☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

Vance and Walz face off

September 30, 2024
Willis Sparks
Vance and Walz face off
Vance and Walz face off
REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo

Political scientists have longdebated the importance of presidential debates, but they tend to agree that vice-presidential debates are simply sideshows without much importance for election results. The most famous moment from any past VP debate was Lloyd Bentsen’s admonition of Dan Quayle as “no Jack Kennedy” in 1988, and it was Quayle’s running mate – then-vice president George Herbert Walker Bush – who easily won that election.

But Tuesday's faceoff between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz may be different. National and swing-state polls suggest this might be the tightest presidential race in decades, and there hasn’t been much news in the past week to give either candidate new momentum. The Sept. 10 debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is now old news, and the two don’t appear likely to debate again. That may spark more interest in tonight’s faceoff.

The current stalemate may also increase the audience for tonight’s vice-presidential debate, Vance, currently a senator from Ohio, will likely prove much more disciplined than Trump did against Harris in advancing the campaign’s strongest arguments and exploiting Harris’ biggest vulnerabilities. Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, will be introducing himself to many voters who haven’t yet heard the sound of his voice. His humor and Midwestern accent may marginally boost Harris’ chances in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, the states that offer her the likeliest path to victory.

Will you be watching? If so, check out GZERO's debate bingo card!

More from GZERO Media

How a low-cost phone can change the equation for millions of African entrepreneurs

Mastercard

Those without access to today’s digital world are losing out on opportunities for education and prosperity, not to mention economic stability. A partnership between Mastercard and KaiOS, a technology platform dedicated to advancing digital and financial inclusion, aims to close that gap and pave the way to a global economy that empowers everyone. Read more about the challenges small businesses face in emerging markets and how the partnership can bring the promise of the digital economy to millions of entrepreneurs around the world.

Top threats to US election security

- YouTube

youtu.be

As Election Day approaches, US cybersecurity chief Jen Easterly warns that while America’s voting systems are more secure than ever, the period between voting and certification remains vulnerable, with foreign adversaries poised to exploit any internal divisions during this critical time. Watch her interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

US election security and the threats of foreign interference: CISA Director Jen Easterly discusses

- YouTube

youtu.be

Listen: On the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Jen Easterly, the top US official behind America’s election security infrastructure. As Director of Homeland Security's Center for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), she is on the frontlines of safeguarding the voting process. In their conversation, Easterly talks about the massive improvements to the nation’s voting systems and emphasizes “with great confidence that election infrastructure has never been more secure.” Yet what worries Easterly is the potential for election meddling and disinformation after voting ends and before certification is complete.

Ian Explains: Your vote is secure, so why are you still worried?

- YouTube

youtu.be

As Americans head to the polls, election officials face the dual challenge of safeguarding both the voting process and public confidence in it, with foreign adversaries and domestic actors ready to exploit any lingering doubts about election integrity. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer discusses the roots of Americans’ mistrust in the security of their votes, even though election systems are indeed secure.

Podcast: The State of the World in 2024 with Ian Bremmer

Listen: The world is grappling with intense political and humanitarian challenges—raging wars, surging nationalism, and a warming climate, to name a few. Yet, we also stand at the brink of some of the most transformative opportunities in human history. So how do we make sense of the future and what’s next? Ian Bremmer breaks it all down in a special edition of the GZERO World Podcast: The 2024 State of the World.

Mexican Congress defangs the judiciary as majority of Supreme Court resigns

Workers of the Judiciary in Mexico City, Mexico, on October 15, 2024, protest outside the National Palace in the capital against judicial reform in Mexico. They reject the bill promoted by the former president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which proposes the election by popular vote of judges, magistrates, and ministers of the Supreme Court starting in 2025.
(Photo by Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto)

Eight out of Mexico’s 11 Supreme Court justices announced late Wednesday that they would resign their positions in opposition to a judicial overhaul that requires them to stand for election, while at the same time Congress passed new legislation that will prohibit legal challenges to constitutional changes.

North Korean troops expected to engage Ukrainians within days as allies flounder

Footage circulated online on Oct 18, 2024 shows North Korean troops training in Russia.
EYEPRESS via Reuters Connect

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says North Korean soldiers are expected to deploy in combat against Ukrainians in the coming days, while American Deputy UN Ambassador Robert Wood said 8,000 of Pyongyang’s soldiers are in the Kursk region, which Ukraine has partially occupied.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2020 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.