The vice presidential candidates each had just two things to accomplish Tuesday night. First, do no harm (to their ticket). Second (and this is a bonus): Score a viral moment.
The bonus point was important for Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) in particular. Only 1% of voters watching the presidential debate were undecided, so the goal is that viral moment – and his friends in the Democratic Party media were standing by ready to echo it.
By the second hour, Walz was busier blocking punches than even trying to throw one back.
And boy did he give it to us. When moderators asked the governor to address why he lied about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre, he responded: “I grew up in a small town.” It was perfect. Hysterical. It played right into Vice President Kamala Harris’ response to any question at all: “I grew up in a middle-class family.” Will Ferrell couldn’t better parody a politician.
