Photo: AP
America won.
The vice presidential debate.
America won.
J.D. Vance and Tim Walz reminded us that we could be passionate and polite, that our disagreements could be civil, that our politicians could be intelligent, that our politics could be patriotic. It was a reminder of who we are and how we move forward.
Both men showed that they are more intelligent and decent than their running mates, and that partisan and philosophical disagreement can be congenial and cordial. It was almost a relief, like the burden of contention was temporarily lifted from the nation’s shoulders, like the grownups were back in charge.
And J.D. Vance was brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant.
He was thoughtful, knowledgeable, unwavering, genial, and never at a loss for either facts or words. He was an intelligent man explaining what he believed and why, and what his ticket would do if it was elected. He expressed courtesy and admiration for people with whom he disagreed, he was never rude to either his opponent or the moderators, and he was humble and self-deprecating in regard to himself and his party.
And he was right.
What he expressed and stood for was not only cogent, it was true. He articulated not just the beliefs of his party, but the best path forward for our country. He held up his party’s principles, and invited the nation to embrace them.
And he held Kamala Harris to account without exposing her to disrespect. There was no ridicule or mockery, but there was accountability, and the clear, powerful vision of the Republican Party on its best days.
And Tim Walz was honorable and dignified in defeat.
The debate was won by J.D. Vance, that’s really undeniable. But that wasn’t because Tim Walz did poorly or failed, Vance was just of a different order of magnitude. Yes, Walz dealt awkwardly with his decades-long misstatement of where he was during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations, and the economy and the border left him holding a weaker hand, but he did well nonetheless, presenting himself and his platform in a good light, and members of his party should be proud of him.
Public knowledge of both men should now poll higher, and so should public approval. Both of them deported themselves well and were a credit to their respective tickets. They also showed that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris had done a good job in their selection of running mates.
The lone embarrassments of the night sat behind the moderators’ desk.
The CBS interrogators were so biased, so in the bag for the Democratic Party, as to be somewhere between laughable and contemptable. ABC was horribly slanted toward the Democrats in the debate between the presidential candidates, and CBS outdid even that. The topics and questions almost exclusively highlighted Democrat strengths and Republican weaknesses, the questions to Vance were largely mocking and derisive, the moderators repeatedly arguing against him as if they were participants in the debate.
But he didn’t rise to the bait.
J.D. Vance was a gentleman throughout, and so was Tim Walz.
Republicans and Democrats should both be pleased, and encouraged. In front of a large national audience, both parties put their best foot forward and were represented by gentlemen who could with sincerity shake hands as colleagues when the evening was done.
As a Republican, I was grateful for the performance of my candidate. As a father, I was grateful that my children could see how it’s supposed to be. As an American, I was grateful for this reminder of civility and competence.
Going forward, no matter who wins, I feel better about America’s prospects for the next four years. And I hope this example is followed by others. Commentators and flamethrowers on social media criticized both men for failing to draw blood; Walz was particularly criticized by progressive commentators. Division gives power to the parties and the press; civility gives power to the people. I hope the dark spirit which has permeated American politics of late can be dispelled.
I hope we can have more of what we had last night.
Because, last night, America won.