Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate showed us there still might be some room for civility in politics.
In a presidential race more loaded with rage and insults than actual policy proposals, we were pleased to see the calmer rhetoric used by Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.
Maybe it was just the two of them being “midwestern nice” to one another, but we appreciated the friendly, honest banter between the two men who could be second in line for the presidency.
For instance, Vance showed compassion when Walz talked about his teenage son witnessing a shooting at a community center.
“I’m sorry about that. Christ have mercy,” Vance said.
Walz answered, “I appreciate that.”
We need to see more human moments like this. After all, we Americans have more common ideals than differences.
We especially appreciate it from Vance, who we recently called out for repeating debunked stories about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating pets in nearby Springfield. We pleaded with him to do better as a native son of Ohio, and he did.
A calmer, more focused Vance showed why the 40-year-old could be a suitable step-in if something happened to the 78-year-old Donald Trump. That certainly weighs on voters’ minds after witnessing the decline of current President Joe Biden and his eventual step aside to allow his VP, Kamala Harris, to run as the Democratic standard-bearer.
Walz came off as the affable former football coach that Minnesotans already knew him to be.
It doesn’t mean they agreed on everything, but they still were able to find some common ground. Take, for instance, a discussion about the hot topic of immigration.
“I believe Sen. Vance wants to solve this, but by standing with Donald Trump and not working together to find a solution, it becomes a talking point,” Walz said.
Vance replied, “I actually think I agree with you. I think you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does.”
We can disagree on the solutions to problems, but it doesn’t mean we should yell and scream at one another. We should listen carefully. We should learn. We should improve our own ideas. Then, we should lead.
We welcome this kinder, gentler approach to talking about politics.
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Lima News editorial policy is independent of political party affiliation. Opinions expressed in the Our View column reflect the view of The Lima News editorial board.
