Vance is a snake, a venomous one for certain. He slithered his tongue around the questions with either sugary responses or promises of great things to follow in the future, which as we know is not the MAGA line. He was trying to tie their platform with all of this concern about women’s rights to their own bodies and child care when we know the opposite is true. I got tired about his repetition of his three beautiful children and his beautiful wife and how he would support having the answer to gun control be handled by building stronger doors and windows. Honest to the Powers that be, Steve, this forked tongue piranha needs to be eradicated. He’s more dangerous than DJT and too close to the Resolute desk in my opinion.
As a retired teacher what people don’t remember about Parkland, school shooters know the drill they know how those shooter drills are enacted. What he did is create a situation where the students came outside and then started firing at them and then went inside Vance and Republicans are stupid when they say only one way in strengthen windows! How will the kids escape the enemy inside? They are so impractical while they are putting bandaids on wounds that require surgery!
Excellent commentary Steve! As an American patriot, it all boiled down to future VP Walz asking JD (Juvenile Delinquent) Vance whether Trump lost the 2020 election and Vance went into some BS about VP Harris and Covid!!! Disqualifying JD, you little fascist Juvenile Delinquent!!
One of my favorite lines that Tim said, after telling the story about the death of the Georgia woman who lost her life because of how far she had to drive to get the medical care trying to save her life was that "a woman's healthcare should not be dependent on geography."
There are four more million women in the USA than men, so if they (at least those old enough to vote) don't get off their asses and go vote for Kamala and their own reproductive healthcare freedom, then they will have to live with those results in their lives or their daughter's or granddaughter's lives. It should be a single issue election for females in this crazy country. Vote Blue!
There is a couple very dear to me that recently had their first baby. She miscarried at least twice before a healthy baby was born. They live in Idaho. Her body expelled everything on its own in the miscarriages. I asked the one of the mothers and grandmother of this family, what is the plan if the fetus gets further along, she miscarries again, needs and D&C and they won't give it to her? They looked at me with eyes wide. Apparently, it had not occurred to them that their chosen political party might kill one of the people they love most in this world with their laws. I was shocked. It was all I could think about for months until this beautiful healthy baby finally came into the world.
Thanks Christa for that story. How can people be so blind that they only see the truth when it personally affects them. Think of all the climate change deniers that are SO surprised that the hurricane was so strong. Now they have lost everything!
Your friend's family need to know that, besides life saving medical treatment for woman in places like Idaho, Trump also wants to get rid of NOAA and FIMA. I hope that you can contact that family and point out the other woman HAVE died because they were not as lucky as your friend.
Women need to be reminded again and again that without abortion, without CONTRACEPTION, they will become forced birthing machines. And to go against that, they will end up in prison. I love this new sticky-note movement that reminds MAGA women that you don't have to vote like your husband once you're in that booth. We all should be writing these notes (men too!) and putting them everywhere and anywhere reminding these women that they don't want the government controlling their bodies!
I've believed all along that it's the women who will win this election. Let's remind them of what they stand to lose in voting for Trump.
I remember when Roe became law, I’m a man but this is for everyone and it was settled law! I could really go on but the point is this is about a different time and GOP wants another century!
On the plus side, it is with some measure of relief to watch a national debate that does not have Chump on the stage. We have lived ten years with this American Disgrace.
Vance is clearly a sociopathic demagogue. He would normalize the Obscene as President. He would lead the effort to Subjugate women. Let’s be clear: he is the man that the American and Russian oligarchs want in power.
It is up to Americans. I am tired of telling those around me what is at stake. They should know by now.
Data shows that once people have made up their minds about something, facts rarely sway them from their belief. Human nature is to seek information that supports the bias we already have. This is so obvious and dramatic one might think it would be like a punch in the face. Alas, no.
Vance spent all of his time attacking Kamala Harris in her capacity as VP and reiterating Trumpian lies. Anyone who refuses to acknowledge that is a sad little fool. Walz refused to stoop to his level. Rather, he chose to highlight Harris' plans to take us out of this eight year Trumpian nightmare. I applaud Tim Walz for for not getting down in the Trump/Vance sewer last night. Those of you who think Walz lost have fallen pray to this gorilla warfare Trump has turned our politics into.
