在副总统辩论中，万斯和沃尔兹迎来了他们第一个政治崛起的重要时刻

【中美创新时报2024 年 9 月 30 日编译讯】（记者温友平编译）当万斯和沃尔兹在纽约进行他们唯一的副总统辩论时，他们的争斗应该仅限于口头上——这一刻将强调两人在政治上的戏剧性崛起。《波士顿环球报》记者萨姆·布罗迪（Sam Brodey） 对此作了下述报道。

当参议员 JD 万斯和州长蒂姆·沃尔兹本周二在国家电视台上走下讲台时，这不会是两位候选人的第一次辩论争吵。

在万斯的案例中，这是字面意思：2021 年，作为俄亥俄州美国参议院候选人，他在共和党初选辩论中打破了两位竞争对手之间的僵局，当时双方差点爆发肢体冲突。

万斯是三位一直不安地旁观这场对峙的候选人之一，他站起来说：“伙计们，坐下。来吧。” 这场争吵平息后，万斯利用下一个问题批评了曼德尔，曼德尔是右翼的领军人物，他和迈克·吉本斯之间差点发生打斗。

戏剧性事件平息后，万斯利用下一个问题批评了曼德尔挑起这场争斗。“真是个笑话，”他说，赢得了掌声。

这被视为万斯的关键时刻，当时他在拥挤的初选中努力争取支持。

“他看起来比我好多了，”吉本斯在接受《波士顿环球报》采访时回忆道。“他在恰当的时间说了恰到好处的话。坦率地说，在那之后，他的民意调查支持率上升了。”

沃尔兹曾赢得多场竞争激烈的美国众议院竞选和两次明尼苏达州州长竞选，此前也曾面临过尖锐的攻击，但他经常置之不理，或试图用看似尖锐的幽默来化解这些攻击。

2018 年，沃尔兹首次竞选州长，他面临共和党对手杰夫·约翰逊的持续压力，约翰逊反复指出，沃尔兹没有完全回答有关无证移民和单一支付医疗保健的敏感问题。

在一个令人难忘的时刻，约翰逊向沃尔兹施压，要求他说明他对“更好明尼苏达联盟”的电视攻击广告的了解程度，该联盟是支持民主党的重要外部组织，共和党人称其不诚实。

“这是我的专业建议，杰夫，”沃尔兹打趣道。“过去两周我都没看电视。”他以超过 10 个百分点的优势击败了约翰逊。

当万斯和沃尔兹在纽约进行他们唯一的副总统辩论时，他们的争斗应该仅限于口头上——这一刻将强调两人在政治上的戏剧性崛起。

万斯是一名政治新手，在参议院任职不到两年，他言辞犀利，坚持不懈地传达信息，并且敏锐地意识到如何利用时机。沃尔兹虽然在任近二十年，但还是首次登上国家舞台，他是一位经验丰富的辩论家，不喜欢主动攻击。相反，他倾向于用令人放松的个人风格与观众建立联系，并击败对手。

最终，两位候选人可能都明白自己周二的任务：不是提升自己的形象，为自己赢得选票，而是为成为候选人而辩护。鉴于前总统唐纳德·特朗普和副总统卡马拉·哈里斯不太可能在选举日之前再次辩论，这项任务变得更加重要。

不过，两人还有很多事情要纠缠。民主党人可能希望沃尔兹关注万斯对“无子女猫女”、他之前强烈反对特朗普或他煽动俄亥俄州右翼对海地移民的恐慌所发表的一系列有争议的言论。共和党人渴望万斯打击他们眼中沃尔兹担任州长时的左翼议程，并分析沃尔兹偶尔对其军事记录的错误陈述。

明尼苏达州参议员蒂娜·史密斯是沃尔兹的长期盟友，她说沃尔兹在重要时刻的优势一直是他“脚踏实地”。

“蒂姆对自己非常专注，当他进入不同的环境，比如全国辩论时，他不会试图变成不同的人，”史密斯说。“他在农田、州博览会摊位和许多其他地方进行过辩论。我毫不怀疑他会准备好提出自己的观点。”

沃尔兹似乎总是更愿意在集会和一对一采访中即兴发表言论，而不是与对手争吵。这位州长的沟通技巧是他从默默无闻迅速崛起的一个重要原因。在被哈里斯选中之前，他用“怪异”一词简洁地攻击特朗普和万斯，被整个党派所效仿。他在有线电视上的露面大大提高了他在副总统讨论中的声望。然而，自从被任命为竞选搭档以来，沃尔兹还没有接受过一次主流媒体的采访，而万斯却无可避免。

