Ohio Sen. JD Vance recently shared insights into his strategy during the vice presidential debate, where he faced off against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Vance revealed that his focus was primarily on Vice President Kamala Harris rather than his debate opponent, Walz.
During an appearance on the conservative Ruthless Podcast, Vance referenced the famous Sun Tzu quote, 'Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake,' indicating that he believed Walz had faltered during the debate. Vance expressed his view that Walz had 'buried himself' and emphasized the importance of remaining silent and letting his opponent's missteps speak for themselves.
Prior to the debate, Vance and former President Donald Trump had reportedly decided that targeting Harris would be more effective than attacking Walz. Vance reasoned that since voters were primarily focused on Harris and Trump, it made more sense to direct attention towards Harris, whom he believed was less known to the public compared to Trump and President Joe Biden.
Vance saw the debate as an opportunity to introduce undecided voters to Harris and sought to capitalize on that by highlighting her background and policies. He aimed to contrast his approach with Walz's appeals to the middle ground, believing that focusing on Harris would resonate more with the electorate.
By strategically choosing to concentrate on Harris rather than engaging in direct attacks on Walz, Vance aimed to leverage the debate platform to shape perceptions of the vice presidential candidate and potentially sway undecided voters in his favor.