Tim Walz's "missed opportunity"
"Vance got away with a lot" during the debate, remarked a Democratic Party member.
TroibNews 
Tim Walz aimed to bypass political trivialities in order to address Americans directly about Republicans. However, following his performance at Tuesday's debate, some Democrats expressed concern, stating he missed opportunities to capitalize on his opponents’ vulnerabilities.
Despite undergoing extensive debate preparation and weeks of criticizing former President Donald Trump during his campaign, observers claimed Walz occasionally struggled to articulate why Vice President Kamala Harris would be a superior president. Some Democrats were left disheartened after noticing Walz's nerves and verbal missteps during the debate. Even his supporters were caught off guard by his unusually civil demeanor.
“Tim Walz was extra Minnesota nice,” remarked DNC Chair Jaime Harrison when asked about Walz's effectiveness post-debate.
A Democratic strategist from a swing state characterized the situation more bluntly: “I definitely think it was a missed opportunity.”
“That is not the appearance and debate you would want,” the strategist, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about Walz, added. “[JD] Vance got away with a lot.”
As Election Day approaches in less than 35 days, neither campaign can afford significant errors. While Walz's performance wasn’t disastrous, the general consensus was that he failed to robustly challenge Vance and “take on Vance and some of his lies,” as pointed out by a Pennsylvania Democratic strategist.
Notably absent were the incisive attack lines Walz has effectively utilized on the campaign trail, including labeling Vance an out-of-touch "venture capitalist" and alluding to the GOP's “weird” attempts to dictate personal choices.
“It was more congenial than I thought it would be, for sure,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett in an interview. She noted that there was “a lot of pressure” on Walz, who faced a high level of national scrutiny for the first time.
Polling conducted immediately after the debate indicated mixed results, showing that voters were evenly split on who won between Walz and Vance, with aPMG/Focaldata snap poll revealing a 50-50 divide. Walz performed well among independent voters, and both candidates appeared to have increased their favorability ratings, including Vance, who had previously been unpopular in polls leading up to the debate.
In a move that unsettled some Democrats, Vance seemed to effectively soften his staunch MAGA persona to appeal to women voters—a demographic that Trump is generally losing to Harris.
Vance spoke directly to the camera about his background and support for family-oriented policies, raising concerns among Democrats who view reproductive rights as a key strength for Harris and Walz. He also reframed a controversial suggestion about using relatives for childcare to seek a “bipartisan solution” for family challenges.
Moreover, Walz's muddled explanation regarding a claim about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests raised eyebrows. Observers pointed out that his unpreparedness led to an easily avoidable misstep, which at this stage of the race could prove detrimental.
Democrats viewed Walz's direct questioning of Vance regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 election as one of the debate's standout moments. Vance did not answer, prompting the Harris campaign to quickly produce a new ad featuring clips from the exchange alongside footage of the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
“Americans got to see a real contrast: a straight talker focused on sharing real solutions, and a slick politician who spent the whole night defending Donald Trump’s division and failures,” stated Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris campaign.
In light of the debate, the Harris campaign seems to recognize the need for Walz to revitalize his campaign strategy. Plans are in motion for greater direct voter engagement and more national media appearances. Thus far, Walz has had limited unscripted interactions with voters outside of his core Democratic base and has been hesitant to participate in media interviews.
Kicking off a bus tour through central Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Walz will be joined by local labor leaders and make stops including a Puerto Rican restaurant and a rally in York County—a region where Trump significantly outperformed Biden in 2020. Originally, Harris was scheduled to accompany Walz but is now heading to Georgia to survey hurricane damage. Instead, Sen. John Fetterman is joining Walz.
“Could he have been a little harder? Sure,” the Pennsylvania strategist noted regarding the debate. “But he spoke about the facts, and provided the truth, and provided an optimistic vision of what Kamala Harris will do.”
Speaking to reporters in Harrisburg on Wednesday, Walz sought to clarify some of the errors he made during the debate. He reiterated what Harris officials emphasize: that it is “disqualifying [for Vance] to not acknowledge that the 2020 election was won by Joe Biden.”
Vance, campaigning in Michigan, responded to a query about his refusal to disclose the winner of the 2020 election.
