HOT TAKES: Democrats, Media Seethe As Republicans Cheer After Vance Dominates Vice Presidential Debate

I don't know what the viewership numbers were on the vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, but they're not as high as they should have been because that was one of the best debates I've ever watched in my time as a political junkie (which goes back a looong time).

Vance, as RedState previously reported, wiped the floor not just with Walz but also the CBS News debate moderators, who did what they weren't supposed to do at least twice in "fact-checking" Vance, only to have him refuse to be silenced by fact-checking them right back.

There is no question here who won the debate, with pollsters and even some in the media saying in so many words that Vance was the victor:

CNN: “JD Vance came to land a bunch of punches, and he DID!”

“Tim Walz did NOT seem prepared for it!” pic.twitter.com/AdaHENuT5q
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 2, 2024

ABC's Jonathan Karl: "I've got to say...Walz did seem unsteady and, frankly, what I saw in Walz is somebody who has not faced questions on...He was simply out of practice...JD Vance was very smooth. He took the arguments...to Kamala Harris. Overall, a tone of civility" pic.twitter.com/hxxUUtMWFO
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 2, 2024

Dems are fortunate presidential debates tend to matter a lot more than VP debates.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 2, 2024

New York Times. pic.twitter.com/1FkoXMA072
— Andy Ngo 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 2, 2024

Meanwhile, on the conservative side of things:

JD Vance just gave a debate masterclass. It’s not easy doing that on the national stage for the first time. To thoroughly master the facts, effectively attack your opponent’s record and still remain likable and relatable is more than difficult. He crushed it.
— Neil Patel (@NeilPatelTDC) October 2, 2024

IMO it was a major victory for JD the election answer notwithstanding

Every bad issue for GOP he showed compassion and went for swing voters. On strong issues he hammered Kamala and tied her to the status quo

Most important he defied the media portrait of him
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) October 2, 2024

pic.twitter.com/0y8SwwZX2K
— Jake Avra (@jakeavra) October 2, 2024

And perhaps the best one of all:

"Sell Walz, buy Vance" pic.twitter.com/L2t2tzyNKB
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) October 2, 2024

Obama and Pelosi are about to replace Walz.
— Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) October 2, 2024

But with who?

Kamala Harris introduces her new running mate tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/RSVE5bsLRE
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 2, 2024

After what happened in July, I wouldn't put it past them.

On the other hand, the struggle is real at this difficult time for Democrats:

Here's the thing:
VPs don't make policy. Presidents do.
Who talks about the Pence years?!?
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) October 2, 2024

I actually think most Americans fundamentally understand that the VP is not the President.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) October 2, 2024

But as we've seen over the last three and a half years, sometimes the POTUS is not actually the POTUS, which is precisely why this debate was so important.

As I've said before, if there's anything Joe Biden's presidency has shown us beyond a shadow of a doubt is that vice presidential picks very much matter and can be very consequential on down the line - and sometimes much sooner than anticipated, as has been the case with Harris.

In any event, hats off to JD Vance, who if nothing else made vice presidential debates great again with his stellar performance on the debate stage.