Maybe it was good that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was the football coach, not the debate coach. The 90-minute debate on CBS News Tuesday may not have been watched by many. But for the politics junkies—the kind of people who tune-in for local politics podcasts—it was a good chance to see at length how Walz and Republican JD Vance hold up under scrutiny.
On this episode of Iowa Down Ballot, moderator Dave Busiek talks with a panel of longtime Iowa journalists and analysts about whether they passed muster. Walz had a stilted start seeming under water on international affairs. And Vance showed his skill at ducking questions. Will it matter? Our panel seems suspicious. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some things to learn.
Also on this episode, the panel talks about the widespread anti-immigrant sentiment and how it translates in deep red Iowa. They get into the two constitutional ballot issues Iowans will vote on this year. A look at how U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican, is using her office to help her campaign. And why Attorney General Brenna Bird is signing on to so many lawsuits.
Follow these panelists for ongoing, independent analysis:
Iowa Down Ballot is a production of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. It is produced by Zachary Oren Smith with music from Dartanyan L. Brown.
VP debate: Who's up? Who's down? Does it matter?