Guy Ciarrocchi: If the Veep debate was a boxing match, the ref would’ve stopped it

Gage Skidmore Gage Skidmore

Sometimes after Mass when I lector (read one of the readings), a kind fellow parishioner may offer me a compliment on how well I did. My standard reply is: “It’s easy when you have good material.”

Well, JD Vance had good material — courtesy of almost four years of abject failure by Biden/Harris, and years of “storytelling” failure from Tim Walz. 

But, the reality is that national debates are not easy, even against a flawed opponent with an indefensible record—being overtly helped by the moderators (again). It’s especially hard for a Republican taking questions from moderators who have to restrain themselves from cheering after each Walz answer, or not so subtly “fact check” your answers. Don’t forget that after the attempted assassination of former President Trump, CBS’s Norah O’Donnell told the nation that Trump’s campaign speeches invite that kind of anger and violence.

It wasn’t easy for Vance because Harris and Walz keep trying to pretend like they both just showed up on the scene and will now do their darnedest to fix everything — in 2025. The national media sit by dutifully while Harris and Walz talk about how they now understand inflation — did you know that Kamala grew up in a middle-class family?? And, on “day one,” they will work to bring down prices — by unleashing price-checking federal agents on Wawa and Acme.

JD Vance not only had to assure voters that he and Trump understand the problems we face in our families and in our nation, but, he has to deal with opponents who have worked very hard to pretend that Harris isn’t the incumbent running for re-election. He succeeded.

From inflation to the border, to crime, to wars and threats against our allies, Harris and Walz talk about what they’ll do on “day one.” And, it’s left to Vance — and Trump — to point out the obvious.

Day One was January 20, 2021.

Vance won.  Not like Harris “won” the other debate — looking into the camera, making sure she didn’t let out one of those creepy laughs, memorizing her lines and behaving like a high school forensics student.

Vance won because he successfully talked about real life issues. Like someone who grew up dirt poor — not in a middle-class family. He talked about things that affect the families and small businesses he represents in Ohio — crime, inflation, utility prices, illegal immigration, groceries, and fears of World War III.

Vance won because he refused to take the bait from Walz’s assistants — the debate moderators — who seemed focused on baiting Vance into talking about the past, rather than jobs, crime and inflation that we are dealing with now.

Walz came up short. He reminded me of what we learned in law school when making an argument in court. If you have the facts, pound the facts. If you have the law, pound the law. If you have neither, pound the podium.

Walz is so awkward and his emotions so strong that he couldn’t hide them: because — like so many on the left — he is so consumed with hatred of Trump and so consumed with his own self-righteousness that he can’t tolerate any disagreement.

After all, he is the Governor who let Minneapolis burn for three days in the summer of 2020 before calling-in the National Guard. (His wife said she left the windows open so she could smell the burning tires and, they say Vance is weird??) He is the governor who set up a hotline to encourage citizens to rat on each other in 2020.

And he is the guy who can’t seem to recall what his résumé actually is, where he served or where he was during major events. (Do we understand yet where Walz was when he claimed to be at Tienanmen Square?) He’s the guy in the bar bragging about his glorious stories — except, he’s not in a bar, and Walz seems to actually believe what he’s telling us. And when he’s caught in a lie — oops! “I’m a knuckle-head.”

So, yes, Vance won and Walz lost. Yes, Vance had a buffet of issues to pick from. But Walz never lets the facts get in the way of a good story — and the moderators kept allowing him to pretend that Kamala isn’t the incumbent.

And, the moderators — again — posed questions from the Democrats’ platform and the Harris agenda.

Yet, Vance won because his answers were based in reality — and you had the sense that he understood the problem and had a solution. Walz couldn’t decide if things were good or bad — but, regardless, just trust “middle class” Harris and their campaign of “joy” to make everything right…or, maybe, keep them right.

On the day that Iran rained missiles onto Israeli civilians — missiles paid for, in part, with dollars given to Iran by Biden and Harris, on the day that the longshoremen announced that our east coast ports were closing, Walz failed to show us true “joy” we could believe in.

Maybe it’s a blessing that things are so bad on so many fronts that even with help from the moderators Walz couldn’t possibly succeed.

Most Americans know the economy is weak, inflation is harming us, crime is a serious problem and our border is wide open. Now, we know what American weakness means across the globe.

Walz pounded the podium — while trying to bring us joy.

Vance pounded the facts — and offered us a path forward.

Guy Ciarrocchi is a Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation. He writes for Broad + Liberty and RealClear Pennsylvania. The views expressed may not represent these organizations. Follow Guy @PaSuburbsGuy.

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One thought on “Guy Ciarrocchi: If the Veep debate was a boxing match, the ref would’ve stopped it”

  1. You’re right, Vance is all about the facts.

    Facts that included that Hattians in Ohio were eating dogs and cats. Then when Vance disavowed this statement he concluded that it was okay to lie to the press if it got their attention. A lie that resulted in over 30 bomb threats, multiple school closings, and police escorts for school buses. Even though he is the Senator for Ohio. Facts like Vance proclaimed in a supermarket that eggs were $4 a dozen with a sign in the background that said $2.99.

    “CBS’s Norah O’Donnell told the nation that Trump’s campaign speeches invite that kind of anger and violence.” Really? In Trump’s first campaign at every rally there were counter protestors he would encourage attendees to beat them up and he would pay their legal bills, until it actually happened. Every rally he holds he denigrates various groups of people, with no reason behind it.

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