Well, I agree, but wish once - just once - Walz had corrected Vance by saying "you mean the Biden administration?" Calling it the Harris administration is factually incorrect but resonates with MAGA and perhaps some on the fence. More nuanced and most people don't understand basic civics, but the VP doesn't set policy no matter how many times Vance says it, and that's why it was effective and needed to be countered.
Yes, I waited for the correction that never came. Kamala Harris is running for President while still holding the position of VP, and her role is not to tell Biden how to run his show. I just wish the Dems would turn the table around and ask what Pence’s role was during his 4 years as VP under the divider-in-chief, in addition to the look of adoration he always demonstrated while standing behind trump.
Steve, with your signature clarity and crispness, your message needs to be blasted out in the swing states via Social media, billboards, radio, TV, blogs, mailings and podcasts — by you and all like-minded patriots and campaign-supporting organizations.
Do you consult with key Harris advisors? Are you still working with the Lincoln Project? As they say in baseball, this is the time to aggressively attack the strike zone with our best pitch.
JD Vance's slick and polished manner did not cover up for his evasive tactics and outright failure to respond to questions as well as his demonization of immigrants and flat out lies.
I wish Tim Walz had pushed him harder on what he meant by saying it was ok to "create stories" to get Americans to agree with him that immigrants are the main source of our problems. What is the difference between that and Conway's "alternative facts"? Is he aware of the problems caused by lying about Haitian immigrants "eating the dogs"?
Tim Walz definitely won on substance and came across as a concerned and reasonable middle class American. JD Vance came across as the lying cheating venture capitalist he is.
What I found appalling was Vance’s approach to responses; in my opinion he spoke down to both moderators, prefacing many comments by interjecting their name: Margaret, this…, Norah, that… And pulled the same stunt on Gov. Walz, calling him by his first name. The moderators addressed Vance as Senator, and his form of address to the other 3 people involved in the debate was paternalistic and offensive to say the least.
The sense and feeling toward these two men, letting aside their answers to the questions was that Vance was a slick huckster who attempted to soften his image as an opportunist and sociopath, and Tim Walz, an authentic, honest, accomplished man in government service. To me, Vance almost looked demonic and creepy, with his darkened eyes. I believed Walz’s sincerity and was doubtful of Vance throughout the debate. Character and relatability matters and Vance failed miserably on both criteria.
Right on Steve. Walz is obviously a good man, but he didn't communicate the stakes of this election, the contrast between autocracy and democracy, between chaos and order.
And I found him too congenial: Aw shucks, let's shake hands after this good clean fight.
Yes, just listening to Steve's video review of the debate, I wished Waltz had brought even 10% of Steve's solidity and seriously about the dire threat a Trump campaign is to Democracy.
True. He didn't harp on Project 2025 enough. He allowed Vance to normalize Trump, but that's the ruse of the con man. Though I'm loathe to say it, Trump and Vance are masters of the con, and Vance presented this normalization of Trump brilliantly. He is far scarier than I thought.
The term "Gish Gallup" is relatively new to me. (Heretofore known as flooding the stage with bulls***). J.D. Gish galloped hard last night, and nice guy Tim Walz didn't bring a big enough lasso. We're in a bad spot given that the current news media simply echos the lies.
On second thought, the Vance line "Margaret, the rules were that you guys weren't going to fact-check," seems to be taking hold as an open-mouth-insert-foot internet meme.
Walz was OK, but Vance "won" the debate. That said...re the issues that really matter, one would hope that viewers were paying careful attention. JD was dancing around all of the sticky topics.
Also- the relative normalcy of tonights debate may remind voters of how much they long for non-toxic politics. IOW...do we really want the 4 more years of complete, full throated, non-stop insanity that a Trump administration would subject us to.?
If lying and evading answers is acceptable as a debate strategy Vance won. But, I and many others do not believe that. On substance and honesty Tim Walz was the winner.