“Here’s the simple reason: The media’s obsessed with talking about the election of four years ago,” Vance stated at his rally. “I’m focused on the election of 33 days from now.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
Despite undergoing extensive debate preparation and weeks of criticizing former President Donald Trump during his campaign, observers claimed Walz occasionally struggled to articulate why Vice President Kamala Harris would be a superior president. Some Democrats were left disheartened after noticing Walz's nerves and verbal missteps during the debate. Even his supporters were caught off guard by his unusually civil demeanor.
“Tim Walz was extra Minnesota nice,” remarked DNC Chair Jaime Harrison when asked about Walz's effectiveness post-debate.
A Democratic strategist from a swing state characterized the situation more bluntly: “I definitely think it was a missed opportunity.”
“That is not the appearance and debate you would want,” the strategist, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about Walz, added. “[JD] Vance got away with a lot.”
As Election Day approaches in less than 35 days, neither campaign can afford significant errors. While Walz's performance wasn’t disastrous, the general consensus was that he failed to robustly challenge Vance and “take on Vance and some of his lies,” as pointed out by a Pennsylvania Democratic strategist.
Notably absent were the incisive attack lines Walz has effectively utilized on the campaign trail, including labeling Vance an out-of-touch "venture capitalist" and alluding to the GOP's “weird” attempts to dictate personal choices.
“It was more congenial than I thought it would be, for sure,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett in an interview. She noted that there was “a lot of pressure” on Walz, who faced a high level of national scrutiny for the first time.
Polling conducted immediately after the debate indicated mixed results, showing that voters were evenly split on who won between Walz and Vance, with aPMG/Focaldata snap poll revealing a 50-50 divide. Walz performed well among independent voters, and both candidates appeared to have increased their favorability ratings, including Vance, who had previously been unpopular in polls leading up to the debate.
In a move that unsettled some Democrats, Vance seemed to effectively soften his staunch MAGA persona to appeal to women voters—a demographic that Trump is generally losing to Harris.
Vance spoke directly to the camera about his background and support for family-oriented policies, raising concerns among Democrats who view reproductive rights as a key strength for Harris and Walz. He also reframed a controversial suggestion about using relatives for childcare to seek a “bipartisan solution” for family challenges.
Moreover, Walz's muddled explanation regarding a claim about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests raised eyebrows. Observers pointed out that his unpreparedness led to an easily avoidable misstep, which at this stage of the race could prove detrimental.
Democrats viewed Walz's direct questioning of Vance regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 election as one of the debate's standout moments. Vance did not answer, prompting the Harris campaign to quickly produce a new ad featuring clips from the exchange alongside footage of the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
“Americans got to see a real contrast: a straight talker focused on sharing real solutions, and a slick politician who spent the whole night defending Donald Trump’s division and failures,” stated Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris campaign.
In light of the debate, the Harris campaign seems to recognize the need for Walz to revitalize his campaign strategy. Plans are in motion for greater direct voter engagement and more national media appearances. Thus far, Walz has had limited unscripted interactions with voters outside of his core Democratic base and has been hesitant to participate in media interviews.
Kicking off a bus tour through central Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Walz will be joined by local labor leaders and make stops including a Puerto Rican restaurant and a rally in York County—a region where Trump significantly outperformed Biden in 2020. Originally, Harris was scheduled to accompany Walz but is now heading to Georgia to survey hurricane damage. Instead, Sen. John Fetterman is joining Walz.
“Could he have been a little harder? Sure,” the Pennsylvania strategist noted regarding the debate. “But he spoke about the facts, and provided the truth, and provided an optimistic vision of what Kamala Harris will do.”
Speaking to reporters in Harrisburg on Wednesday, Walz sought to clarify some of the errors he made during the debate. He reiterated what Harris officials emphasize: that it is “disqualifying [for Vance] to not acknowledge that the 2020 election was won by Joe Biden.”
Vance, campaigning in Michigan, responded to a query about his refusal to disclose the winner of the 2020 election.
“Here’s the simple reason: The media’s obsessed with talking about the election of four years ago,” Vance stated at his rally. “I’m focused on the election of 33 days from now.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
