We Watched Tim Walz’s Old Debates. Here’s What We Learned.

The New York Times ^ | Sept. 30, 2024, 9:34 a.m. ET | Katie Glueck, Kellen Browning and Nailah Morgan

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Before he was known to the nation as an affable Midwestern dad and a vice-presidential nominee, Tim Walz was a fast-talking political long shot in an ill-fitting suit, spoiling, in his Minnesotan way, for a debate-stage fight.

As he stood next to his opponent — a crisply dressed six-term Republican congressman — Mr. Walz, a teacher by training, offered viewers a stark contrast at that 2006 debate, hosted by KSMQ-TV. Mr. Walz cast their choice as one between a political insider focused on “moving up in elected office” and the alternative he said he represented: “I live in the world that most of you live in.”

Nearly two decades later, Mr. Walz is the one who has moved up in elected office, rising from congressman to governor and now, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate. He is set to face Senator JD Vance of Ohio, former President Donald J. Trump’s running mate, in a high-profile debate on Tuesday.

Mr. Walz and his allies have tried to set expectations high for Mr. Vance, emphasizing his Yale Law School credentials. And Mr. Vance is a practiced verbal pugilist who seems to delight in combative exchanges on cable news and Sunday morning shows.

But a review of a half-dozen recorded debates over Mr. Walz’s career makes clear that while the camo-wearing, car-tinkering man from Mankato may not be his party’s most stirring speaker, he is in fact a seasoned debater himself.

He is capable of both delivering punchy criticisms and exuding the Everyman appeal that helped propel him to the Democratic ticket — it was Mr. Walz, after all, who memorably branded the Trump-Vance ticket as “weird.” At times, though, Mr. Walz has been knocked off-kilter, too...

[Buttons12]

Never mind Walz, what did you learn about the moderator?

[MayflowerMadam]

The skit on SNL was hilarious when Walz was mocked.

[Maris Crane]

Wait a minute...I just read that on the day that Biden dropped out of the race, Kamala was so stressed out that she could not sleep that night.

As a result, she was SLEEP DEPRIVED and therefore, made a “possible mistake” in choosing Tampon Tim Walz.

ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE COVERS HER OBVIOUS ...MISTAKE ...BY BEING “SLEEP DEPRIVED.”

WHAT A GENIUS WAY TO SET UP A SITUATION WHERE CHINA BECOMES A REAL THREAT AND KAMMIE DIDN’T GET ENOUGH SLEEP THAT NIGHT.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE, PEOPLE, CHECK WITH MSNBC AND THEY WILL HAVE THE SOLUTION.

[Bullish]

Just leave the NY Slimes where it belongs then... Not here.

[keats5]

So many people think Vance got his debating skills from Yale.
I think he got his reasoning and logic from his plain-spoken relations. Our Scott-Irish family relishes political debates. If we ever ran out of liberals, we would have to hire some for our parties.