Following the highly anticipated presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, all eyes are now on the US Vice Presidential candidates debate. Scheduled for Tuesday, October 1st, at the CBS Broadcast Centre in New York, the debate will pit Republican JD Vance against Democrat Tim Walz. This face-off comes nearly three weeks after the presidential debate in Philadelphia.
CBS News initially proposed four possible dates for the vice-presidential debate – September 17th, 24th, October 1st, and 8th – but Vance and Walz ultimately chose October 1st. The debate will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell, the anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News,” and Margaret Brennan, the “Face the Nation” moderator and CBS News foreign affairs correspondent.
While vice-presidential debates are often considered less significant than presidential debates, this particular encounter could be different. As the likely last prime-time television debate in this format, it could be a pivotal moment in the election.
Here are ten key aspects to look out for during the debate:
1.
Attack Dog Role:
Traditionally, vice-presidential nominees adopt the role of an “attack dog” for their respective presidential candidates. Therefore, Walz and Vance are expected to dedicate significant time to criticizing Trump and Harris, respectively.2.
Post-Hurricane Helene Recovery:
With recovery efforts underway across the southeastern United States following Hurricane Helene, the debate could touch upon this pressing issue.3.
West Asia Tensions:
The escalating conflict in West Asia, particularly the Israeli campaign against Iran-backed terrorist groups in Lebanon, might be a topic of discussion.4.
Format and Dynamics:
Unlike the presidential debate, the VP debate will feature both candidates standing throughout the 90-minute event, and no microphones will be muted. This could lead to lively exchanges of ideas and, potentially, heated arguments.5.
Limited Audience and Format:
The debate will not have a live audience and will forego opening statements. However, each candidate will have a two-minute closing statement at the end. Vance, who won a virtual coin toss on September 26th, will deliver his closing statement second.6.
Unprepared Questions:
Neither Walz nor Vance will receive the questions and topics beforehand. The moderators will ask questions exclusively.7.
Time Limits:
Each candidate will have a maximum of two minutes to answer each question, with one minute allotted for rebuttals and one minute for follow-ups at the moderators’ discretion.8.
Campaign Interaction Restriction:
Candidates are prohibited from communicating with their campaign teams during commercial breaks.9.
Potential Impact:
The debate could potentially sway undecided voters before the November 5th polls.10.
Live Coverage:
The debate will be broadcast live on CBS and other networks, including PBS, NBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, and MSNBC. Live streaming options are available on CBS News’s YouTube channel, CBS News 24/7, Paramount+, C-SPAN, and other platforms.The US Vice Presidential nominees debate will begin at 9 pm Eastern Time (ET) on Tuesday, October 1st. Indian viewers can watch the debate live on Wednesday, October 2nd, from 6:30 am onwards.
