For One Night Only

For a moment there it almost seemed like donkeys and elephants could co-exist peacefully.

Sure Mr. Vance misrepresented Mr. Trump's stance on abortion and its far too real impact on the lives of actual people living under the effects of overturning Roe. Sure he portrayed Mr. Trump as an efficient, effective President who had not been wildly, disastrously incompetent and incoherent in fighting the only major battle of his presidency, the pandemic. Sure he twisted himself into a pretzel to portray Mr. Trump as the staunch defender, no, the actual savior of Obamacare. And sure he tried to erase January 6th from the record books and instead hold Dems the very unlikely villain accountable for bringing democracy to its knees.

But the tone of Mr. Vance and Mr. Walz was mostly civil. Just two mid-western boys disagreeing on the direction of the country's future and the accountability of the other's party for various alleged past transgressions. But, no we are not at war with each other and, yes, we do kind of see, if not eye to eye, at least mouth to mouth on matters like keeping our kids and our schools safe from gun violence.

Mr. Vance, a skilled enough debater to try to recast the sow's ear that is Mr. Trump into a silk purse and simultaneously erase any reference to Mr. Biden as being the actual leader presiding over policies Mr. Vance found fault with. Mr. Walz, at times less polished, but generally able to acquit himself well against an opponent far more seasoned in the art of manipulating the conversation.

In the end, it appeared that neither did any lasting damage to the other. I would guess, in the days to come, the needle will not move significantly in either direction based on this event.

But it certainly was a welcome sight to have a debate stage absent Mr. Trump and the chaos he carries with him wherever he appears. Calm, even at times cordiality, sometimes, somehow on display.

For one night only.