Exchange of blows on TV Why the Walz vs. Vance duel could decide the US election
The US election campaign is entering the hot phase: now that another exchange of blows between Trump and Harris is off the table, the TV duel with the vice-presidential candidates is of great importance.
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- In the US election campaign, the TV duel between the vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance could prove to be decisive for the election.
- For political scientist Mark P. Jones, the vice-presidential candidates must first and foremost ensure that they do not make any memorable mistakes.
- Historically, however, the vice presidential candidates have played a rather minor role in the US election campaign: "The evidence we have shows that they really do vote for the presidential candidate"
The US vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance will face off on Tuesday (Wednesday night Swiss time) in their first and only debate before the election in November. Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, and Vance, the Republican US senator from Ohio, could have an impact on the political situation.
Will the debate have an impact on the election campaign?
The selection of vice presidential candidates has so far made little difference on election day. "The evidence we have shows that they really do vote for the presidential candidate," said political scientist Mark P. Jones of Rice University in Houston about the American electorate. However, "it's always possible that it could, marginally, matter," Jones said, referring to the apparently close race in swing states.
The debate between Walz and Vance could sway some voters this year because presidential candidates Harris and Trump have only faced off against each other once in a debate. Therefore, next week could be the last opportunity before Election Day for the electorate to see representatives of the two main parties go head-to-head.
But it's more likely that the vice presidential candidates will simply have to be careful not to make any memorable mistakes that could be replayed again and again. Jones said such a slip-up that could affect the outcome of the election is unlikely, but not impossible. "They are disciplined," Jones said. "But it only takes one."
What exactly does the vice president do?
The vice president presides over the US Senate and can break a tie vote there by having the incumbent vote themselves. The current Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris has done this a record 33 times.
The Vice President also has the ceremonial presidency in certifying the election result. Mike Pence had this in 2021, when supporters of then President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol building to stop the certification and the transfer of power to President Joe Biden.
The main job of the vice president is to be ready to take over the presidency should something happen to the president. Nine vice presidents have done this so far - most recently Gerald Ford in 1974, when then President Richard Nixon resigned.
The 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which was ratified in 1967, sets out the rules for presidential succession. It states that the Vice President becomes President if the incumbent is removed from office, resigns or dies.
In view of the two recent assassination attempts against Trump, the succession plan is of greater importance, said historian Joel K. Goldstein, who studies vice presidents in the USA. However, many voters see the vice presidential candidates more as an extension of the presidential candidates who selected them, rather than as potential future presidents.
When people look at a vice presidential candidate, the thought does cross their minds as to whether they are suited to be so close to the presidency, Goldstein said. "But it's also a question of how well the person who picked him can make decisions."
