WASHINGTON − This Tuesday night, JD Vance and Tim Walz will debate in New York City, with stakes higher than usual for a vice presidential debate. Both candidates, coming from different Midwestern states, are eager to make their mark in what could be the last significant event before the elections.

Typically, vice presidential debates don’t have a significant impact on voter sentiment. However, with Republican candidate Donald Trump opting out of facing Democratic contender Kamala Harris again, this Vance-Walz debate could be the last opportunity for both sides to directly engage before a wide audience.

The debate, hosted by CBS, occurs just 35 days before the election. Currently, there’s a tight race between Harris and Trump, likely hinging on outcomes in seven key states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

“Vice presidential debates are often seen as not very consequential, but this one has added significance,” said Matthew Levendusky, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania. “Given that Harris joined the race late and there was just a single presidential debate, more people will likely be paying attention to this one.”

In this debate, both candidates emphasize their Midwestern heritage. Vance, 40, is a first-term U.S. senator from Ohio, portrayed as a self-made individual through his book “Hillbilly Elegy,” reflecting his journey from poverty and family struggles.

Walz, 60, the governor of Minnesota, was chosen as Harris’ running mate partly due to his relatable, blue-collar image – a former high school teacher and football coach, often seen in campaign videos as an everyday dad fixing cars and doing home repairs.

This sets the scene for a debate where both candidates will strive to demonstrate who embodies the true “middle American” ethos, according to Levendusky.

Walz enters the debate with an edge in popularity over Vance

Adding to the intensity, Vance aims to be Trump’s vice president. Trump, 78, previously stated he wouldn’t seek another term in 2028 if he loses to Harris. If Trump triumphs in November, Vance would immediately become a prime candidate for the MAGA agenda and a leading contender to succeed Trump in the next presidential race.

Walz, on the other hand, bears the responsibility of reassuring undecided voters, particularly those skeptical of Trump but uncertain about Harris. Harris quickly secured the Democratic nomination this summer following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from reelection consideration in late July, which came after pressure from many in the party regarding the 81-year-old incumbent’s ability to beat Trump.

Vance’s own campaign has faced challenges after older interviews resurfaced where he criticized women who choose not to have children, referring to them derogatorily as “childless cat ladies.” Other revelations revealed Vance had previously spoken unfavorably about Trump. Recently, The Washington Post reported that Vance privately stated in a 2020 Twitter message that Trump had “thoroughly failed to deliver on his economic populism.”

These controversies may explain why polling indicates Walz is generally viewed more favorably by the public. An August YSL News/Suffolk University poll showed that 37% of likely voters nationwide have a positive view of Vance, while 49% hold an unfavorable view. In contrast, 48% of likely voters view Walz positively, with 36% expressing an unfavorable opinion.

“For a running mate, the goal is mostly to avoid causing any harm. And JD Vance has done quite a bit of damage,” remarked David Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron. “Therefore, I believe Vance carries the most pressure in the upcoming debate, given that he draws a lot of controversy.”

Strategies of the Two Nominees Against Their Adversaries

As they engage in the age-old pre-debate strategies to manage public expectations, both campaigns are downplaying the importance of their key debate scheduled for this Tuesday night regarding its potential impact on the election.

After her September 10 debate with Trump, Harris saw only a small rise in her poll numbers, despite being viewed as the clear winner by both analysts and the electorate.

The Harris campaign aims for the upcoming vice presidential debate to echo last month’s Harris-Trump debate, where an assertive Harris challenged Trump to justify the sizes of his campaign events. Walz is expected to frame Vance merely as a “stand-in” for Trump’s ideals. Nonetheless, both the Harris team and Walz have made efforts to depict Vance as a competent debater, highlighting his many interviews and his education at Yale Law School.

“I will put in the effort. That’s my approach,” Walz stated during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow after the first presidential debate. “I anticipate that Senator Vance, being a United States senator and a Yale Law graduate, will be fully ready.”

The Trump campaign has indicated that Vance plans to criticize Walz’s leftist track record as governor, which features bolstering gun regulations, extending paid family and medical leave for workers in Minnesota, and ensuring universal free meals for students in public schools.

