topic of gun rights showcased bipartisanship from the two candidates. Walz explained how his teenage son witnessed a shooting in a community center, which was met with an empathetic response from his opponent.

Understanding the long-lasting impacts of gun violence, Vance and Walz noted each other’s perspectives. Vance noted the law enforcement he felt was necessary to tackle the issue of illegally obtained firearms and security within school systems, addressing the unfortunate consistent problem of school shootings. Walz had a similar view, with his desire to have improved background checks on those who are in the process of obtaining a gun. Even stating how, in Minnesota, they have begun the steps of implementing enhanced red flag laws.

Although debates can quickly turn from cordial to rage-filled in a matter of seconds, it was nice to observe the civility shared between candidates. Usually a polarizing issue between the parties, these candidates aligned similar views with their shared perspective of being parents.

Abortion

While Vance and Walz had agreed on the previous topic, abortion remained polarized. The Republican party tends to lean toward the pro-life stance, a stance that Vance took, describing himself as “pro-baby” and “pro-family” with additional support for fertility treatments and affordable pregnancies. Overall, Vance argued that abortion laws can be decided between the states and their respective constituents.

In a different direction, Walz described himself as a “pro-women” candidate, with many of his policies reflecting that. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Walz created one of the more lenient abortion laws for Minnesota, putting “women in charge of their healthcare.” For the Minnesota governor, this subject should not be a state’s right but an individual’s choice, bringing in many stories about young women where being in a certain state had put their lives in jeopardy, like Amanda Zuwarski and Hadley Duvall. 

As we can see, the decision to keep abortions under the state’s jurisdiction will depend on the administration that wins the election. Abortion or not, infertility treatments or contraception could also be affected based on the policies the administration allows states to dictate. The two administrations on this matter conflict greatly when seeking a solution to this concern. Nonetheless, it was refreshing to see each candidate remain respectful despite the increasing heat while voicing their opinions on reproductive rights.    

Immigration 

Trump’s infamous stance to “Build the Wall” is still in place and again relevant to this debate. Though a central issue for the Trump campaign is housing costs and shortages, much of the blame for this was put on immigration. This matter led to a discussion about both housing problems as well as the fentanyl route entering our country.

Perhaps using this as a scapegoat, Walz claims that the Republican party has been villainizing legal immigrants who live in Ohio, whereas Vance asserts that the housing problems have occurred due to the illegal immigrants the Biden-Harris administration has been ignoring.

Policies of the Harris administration were reflected in a border bill in February 2024 to improve border patrol, with claimed experts to have assisted in what the needs are in that area. Yet, four Republican senators opposed the bill, reflecting Trump’s lingering influence in Congress.

Mentions of the wall and increased border control to “stop the bleeding” were proposed by Vance, alongside Trump’s proposals of getting automatic green cards for noncitizen graduates of colleges and universities. Since the topic of immigration affects so many areas of politics, the conversation often changed into other issues, which felt unproductive at times. However, it gave a broad view of how each team felt about the situation. 

Climate Change   

With Hurricane Helene and other crazy weather patterns, this topic became even more prevalent. An early talking point in the debate, Vance and Walz went over the clean energy and air needed globally and how that begins with the domestic production of goods.

Vance argued that outsourcing production to foreign countries worsens the carbon emissions in the air. Walz rebutted, exclaiming that energy production in the U.S. has increased and that Biden and Harris have enacted legislation that would create jobs and address climate change. The idea was to invest in American energy, though neither candidate discussed in detail what that would look like or how they plan to change it.  

Lasting Impressions

Of the debates we’ve had so far in the election process, this one was by far the most cordial, respectful, and informative. Being a vice-presidential debate, it’s not expected to largely sway the public opinion on the presidential candidates. Regardless, it was refreshing to learn more about the candidates’ policies and their stances. If there’s one thing you take away, let it be this: You have a voice, and it deserves to be heard. If you haven’t already, register to vote.

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