Illegal, family, threat: Words most used in the Vance-Walz debate

David Wharton, Los Angeles Times on Oct 2, 2024

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If words truly matter, then Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate was chock full of language aimed at undecided voters.

Time and again, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz employed thinly veiled code to evoke kitchen-table concerns about the economy, immigration and abortion. The running mates of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris often used similar words in very different ways.

“Family” and “families”

Vance: 30

Walz: 12

Predictably, these words often popped up in regard to childcare and healthcare. But Vance also tossed them into his responses about immigration and abortion.

“Money,” “price” and “cost”

Vance: 23

Walz: 14

Three more favorites for Vance, who often returned to them when speaking about economic and energy policies, housing and, as always, immigration. Walz used them to highlight affordable child care and negotiated prices on some prescription drugs.

“Children” and “kids”

Vance: 14

Walz: 19

Vance mentioned kids primarily in regards to his own family and gun violence. For Walz, they fit into an array of issues that also included abortion, the economy and election denial.

“Illegal” and “illegally”

Vance: 18

Walz: 0

For Vance, these fit into talk of immigration, the economy, housing and guns. The words never crossed Walz’s lips.

“Woman” and “women”

Vance: 8

Walz: 11

No surprise that abortion triggered these words — four times for Vance, nine for Walz.

“Election,” “threat” and “democracy”

Vance: 20

Walz: 18

Walz hammered away on the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and election denial. Vance struggled to respond, but turned “threat” around to accuse Harris of attempting to censor free speech on social media.

Taylor Swift’s name was uttered only once, by Walz. There was no mention of cats, cat ladies or couches.

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