Im TV-Duell der Kandidaten für das Vizepräsidentenamt wurden die Amerikaner am Dienstagabend daran erinnert, wie Wahlkampf auch sein kann. Tim Walz bedankte sich in seinem Schlussstatement bei J. D. Vance für die Begegnung – und der Republikaner dankte hernach dem Demokraten. Dann gingen sie aufeinander zu, reichten sich die Hand und tauschten noch ein paar Nettigkeiten aus. Am Ende gesellten sich die Ehefrauen dazu. So viel Höflichkeit gab es in den vergangenen acht Jahren in Präsidentschaftswahlen nie.
Das war die gute Nachricht. Die Debatte verlief relativ sachlich. Hin und wieder stimmte der eine dem anderen sogar zu. Das hatte zur Folge, dass letztlich keiner der beiden als klarer Sieger vom Platz ging – anders als bei den Aufeinandertreffen Joe Bidens mit Donald Trump im Juni, nach dem die Demokraten ihren Kandidaten durch Kamala Harris ersetzten, die dann im September-Duell den Republikaner in die Falle laufen ließ.
Keine Rede von Haustiere fressenden Migranten
Dass man bisweilen vergessen konnte, wie polarisiert die Politik in Amerika immer noch ist, ging freilich auch auf taktische Motive der Kandidaten zurück. Vance, ohnehin intellektuell eloquenter als Trump, hatte Kreide gefressen und bemühte sich, all die Gehässigkeiten, mit denen der Senator aus Ohio in den vergangenen Wochen Schlagzeilen gemacht hatte, vergessen zu machen. Von Migranten, welche die Haustiere der Amerikaner verspeisten, war ebenso wenig die Rede wie von „cat ladies“ – Frauen also, die lieber mit Katzen lebten, als Kinder zu bekommen. Walz, der Gouverneur von Minnesota, präsentierte sich widerum als bodenständiger Mann der Mitte, der nichts mit der „woken“ Ideologie zu tun hat, welche die Konservativen Harris unterstellen.
It was only at the very end that there was an exchange of blows, which revealed that not everything was rosy between the two candidates. Vance was reminded by the moderators that he supported Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. He was asked whether he would take part in preventing the certification of Democrat Harris’s election victory even if he lost in November – and responded evasively: He was concentrating on the future. Four years ago, Trump only pointed out problems in the election and on January 6th simply asked his supporters to express them peacefully. The real danger to democracy does not come from Trump, but from the “censorship” for which Harris is responsible.
Does Trump represent chaos or stability?
Walz reacted angrily: Trump had denied his defeat. As a result, a number of police officers were attacked while storming the Capitol. The only reason Vance is on stage today is because Mike Pence, then Vice President, refused to play along with Trump’s evil game. But Vance tried to appear conciliatory: If Walz became the next vice president, he would shake his hand and pray for him. Walz intervened: “Did Trump lose?” Vance again: He’s focused on the future. Walz: “That’s a devastating non-answer.” He was shocked.
Previously, both candidates had actually addressed programmatic questions. Vance often seemed more polished. Sometimes awkward, but authentic. Instead of attacking each other, Vance repeatedly attacked Harris – and Walz Trump.
The topicality required starting with the Middle East after Iran’s missile attacks on Israel. Walz emphasized that the dangerous situation made it clear how important leadership with a steady hand was. That’s what Harris stands for – and not Trump, who is more concerned about the question of who will attract larger crowds to rallies. Vance responded that Trump was unfairly portrayed as an “agent of chaos.” In fact, through his leadership he brought stability and peace to the world.
Exchange of blows from abortion to immigration
In fact, in many policy areas it was the same as in the Trump-Harris duel: the Democrat was able to score points on climate and abortion policy. Vance, on the other hand, in economic and immigration policy. After Hurricane Helene, which claimed 160 lives in the southeast of the country, can one really say that climate change is a hoax, as Trump does? Vance: He is for clean water and clean air. And if you really believe that carbon dioxide emissions are responsible for the climate, then you have to make sure that America produces its own energy, because American energy is cleaner. The senator carefully concealed the fact that Trump relies on fossil fuels (“Drill, baby, drill”). Walz pointed out that the Biden-Harris administration had pushed through the largest climate protection package in American history. And then added: The problem concerns not only the political left, but also the farmer, whose source of income is threatened by droughts and floods.
The Democrat also had an easy time of it on the abortion issue: Trump was responsible for tightening laws in numerous states that threatened the lives of women, Walz argued. Vance had to justify the fact that he had recently advocated for a tightening of federal law, which Trump himself now rejects out of concern for female votes. He knows that some people do not agree with what he has said before. But he was only in favor of “uniform standards,” not a ban, the senator said sheepishly.
Vance blamed Harris for the migration crisis. This only came about because the Vice President advocated revising Trump’s immigration policy. Walz countered that the Republican presidential candidate had “killed” bipartisan immigration reform in Congress to make it a campaign issue. It remained the usual back and forth.
They even agree on China
Likewise in economic policy. Vance recalled the boom under Trump. When the moderators confronted him with economists’ assessment that the Republicans’ plans would lead to debt policies, Vance replied that they had doctorates but not common sense. After all, the same experts spoke out in favor of outsourcing industrial jobs to China. Then Walz admitted: He was a “union man” and he wasn’t in favor of exporting the jobs either.
For a short time it was also about questions of character. Vance was confronted with an old comment that he once wondered whether Trump was “America’s Hitler.” At the time, he simply believed the distorted image that the media had painted of Trump. Walz, in turn, was confronted with having once pretended that he was in Hong Kong at the time of the Tiananmen massacre in Beijing. Walz: Well, he was there in the summer of 1989, although not during the protests. Sometimes he just talks a lot and is an “idiot”. He must have made a promise there.
There will be an election in just over a month. At the moment it looks as if this was the last TV duel. Even if the two candidates for the office of Vice President received a lot of attention this year, the old rule probably applies: the duel between the two candidates generally has little measurable impact on the election result. Trump rejected a new edition after the meeting with Harris. Whether this is his last word is still unclear.
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