EJ Haust, a digital marketing expert and former journalist who lived in Minnesota for 12 years before relocating to Tennessee, thinks the vice presidential debate next week between U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will not so much persuade voters to vote differently, but energize the bases of each campaign going into the November 5 general election.
The debate between Vance and Walz will air on Tuesday, October 1.
Hosted by CBS News, the moderators chosen for the debate are “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator and CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.
Haust said that while she believes the debate won’t “change anyone’s vote,” the faceoff between Vance and Walz, depending on each candidate’s performance, will work to energize their respective bases with a boost of momentum going into the general election.
“I don’t think it’s going to change anyone’s vote,” Haust explained on Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show. “I don’t think we’re going to flip any votes there. More importantly, however, it energizes the base and the people who are fighting so hard for the Trump campaign in battleground states in particular. So it’s not so much the performance or actually changing votes about people…I don’t think that’s the story.”
Haust added, “I think the story is what that does to the base and what that does to the volunteers who are fighting so hard. Will they get tired or will they be reenergized?”
When it comes to the substance of the debate between Vance and Walz, Haust painted a stark difference of how she believes each candidate will perform.
With personal experience living in Minnesota under Walz’s governorship, Haust said she believes Walz will be prepared for the debate with “canned answers that have been tested and memorized.”
“He’s a great puppet,” Haust added.
On the other hand, Haust said Vance is “convicted” and “believes” his stances.
“[Vance] puts emotion behind it. He believes it. He’s convicted about his stances. He’s doubling down on the things that actually matter and resonating with regular Americans. He’s saying what we wish we had a platform to say,” Haust said.
In addition, Haust said Walz has “very thin skin,” which she noted Vance could take advantage of during the debate.
“[Walz] has very thin skin. I think if JD Vance can get under his skin and bring up things that are hurtful to Walz, hopefully get him off his game a little bit, then that anger will come out,” Haust explained.
Some of the governor’s past statements Haust said Vance should bring attention to during the debate include Walz’s comments about the extent of his military background which appears to be stolen valor and a comment he made about the rural parts of Minnesota as being “mostly rocks and cows.”
Haust said if Vance is successful in agitating Walz next week and is able to create “viral moments,” then the Trump campaign will be able to “dominate the news cycle” for days after the debate.
Watch the full interview:
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Gov Tim Walz” by Gov. Tim Walz and photo “Sen. JD Vance” is by Gage Skidmore CC2.0.
