The V.P. Debate Came Down to One Moment

The Ezra Klein Show

New York Times Opinion

Society & Culture, Government, News

4.6 • 11K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2024

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The most consequential and revealing exchange during the vice-presidential debate on Tuesday came toward the end, when JD Vance was asked whether he would seek to challenge this year’s election results. That one moment proved that he can’t be trusted with the office he seeks. But the 85 minutes preceding that moment had a lot of interesting policy discussion, so we couldn’t resist talking about that, too. This episode contains strong language. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs. This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by our senior editor, Claire Gordon. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Mixing by Isaac Jones, with Aman Sahota. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. The show’s production team also includes Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Elias Isquith and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From New York Times opinion, this is the Ezra Klein Show. Vice presidential debates are strange.
0:24.4	They're this contest between two people who even if they win they're not going to have
0:30.3	decision-making power. So they're there trying to convince a country to
0:34.4	vote for their ticket by arguing the other person on their ticket who is not there
0:39.7	debating tonight is going to be good at making decisions. So it's always hard for me at least to
0:46.6	know what I'm looking for in these debates. Is it which candidate is the better
0:51.3	debater who Who won?
0:53.0	Is it which candidate did more to help and defend
0:55.8	and make the case for their running mate?
0:58.6	Is it which candidate did the least hurt their running mate?
1:01.2	Does any of this matter at all is anybody watching but
1:04.6	those of us who professionally have to do it? If your score in it is a debate,
1:08.8	technically JD Vance is the better debater. He won that debate over Tim Walls. He's quicker on his feet. He lies more smoothly and Lord did he lie a lot last night.
1:20.0	It's much better at seeming like he's answering a question when he's doing anything but answering the question
1:25.6	But that's debating those are relevant skills he can't take it away from him
1:30.0	Walls was often nervous and fumbling but I didn't think walls did a bad job.
1:34.8	He made his arguments. He seemed like a decent genuine person up there. He did nothing to hurt the ticket.
1:41.2	And it was Vance in the final minutes of the debate who might have caused the jobs. John Nance Garner, Franklin Roosevelt's first running mate, he famously said the
1:54.6	Vice Presidency isn't worth a pitcher of warm piss. But one job the Vice President
2:01.0	does have is certifying election results.
2:04.6	This hasn't for most of American history been consequential or notable, but in 2020 became both.
2:12.8	Donald Trump lost the election but insisted that he won it.
	...

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