10/02/2024

War and Disaster Overshadowed the Vance-Walz VP Debate

Three elements are injecting shock into the last month of the election cycle

Vice-presidential debates rarely matter much in presidential campaigns and Tuesday’s clash between Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance may matter less than ever — not because of what was said or not said, but because events have suddenly interceded in ways that could affect the election in its closing weeks much more than what happened onstage in New York.

Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel, which came just hours before Tuesday night’s CBS News debate, represented a dramatic and dangerous escalation of a Middle East conflict that has now raged for nearly a year. Further escalation is likely as the Israelis prepare a response and as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris weigh their options as they stand with Israel.

Biden and Harris also are consumed with the federal response to the deaths and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, a storm that has killed at least 137 people and has left towns and communities in the South crippled as they deal with wrenching devastation. The storm’s widespread damage forced Harris to abandon the campaign trail and return to the White House Monday.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.