Tim Walz gets faint praise from Democrats after VP debate: ‘plain speaking’

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz received faint praise from Democrats following the vice presidential debate between him and JD Vance.

A CNN instant poll said Vance won the debate, but American pollster Nostradamus Allan Lichtman said Walz was victorious. Walz drew criticism from some analysts who believed he was a “deer in the headlights,” but Democrats praised his “plain-spoken” approach.

CBS hosted the debate last night, with Vance and Walz facing off for the first time. They engaged in a policy-focused and markedly cordial debate that gave both campaigns an opportunity to gain traction among undecided voters.

The battle came in a chaotic week as the crisis in the Middle East escalates. In the US, Hurricane Helene devastated large portions of the southeastern US, hitting the crucial battleground states of Georgia and North Carolina.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines “plain talk” as “the act of saying clearly and honestly what you think, without trying to be polite.”

Newsweek spoke to Professor Iwan Morgan from University College London in the UK about the debate. He said that “both candidates performed reasonably well in the debate. Vance has been fluent in laying out the policy issues Republicans are campaigning on, certainly much more so than Trump has been lately.

“For Walz, the main goal was not to say anything that might hurt Harris’ campaign, but also to hone his credentials as a straight-talking man in the Midwest, arguably the campaign’s main regional battleground. That was why Harris chose him as a running partner.”

Speaking to NewsNation, Sen. Mark Kelly said Walz “did a great job. I mean, really fantastic. It is very simply spoken. I think he spoke to the American people in a way that they will understand.”

Senator Amy Klobuchar echoed this on CNN.

“The Tim Walz you’ve seen since the beginning of this presidential campaign when he burst onto the national stage is the Tim Walz you’re going to get,” she said. “He’s someone you can trust. He is someone who is plain spoken. Don’t use a lot of fancy words.

“They don’t mess around with games up there in the debate stage and pretend they’re with you, with my heart, and then support policies that have nothing to do with what you just said. He is what he is, and I think that’s what’s going to happen to the American people.

Morgan said Newsweek that Walz was “initially nervous and had to clarify that he was not in Hong Kong at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

“Overall, though, he did the job required of him. His best moment was putting Vance on the spot if he thought Trump won in 2020. There was no knockout punch, but there never is now that the candidates are doing so well. informed in their preparations”.

New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Luján posted on X that: “I served with Governor Walz in the US House. He’s a straight, honest man who knows how to win tough races and work across the aisle to get things done.”

Pennsylvania Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta shared his praise for X. “In every response, Coach @Tim_Walz speaks straight to the people, in a clear way, about serious solutions for the future of our families,” he said.

He continued his post, writing that: “JD Vance speaks for moderators and voters.”

Morgan said Newsweek that: “For the relatively unknown Walz, it was all about projecting an image as a straight-talking, reasonable, reliable guy. He did that. I doubt it will make any real difference to the result though. He probably didn’t lose the ticket. any votes, but I doubt he won many.”

Newsweek has reached out to the Harris campaign by email for comment.

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