Vance won based on what criteria? Truth? Nope. He lied and directly contradicted his own and TFG's statements and policies. The phone app he whined about? Implemented early in 2020 when TFG was president. The moderators hit Walz with a 'gotcha" moment that really should have no relevance in the debate - the exact timing and number of trips to China from something he said in 2014 in his campaign for re-election to the House. Seriously? That is what they want to bring up? Vance has lied and demagogued his way throughout the campaign and they bring up very little of it. Vance went to law school, he's a seasoned debater and thus his style was smoother. If you think that wins and not substance, then his bluster and BS worked. TFG is still a fucking worthless lying asshole by every single measure.
True, but Walz should have been better prepared for that. Of course, one can't anticipate every gotcha question, but that was a bad moment, without question.... Not because they caught Walz in a lie, but because, as you say, it created some kind of lying equivalency. I wish Walz had thought that through BEFORE and explained the context of what he said. I know I've uttered things like that in frustration when I'm hotly debating something. If someone were downplaying to me the numbers of protestors at that event and its significance, I could imagine myself saying, "you're wrong! I was there!" even if I was there two months later and saw just how big that square is. I was surprised that he was caught off guard. And yes, shame on CBS for creating a false equivalency.
Hi Steve and everyone here - Taking action can reduce stress! Let’s mail Get-out-the-vote postcards to urge everyone to vote Blue! Some people hand-write the message and addresses in colorful markers. That’s very time-consuming - and my hand writing is terrible. So I buy cards with pre-printed voter instructions, and addresses printed right on the cards (or on sheets of Avery labels they provide). You can often buy stamps there, too!
You want cards with the Voterizer QR code (or web address) printed on. The recipient aims their smart phone camera at the code, a web site appears, they enter their state - in a flash, they can check if they’re registered, register if they are not (in some states, they have until 14 days before the election!). They can also ask for a mail-in ballot. Right then and there!
Unless you want to do a lot of writing, check the card’s back view before ordering - some cards have state-specific imagery on the front, but blank backs. If you get pre-printed cards, you only need to write a couple sentences in a colorful fine-tip marker.
I’ve sent out 350 cards already to GA, AZ, PA, and MI. Who will join me?
Thank you , Steve for your commentary. It gave me perspective. Have you heard Michael Steel’s commentary. I agree with it. Tim Walz gave a TKO when he asked JD Vance about Jan. 6. His response proves he and Trump are unfit for office. There was no peaceful transfer of power and lying to the American people for the millionth time that Trump was not fired by the American people is degrading. I wait for the day when MAGA minions, Trump and JD Vance are obliterated. Their toxicity has taken years off my life. I lost 7 family members and friends due to Covid. They are a scourge upon this earth.
I believe it obvious that you had a very smooth Ivy League, with no core, no integrity, and lies with impunity.
CNN flash poll surprised the hell out of me in the favorable unfavorable results, we of the chattering class, sometimes have to get out of our own, and sees this debate as a Truman ordinary man vs a smooth slick Gov Dewey, and we know how that turned out!
I will say it once again. You don’t hold debates with opponents who refuse to say they will accept the result of the election. It is a mistake. There should not have been any debates. You cannot give a platform to people who refuse to accept the result.
This is the David Frum argument and it's difficult to disagree with. My approach would be slightly different. Given that this should be an election first about character and only a very distant second about policy, a precondition to any debate would be a requirement that 75% of the questions go to issues of character and fitness for office.
Yes. I think debates are fine with normal people, but this crew has never said they will accept the results. They will not even say that we will have a free and fair election. Nothing to be gained by debating Banana Republic Wannabees.
Vance is a snake, a venomous one for certain. He slithered his tongue around the questions with either sugary responses or promises of great things to follow in the future, which as we know is not the MAGA line. He was trying to tie their platform with all of this concern about women’s rights to their own bodies and child care when we know the opposite is true. I got tired about his repetition of his three beautiful children and his beautiful wife and how he would support having the answer to gun control be handled by building stronger doors and windows. Honest to the Powers that be, Steve, this forked tongue piranha needs to be eradicated. He’s more dangerous than DJT and too close to the Resolute desk in my opinion.
