It was the battle for second place – the chance for the vice presidential contenders to amplify their respective campaigns. Tim Walz, the stolid “dad” candidate from Minnesota; and JD Vance, who has evolved from author of the moving Hillbilly Elegy to Trumpian foghorn.

Vance won this Midwestern rumble handily: the result of a lot more match practice as a speaker and Walz’s evident nervousness with the format, his snowy head often bent over notes and forehead wrinkled in concentration.

It felt like an inversion of the recent Kamala Harris versus Donald Trump contest, when Trump was outpaced by the smooth evasions of his Democrat challenger.

Vance has “been to nice school” (as one well-known debate coach texted me), losing his grumpy monk stare and instead smiling warmly at Walz as the two men exchanged greetings.

Walz is essentially a support act for Harris. Her decision to choose him as running mate has left other more experienced bidders for the deputy role grousing that he lacks the charisma and verve to bring wavering voters over the line. For Vance, conversely, the limelight was a chance to establish himself on a national stage in the role described to me by one of his close acolytes as........

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