Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has to impress an audience of one as much as he needs to win over voters in Tuesday's vice presidential debate, and a columnist suspects he'll imitate another "shouty" Yale Law School graduate who once faced a similar task.
The Ohio Republican will face off against Democratic rival Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) in the debate, and Daily Beast columnist Nell Scovell expects him to "go for the Trumpian emotional trifecta: playing the victim, spewing anger, and attacking women" – much like Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh did during his confirmation hearings.
"Fortunately for Squee’s best buddy, a little sexual assault – denied or even not – never bothered Trump," Scovell wrote. "The president stood by his appointee and the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled an additional hearing to hear the new testimony. But first, Kavanaugh appealed to the court of MAGA public opinion. He and his wife joined interviewer Martha McCallum on Fox News for one of the cringiest interviews ever."
Kavanaugh insisted he had remained a virgin until "many years" after the alleged sexual assault had taken place while he was in high school, Scovell reported, and reminded readers that Trump was furious at his "wooden performance" and made clear to allies that he should be more aggressive in hearings.
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"That message was clearly received. When Kavanaugh returned to the Senate for questioning, he lashed out, calling Dr. Blasey Ford’s credible accusation a 'grotesque character assassination,'" Scovell wrote. "He pinned the 'revenge' campaign on the Clintons. He vigorously defended his beer drinking, insisting, 'Yes, we drank beer. I liked beer. Still like beer.'"
Kavanaugh came across as a temperamental "bully," Scovell wrote, and seemed to be embarrassed later by his "sharp tone," but the former president loved his performance.
"Vance knows that his debate performance must please an 'audience of one,'" Scovell wrote. "Job one is to make Daddy Donald proud. Reasonable and empathetic just won’t cut it. Here are the predictions for how Vance will follow in Kavanaugh’s footsteps by using a sharp tone, being overly emotional and saying a few things he should not say."