尽管如此，民主党人认为沃尔兹有能力反击万斯的尖锐攻击。明尼苏达州更好联盟执行董事玛丽莎·卢娜表示，沃尔兹的真诚和热情是他迄今为止受到选民喜爱的原因。

“我们从特朗普、JD 万斯和共和党人身上看到的，都是非常卑鄙和粗暴的人身攻击，”卢娜说。 “蒂姆·沃尔兹一贯做得很好，他没有进行这些真正不必要的、人身攻击——他解释了他的对手所做的伤害人们日常生活的事情，并有证据支持。”

如果民主党人很高兴看到沃尔兹在实质和风格上与万斯形成对比，那么共和党人则认为万斯是独一无二的，可以对抗州长。他们称赞他的直觉和智慧，渴望他尽可能地咄咄逼人。

“JD 万斯与蒂姆·沃尔兹的对决就像迈克·泰森与拳击比赛中的青少年奥运选手对决，”万斯的盟友、长期参与俄亥俄州共和党政治的乔希·卡林说。“这就是他来这里的原因。”

万斯在台上缓和辩论斗争的瞬间帮助他在 2022 年拥挤的共和党初选中脱颖而出。在大选中，万斯努力击败他的民主党对手、前众议员蒂姆·瑞安。

但共和党人回忆起一次辩论中的关键对话，当时瑞恩将万斯——他担心移民“入侵”会“取代”已经在这里的选民——与刚刚在纽约州布法罗市的一家超市杀害 10 名黑人购物者的白人至上主义枪手联系起来。

通常情绪平静的万斯愤怒地回应，提到了他和印度裔美国妻子的三个孩子。

“这就是媒体和像蒂姆·瑞恩这样的人指责我参与伟大替代理论时发生的事情，”万斯说。“发生的事情是，我自己的孩子——我的混血儿——在网上和现实中遭到卑鄙小人的攻击，因为你们如此渴望政治权力，以至于你们会指责我，三个漂亮的混血婴儿的父亲，参与种族主义。我们受够了。你可以相信边界，而不必成为种族主义者。”

卡林说，这样的时刻证明了万斯的优势。 “他是一位经过实战考验的批判性思考者——他有自己的想法，并且不得不一遍又一遍地为这些想法辩护，而且经常遭到不公平的批评。他愿意为这些想法而战，他几乎乐此不疲。”

一些共和党人似乎渴望万斯这位有能力的辩论者能够揭穿哈里斯-沃尔兹的议程，而特朗普在总统大选辩论中却未能做到这一点，当时他经常被个人的轻视和随意的离题所困扰。

“我认为他会比特朗普更好地处理自己，”吉本斯说。“我给他写了一条短信，我说，‘我相信有人比我更有资格为你提供建议，但让我认识的 JD 万斯来吧，因为这是人们想看到的。’”

像史密斯一样，民主党人承认万斯作为辩论者的“优雅”，但认为沃尔兹已经证明他不是软弱的人。

“蒂姆的特点是，他会做他自己，”她说。 “这就是为什么美国人觉得他如此亲切。他不完美，他真实。”

题图：俄亥俄州参议员 JD 万斯和明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·沃尔兹。J. Scott Applewhite/Gene Puskar/美联社

附原英文报道：

In the VP debate, Vance and Walz get their first — but not only — big moment in meteoric political rises

By Sam Brodey Globe Staff,Updated September 28, 2024

Senator JD Vance of Ohio and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.J. Scott Applewhite/Gene Puskar/Associated Press

WASHINGTON — When Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz step behind their podiums on national TV this Tuesday, it won’t be either candidate’s first debate brawl.

In Vance’s case, that’s literal: In 2021, as a candidate for US Senate in Ohio, he broke up a standoff between two rival candidates during a GOP primary debate that was inches away from turning physical.

The near fistfight between Josh Mandel, a leading right-wing hopeful, and Mike Gibbons was avoided after Vance — one of three candidates who had been uncomfortably watching the confrontation — stood up and said, “Guys, sit down. Come on.”

When the drama had subsided, Vance used his next question to tee off on Mandel for instigating it. “What a joke,” he said, to applause.

It came to be seen as a pivotal moment for Vance, who was struggling to gain traction at the time in the crowded primary.

“He looked a hell of a lot better than I did,” recalled Gibbons, in an interview with the Globe. “He said exactly the right thing at exactly the right time. And frankly, he went up in the polls after that.”

Having won a number of competitive US House races and two statewide contests for Minnesota governor, Walz has faced sharp attacks before, but has often ignored them or sought to deflate them with deceptively sharp humor.

In 2018, his first run for governor, Walz faced persistent pressure from his Republican opponent, Jeff Johnson, who repeatedly noted when Walz did not fully answer sensitive questions on undocumented immigration and single-payer health care.

In one memorable moment, Johnson pressed Walz over the extent of his knowledge of TV attack ads from Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a key outside group backing the Democrat, which Republicans called dishonest.