Vance doesn't care about CHILDREN in the USA. More school kids face being slaughtered.
He’s Texas MAGA a God awful combination but he lacks what it takes, he’s a big asshole and fits in tRump’s back pocket but won’t make it any further.
As a retired teacher what people don’t remember about Parkland, school shooters know the drill they know how those shooter drills are enacted. What he did is create a situation where the students came outside and then started firing at them and then went inside Vance and Republicans are stupid when they say only one way in strengthen windows! How will the kids escape the enemy inside? They are so impractical while they are putting bandaids on wounds that require surgery!
Excellent commentary Steve! As an American patriot, it all boiled down to future VP Walz asking JD (Juvenile Delinquent) Vance whether Trump lost the 2020 election and Vance went into some BS about VP Harris and Covid!!! Disqualifying JD, you little fascist Juvenile Delinquent!!
One of my favorite lines that Tim said, after telling the story about the death of the Georgia woman who lost her life because of how far she had to drive to get the medical care trying to save her life was that "a woman's healthcare should not be dependent on geography."
There are four more million women in the USA than men, so if they (at least those old enough to vote) don't get off their asses and go vote for Kamala and their own reproductive healthcare freedom, then they will have to live with those results in their lives or their daughter's or granddaughter's lives. It should be a single issue election for females in this crazy country. Vote Blue!
There is a couple very dear to me that recently had their first baby. She miscarried at least twice before a healthy baby was born. They live in Idaho. Her body expelled everything on its own in the miscarriages. I asked the one of the mothers and grandmother of this family, what is the plan if the fetus gets further along, she miscarries again, needs and D&C and they won't give it to her? They looked at me with eyes wide. Apparently, it had not occurred to them that their chosen political party might kill one of the people they love most in this world with their laws. I was shocked. It was all I could think about for months until this beautiful healthy baby finally came into the world.
Thanks Christa for that story. How can people be so blind that they only see the truth when it personally affects them. Think of all the climate change deniers that are SO surprised that the hurricane was so strong. Now they have lost everything!
Your friend's family need to know that, besides life saving medical treatment for woman in places like Idaho, Trump also wants to get rid of NOAA and FIMA. I hope that you can contact that family and point out the other woman HAVE died because they were not as lucky as your friend.
Women need to be reminded again and again that without abortion, without CONTRACEPTION, they will become forced birthing machines. And to go against that, they will end up in prison. I love this new sticky-note movement that reminds MAGA women that you don't have to vote like your husband once you're in that booth. We all should be writing these notes (men too!) and putting them everywhere and anywhere reminding these women that they don't want the government controlling their bodies!
I've believed all along that it's the women who will win this election. Let's remind them of what they stand to lose in voting for Trump.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/harris-sticky-notes-women-restrooms-gyms-tampon-boxes-rcna172570
Right On, Mary Ann! I will start posting "Women to Women" notes. (Rural Montana.)
I remember when Roe became law, I’m a man but this is for everyone and it was settled law! I could really go on but the point is this is about a different time and GOP wants another century!
On the plus side, it is with some measure of relief to watch a national debate that does not have Chump on the stage. We have lived ten years with this American Disgrace.
Vance is clearly a sociopathic demagogue. He would normalize the Obscene as President. He would lead the effort to Subjugate women. Let’s be clear: he is the man that the American and Russian oligarchs want in power.
It is up to Americans. I am tired of telling those around me what is at stake. They should know by now.
Data shows that once people have made up their minds about something, facts rarely sway them from their belief. Human nature is to seek information that supports the bias we already have. This is so obvious and dramatic one might think it would be like a punch in the face. Alas, no.
I think the whole country does!
Vance spent all of his time attacking Kamala Harris in her capacity as VP and reiterating Trumpian lies. Anyone who refuses to acknowledge that is a sad little fool. Walz refused to stoop to his level. Rather, he chose to highlight Harris' plans to take us out of this eight year Trumpian nightmare. I applaud Tim Walz for for not getting down in the Trump/Vance sewer last night. Those of you who think Walz lost have fallen pray to this gorilla warfare Trump has turned our politics into.
