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It doesn't seem likely that there will be another presidential debate, but there will most definitely be a vice-presidential debate, and it is tomorrow. It will be sponsored by CBS and will take place at 9 p.m. ET in New York. It will be held in the Manhattan studio that once hosted "Captain Kangaroo." Seems appropriate to us, given the tone and tenor of modern politics. The moderators will both be women: Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan. Will this get more women to watch? We don't know.
J.D. Vance won the coin toss and decided to give the final closing statement. That meant that Gov. Tim Walz (DFL-MN) got to pick where he stands on stage and (naturally) he picked the power position, on the right from the viewer's perspective (stage left). Walz will be introduced first. Neither candidate may bring notes or props on stage. They may also not interact with anyone during the commercial breaks. There will not be any opening statements. There will not be a studio audience. The debate will run for 90 minutes.
Will the debate be wild and wooly? On the one hand, CBS has made two important decisions that could increase the wooliness factor. First, moderators will not call out lies from either candidate. The network has said that is up to the candidates. Second, the mics will not be muted at all. This allows each candidate to respond to any lie in real time with "LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE."
Sen. J.D. Vance is a Yale-Law-School-trained lawyer. Lawyers at that level are expected to make reasoned arguments and not just scream. Tim Walz was a teacher for many years. Same applies to him. Will it be civil? Probably mostly, with some interruptions and back-and-forth yelling. Will it matter? Unless one of the candidates compares himself to Jack Kennedy, probably not. Can you think of anything ever said at a vice presidential debate not relating to Jack Kennedy that you can remember off the top of your head? We can't. That said, Vance might want to bring a can of bug spray. We can certainly remember the Mike Pence fly.
One word to listen for is "weird." It was Walz who launched that word into the political stratosphere. It might well land on the debate stage. We are kind of expecting that it will, actually. One point Vance will surely try to make is that Walz claimed to be a command sergeant major when he was merely a sergeant major. His argument is way down in the weeds, though, and has to do with the exact moment a promotion counts. Is it when your commanding officer grants it or when the last bureaucrat has stamped the last piece of paper? In any event, Walz will point out that he served in the military for 24 years vs. Vance's 4 years.
Both candidates are taking prep seriously. Vance has done prep sessions at his Cincinnati home, and in mock debates with Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) playing Walz. Walz has also done mock debates, with Pete Buttigieg playing Vance. (V)