“Tim has been a total failure in Minnesota. He presents himself as just a friendly, relatable guy until people get to understand him and his policies,” remarked House Republican Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., a supporter of Trump, during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”

In reference to California’s Democratic governor, Emmer added: “Once you get to know the real Tim Walz, he resembles Gavin Newsom, just in a plaid shirt.”

Debate Preparations: Vance Trained by Buttigieg, Walz by Emmer

Emmer has taken on the role of Walz during Vance’s debate preparation sessions, which have occurred in Cincinnati and through virtual Zoom meetings. Monica Crowley, who served as assistant treasury secretary and is now a Fox News anchor, has portrayed CBS debate moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan during these practice debates.

Campaign advisor Jason Miller has been instrumental in Vance’s debate training, alongside Usha Vance, his wife, who has remained relatively low-profile during the campaign.

On the other hand, for Walz’s preparation, former presidential candidate and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has portrayed Vance – a figure Buttigieg has often ridiculed since Vance was chosen by Trump.

“Where do you even begin?” Buttigieg commented in a July MSNBC interview, when asked about his strategy for debating Vance. “They’ve picked someone who reminds many Americans of why they are disenchanted by the recent direction of the Republican Party.”

Two aides from the Harris-Walz campaign, Rob Friedlander and Zayn Siddique, have been responsible for organizing the debate practice sessions, which have taken place in Minneapolis, Harbor Springs, Michigan, and various campaign events. Additionally, Liz Allen, Walz’s campaign chief of staff and a former State Department official, along with Chris Schmitter, a longstanding senior adviser to Walz, have supported these debate training sessions.

“At a fundamental level, both candidates must demonstrate their suitability to be president through their attitude, presentation, and language,” said Julian Zelizer, a history and public affairs professor at Princeton University.

Zelizer stated that both Walz and Vance are expected to act as attack dogs for their respective teams. This involves Walz adopting a message centered on economic populism and branding Trump and his supporters as “weird,” while Vance will critique the Biden-Harris administration’s performance concerning the economy and immigration issues at the U.S.-Mexico border.

However, it’s equally crucial for both to avoid making significant mistakes.

“They want to avoid committing any blunders that could overshadow the overall narrative,” Zelizer added. “They should refrain from doing anything that would draw more attention than their running mates.”

Controversy Over Military Service and Pet-Eating Claims to Dominate the Debate

The upcoming 90-minute debate is expected to address several key issues. Unlike the presidential debates, there will be live microphones available throughout the entire discussion, even when one candidate is responding. In a change from previous vice presidential debates, both candidates will be standing at lecterns instead of sitting.

Immediately after Harris selected Walz as her running mate, Vance began criticizing Walz regarding his long history in the Minnesota National Guard. Vance, a veteran himself who has experience in public affairs, accused Walz of “stolen valor,” arguing that Walz retired from the National Guard before his unit was deployed to Iraq. Walz has clarified that he resigned to pursue a seat in Congress back in 2006.

“When Tim Walz was called to serve in Iraq, he chose to leave the Army, letting his unit go without him,” Vance stated in August.

Vance has also criticized Walz for once claiming he had “weapons of war that I carried in war,” even though Walz was never deployed for combat. Walz acknowledged he used the wrong phrasing while expressing his views on gun control.

Walz has mocked the Trump campaign for promoting a wild conspiracy theory suggesting that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio—which is Vance’s hometown—have been eating the pets of local residents. Vance has been a major supporter of this unverified claim, which Trump referenced during his debate with Harris to argue that undocumented migrants pose a risk to Americans.

“Can you believe this: ‘And they’re eating cats?’” Vance joked at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, following the Trump-Harris debate, triggering chants of “We’re not eating cats!” from his supporters.

According to Jennifer Mercieca, a political rhetoric historian at Texas A&M University and former debate coach, both candidates are likely to aim to “embarrass and humiliate” their opponent. She notes that Vance usually adopts a more aggressive approach in debates compared to Walz, but believes the Democratic candidate appears to have the upper hand due to his higher popularity among the electorate.

Given Trump’s age, it is more crucial for Vance to demonstrate his capability to take on the presidency if necessary, while Walz must navigate a “difficult balance” between displaying his relatable Midwestern style and attacking Vance assertively.

“Both of them,” Mercieca stated, “are under significant pressure.”