Well, I agree, but wish once - just once - Walz had corrected Vance by saying "you mean the Biden administration?" Calling it the Harris administration is factually incorrect but resonates with MAGA and perhaps some on the fence. More nuanced and most people don't understand basic civics, but the VP doesn't set policy no matter how many times Vance says it, and that's why it was effective and needed to be countered.
Yes, I waited for the correction that never came. Kamala Harris is running for President while still holding the position of VP, and her role is not to tell Biden how to run his show. I just wish the Dems would turn the table around and ask what Pence’s role was during his 4 years as VP under the divider-in-chief, in addition to the look of adoration he always demonstrated while standing behind trump.
I think so too, Lisa. Thank you for saying it.
Steve, with your signature clarity and crispness, your message needs to be blasted out in the swing states via Social media, billboards, radio, TV, blogs, mailings and podcasts — by you and all like-minded patriots and campaign-supporting organizations.
Do you consult with key Harris advisors? Are you still working with the Lincoln Project? As they say in baseball, this is the time to aggressively attack the strike zone with our best pitch.
JD Vance's slick and polished manner did not cover up for his evasive tactics and outright failure to respond to questions as well as his demonization of immigrants and flat out lies.
I wish Tim Walz had pushed him harder on what he meant by saying it was ok to "create stories" to get Americans to agree with him that immigrants are the main source of our problems. What is the difference between that and Conway's "alternative facts"? Is he aware of the problems caused by lying about Haitian immigrants "eating the dogs"?
Tim Walz definitely won on substance and came across as a concerned and reasonable middle class American. JD Vance came across as the lying cheating venture capitalist he is.
What I found appalling was Vance’s approach to responses; in my opinion he spoke down to both moderators, prefacing many comments by interjecting their name: Margaret, this…, Norah, that… And pulled the same stunt on Gov. Walz, calling him by his first name. The moderators addressed Vance as Senator, and his form of address to the other 3 people involved in the debate was paternalistic and offensive to say the least.
Yes, the arrogant Vance is well versed in being condescending. Fascist wanna-be.
You are right.
Thank You! Anthony
The sense and feeling toward these two men, letting aside their answers to the questions was that Vance was a slick huckster who attempted to soften his image as an opportunist and sociopath, and Tim Walz, an authentic, honest, accomplished man in government service. To me, Vance almost looked demonic and creepy, with his darkened eyes. I believed Walz’s sincerity and was doubtful of Vance throughout the debate. Character and relatability matters and Vance failed miserably on both criteria.
Right on Steve. Walz is obviously a good man, but he didn't communicate the stakes of this election, the contrast between autocracy and democracy, between chaos and order.
And I found him too congenial: Aw shucks, let's shake hands after this good clean fight.
This is not a good clean fight.
Early voting can't come soon enough for me.
Yes, just listening to Steve's video review of the debate, I wished Waltz had brought even 10% of Steve's solidity and seriously about the dire threat a Trump campaign is to Democracy.
True. He didn't harp on Project 2025 enough. He allowed Vance to normalize Trump, but that's the ruse of the con man. Though I'm loathe to say it, Trump and Vance are masters of the con, and Vance presented this normalization of Trump brilliantly. He is far scarier than I thought.
The term "Gish Gallup" is relatively new to me. (Heretofore known as flooding the stage with bulls***). J.D. Gish galloped hard last night, and nice guy Tim Walz didn't bring a big enough lasso. We're in a bad spot given that the current news media simply echos the lies.
On second thought, the Vance line "Margaret, the rules were that you guys weren't going to fact-check," seems to be taking hold as an open-mouth-insert-foot internet meme.
I hope that takes off as a meme. It deserves to be the key takeaway from that debate.
Walz was OK, but Vance "won" the debate. That said...re the issues that really matter, one would hope that viewers were paying careful attention. JD was dancing around all of the sticky topics.
Also- the relative normalcy of tonights debate may remind voters of how much they long for non-toxic politics. IOW...do we really want the 4 more years of complete, full throated, non-stop insanity that a Trump administration would subject us to.?
