Watching the vice-presidential debate, I had a flashback to debate class at Wayne Memorial High School in Michigan in the early 1970s. Midwest Nice ruled between Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Republican Sen. JD Vance.
It was a break from the combativeness of presidential debates involving former President Donald Trump, including his last month with Vice President Kamala Harris. Although less fun.
On some domestic issues, the VP debate was a good primer on the differences between the two tickets and the Republican and Democratic parties. But there was one big problem. As with the Trump-Harris debate on ABC, the most important questions weren’t even asked by CBS moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan, especially on foreign policy.
The first question sensibly was on the Middle East just after Iran attacked Israel in revenge for the latter killing Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon. Brennan said Iran is considered two weeks from developing a nuclear weapon. She asked Walz if he would support a pre-emptive strike by Israel to prevent that. Walz didn’t answer the question directly but said he supported Israel and attacked Trump’s leadership.
Vance didn’t answer the question either, but said, “Donald Trump actually delivered stability in the world.” The “Kamala Harris administration” gave money to Iran for weapons development. And “we should support our allies wherever they are when they’re fighting the bad guys. I think that’s the right approach to take with the Israel question.”
But there were no questions on the Ukraine War, even though earlier in the day Russian troops reportedly occupied the keycity of Vuhledar. And no questions on President Vladimir Putin recently changing Russian nuclear doctrine. It now considers an attack on critical military sites in Russia by a non-nuclear state backed by a nuclear state, meaning the United States, to be a “joint attack,” justifying using nuclear weapons.
Or how about the Oct. 22-24 BRICS summit in Kazan, Tartarstan? BRICS is Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, an economic group similar to the U.S.-dominated G7. The middle three are major economic and nuclear powers. Joining last January were Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
A major focus at BRICS will be continued de-dollarization, meaning shifting global payments to other currencies to avoid U.S. sanctions. At a rally in Wisconsin, Trump said he would impose 100% tariffs on de-dollarizing countries. Why no questions on that?
The top domestic question also wasn’t answered: The U.S. national debt soaring to $35 trillion – with a “t” – and increasingat almost $2 trillion a year. Trump contributed $8 trillion and Biden-Harris $8 trillion. Interest payments now hit at $1.2 trillion a year.
In the debate we got, spending priorities included: dealing with climate change, Obamacare, and helping young people afford housing and child care. Walz was asked how he would pay for his $1.2 trillion in extra spending, as calculated by the Wharton School. And Vance was asked about the Trump plan’s tax cutsboosting the deficit by $5.8 trillion. Neither gave a good answer.
Notice the bias against Vance and Trump? The moderators could have used analyses from other economists or schools showing Trump’s plan would increase the deficit less, or not at all.
But the real question was not asked: How does this country avoid bankruptcy when that $35 trillion debt in Q2 of 2024 was 120% of GDP, according to the Federal Reserve Board of St. Louis? What if your credit card debt was 120% of income?
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The candidates also were not pressed enough on their answers. Walz pushed the common Democratic line, even though most billionaires nowadays are Democrats, that the wealthy “must pay their fair share.” That would mean less investment here and more elsewhere, especially China.
Vance pushed Trump’s tariffs, which supposedly would bring jobs back here, but really just would make everything more expensive. Better to cut taxes and regulations more.
In sum, it was a polite debate conducted by clueless moderators. Voters trying to figure things out before Nov. 5 were badly served.
John Seiler is on the SCNG Editorial Board and blogs at: johnseiler.substack.com