“Here’s my pro tip, Jeff,” quipped Walz. “I don’t watch TV during these last two weeks.” He went on to defeat Johnson by more than 10 points.

The combat should remain strictly verbal when Vance and Walz meet for their only vice presidential debate in New York — a moment that will emphasize the dramatic political rise of both men.

Vance, a relative political novice with less than two years of Senate service, is sharp-elbowed and relentlessly on message, and has a keen sense of how to exploit a moment. Walz, brand-new on the national stage despite his nearly two decades in office, is a seasoned debater who doesn’t relish going on the attack. Instead, he tends to use his disarming personal manner to connect with audiences and outflank opponents.

Ultimately, both candidates likely understand their job on Tuesday: not to boost their own profile and win votes for themselves, but to make the case for the top of the ticket. The task has taken on heightened importance, given that former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are unlikely to debate again before Election Day.

Still, there’s plenty for the two to tangle over. Democrats may want Walz to spotlight a host of controversial comments Vance has made about “childless cat ladies,” his previously deep opposition to Trump, or his fueling of the right-wing panic over Haitian migrants in Ohio. Republicans are eager for Vance to bludgeon what they see as Walz’s left-wing agenda as governor and for him to dissect occasional misstatements Walz has made about his military record.

Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota, a longtime Walz ally, said Walz’s strength in big moments has always been that he is “relentlessly grounded.”

“Tim is so centered in who he is that he doesn’t try to become something different when he moves to a different environment, like a national debate,” Smith said. “He’s debated in farm fields and state fair booths and plenty of other places. I have no doubt he’s going to be ready to make the case.”

Walz has always appeared more comfortable giving off the cuff remarks at rallies and in one-on-one interviews than sparring with an opponent. The governor’s messaging skill is a big reason behind his rapid rise from relative obscurity. Prior to his selection by Harris, his use of “weird” as a succinct attack on Trump and Vance was adopted by the entire party. His appearances on cable television considerably increased his stock in VP discussions. Since being named as the running mate, however, Walz hasn’t done a single interview with a mainstream outlet, while Vance has been inescapable.

Still, Democrats see Walz as well equipped to counter sharp attacks from Vance. Marissa Luna, executive director of Alliance for a Better Minnesota, said Walz’s authenticity and warmth are what have endeared him to voters so far.

“What we’ve seen from Trump, JD Vance, Republicans, are these really mean and kind of gross personal attacks,” said Luna. “What Tim Walz has done consistently and does well, he doesn’t make these really uncalled-for, personally degrading attacks — he explains what his opponent has done that is hurting people in their day-to-day lives that is backed up by evidence.”

If Democrats are excited to see Walz contrast Vance on both substance and style, Republicans see Vance as uniquely prepared to counter the governor. Praising his instinct and intellect, they are itching for him to be as aggressive as possible.

“JD Vance versus Tim Walz is like Mike Tyson versus a junior Olympian in a boxing match,” said Josh Culling, an ally of Vance who has long been involved in Ohio GOP politics. “This is why he’s here.”

Moments like Vance’s diffusing of the onstage debate fight helped him stand out in a crowded GOP primary in 2022. In the general election, Vance struggled to put away his Democratic rival, former Representative Tim Ryan.

But Republicans recall a pivotal exchange at one debate, when Ryan linked Vance — who had raised fears that a migrant “invasion” would “replace” voters already here — to the white supremacist gunman who had just killed 10 Black shoppers at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y.

The typically even-keeled Vance responded angrily, invoking his three children with his Indian-American wife.

“Here’s exactly what happens when the media and people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging in great replacement theory,” Vance said. “What happens is my own children — my biracial children — get attacked by scumbags online and in person, because you are so desperate for political power that you’ll accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial babies, of engaging in racism. We are sick of it. You can believe in a border without being a racist.”

Such moments demonstrate Vance’s advantages, Culling said. “He is a critical thinker who’s battle tested — he has ideas, has had to defend them over and over, often from unfair criticism. He’s a willing combatant for these ideas, he almost relishes this.”

There seems to be a hunger among some Republicans for Vance, a capable debater, to blow holes through the Harris-Walz agenda in a way that Trump failed to during the marquee presidential debate, when he was frequently distracted with personal slights and random tangents.

“I think he’ll handle himself a lot better than Trump did,” Gibbons said. “I wrote him a text, and I said, ‘I’m sure there’s people more qualified than I am to advise you, but let the JD Vance that I know come through, because that’s what people want to see.’”

Democrats, like Smith, acknowledge Vance’s “polish” as a debater but argue Walz has proven he’s no pushover.

“The thing about Tim is, he’s going to be himself,” she said. “That’s why Americans have found him so relatable. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being real.”