If lying and evading answers is acceptable as a debate strategy Vance won. But, I and many others do not believe that. On substance and honesty Tim Walz was the winner.
Vance won based on what criteria? Truth? Nope. He lied and directly contradicted his own and TFG's statements and policies. The phone app he whined about? Implemented early in 2020 when TFG was president. The moderators hit Walz with a 'gotcha" moment that really should have no relevance in the debate - the exact timing and number of trips to China from something he said in 2014 in his campaign for re-election to the House. Seriously? That is what they want to bring up? Vance has lied and demagogued his way throughout the campaign and they bring up very little of it. Vance went to law school, he's a seasoned debater and thus his style was smoother. If you think that wins and not substance, then his bluster and BS worked. TFG is still a fucking worthless lying asshole by every single measure.
True, but Walz should have been better prepared for that. Of course, one can't anticipate every gotcha question, but that was a bad moment, without question.... Not because they caught Walz in a lie, but because, as you say, it created some kind of lying equivalency. I wish Walz had thought that through BEFORE and explained the context of what he said. I know I've uttered things like that in frustration when I'm hotly debating something. If someone were downplaying to me the numbers of protestors at that event and its significance, I could imagine myself saying, "you're wrong! I was there!" even if I was there two months later and saw just how big that square is. I was surprised that he was caught off guard. And yes, shame on CBS for creating a false equivalency.
Walz "Did he lose the 2020 election"
Vance "Tim, I'm focused on the future.......and how we will steal the 2024 election"
Hi Steve and everyone here - Taking action can reduce stress! Let’s mail Get-out-the-vote postcards to urge everyone to vote Blue! Some people hand-write the message and addresses in colorful markers. That’s very time-consuming - and my hand writing is terrible. So I buy cards with pre-printed voter instructions, and addresses printed right on the cards (or on sheets of Avery labels they provide). You can often buy stamps there, too!
You want cards with the Voterizer QR code (or web address) printed on. The recipient aims their smart phone camera at the code, a web site appears, they enter their state - in a flash, they can check if they’re registered, register if they are not (in some states, they have until 14 days before the election!). They can also ask for a mail-in ballot. Right then and there!
Check out Field Team 6 - https://www.fieldteam6.org/postcarding1 - and Blue Wave - https://shop.bluewavepostcards.org/ - for great pre-printed cards.
Unless you want to do a lot of writing, check the card’s back view before ordering - some cards have state-specific imagery on the front, but blank backs. If you get pre-printed cards, you only need to write a couple sentences in a colorful fine-tip marker.
I’ve sent out 350 cards already to GA, AZ, PA, and MI. Who will join me?
Thank you , Steve for your commentary. It gave me perspective. Have you heard Michael Steel’s commentary. I agree with it. Tim Walz gave a TKO when he asked JD Vance about Jan. 6. His response proves he and Trump are unfit for office. There was no peaceful transfer of power and lying to the American people for the millionth time that Trump was not fired by the American people is degrading. I wait for the day when MAGA minions, Trump and JD Vance are obliterated. Their toxicity has taken years off my life. I lost 7 family members and friends due to Covid. They are a scourge upon this earth.
I believe it obvious that you had a very smooth Ivy League, with no core, no integrity, and lies with impunity.
CNN flash poll surprised the hell out of me in the favorable unfavorable results, we of the chattering class, sometimes have to get out of our own, and sees this debate as a Truman ordinary man vs a smooth slick Gov Dewey, and we know how that turned out!
I will say it once again. You don’t hold debates with opponents who refuse to say they will accept the result of the election. It is a mistake. There should not have been any debates. You cannot give a platform to people who refuse to accept the result.
This is the David Frum argument and it's difficult to disagree with. My approach would be slightly different. Given that this should be an election first about character and only a very distant second about policy, a precondition to any debate would be a requirement that 75% of the questions go to issues of character and fitness for office.
I was thinking the same thing through the debate. Why validate election deniers?!
Yes. I think debates are fine with normal people, but this crew has never said they will accept the results. They will not even say that we will have a free and fair election. Nothing to be gained by debating Banana Republic Wannabees.
And no fact-checking...really?!