With just under a month to go, the presidential race between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump appears close. Both sides are looking for any advantage that can tip the election in their favor and that includes their choice for vice president.
Republican Senator JD Vance and Democrat Governor Tim Walz offer voters a clear contrast and demonstrates the decision-making prowess of the two at the top of their tickets, Trump and Harris.
The Ohio senator was born with the name James Donald Bowman, but presently the "JD" doesn’t actually stand for anything. According to his official U.S. Senate biography Vance’s first name is listed at “JD”. Over the past 40 years, the author-turned-politician has had three different last names: Bowman, Hamel, and Vance. Moreover, his first name has been abbreviated differently.
Timothy James Walz is known as Tim. He has served as governor of Minnesota since 2019 and was a member of Congress from 2007 to 2019.
The two vice-presidential candidates do share a similarity. Both grew up experiencing rural poverty.
Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska and worked on his family’s farm. His father was a chain-smoker and died from lung cancer when Walz was 19. The family was forced to live on Social Security survivors' checks to make ends meet. Walz joined the Army National Guard with the goal in mind to earn and access the G.I. Bill for college.
Vance was born in Middletown, Ohio. His parents divorced when he was a toddler. Vance has written that his childhood was marked by poverty and abuse, and that his mother struggled with drug addiction. Vance and his sister Lindsey were raised primarily by his maternal grandparents in Kentucky's Appalachia. After graduating from high school, Vance enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.
During his four-year service, he was deployed to Iraq in 2005 for six months in a non-combat role, writing articles and taking photographs as a military journalist.
While both men grew up in tough, rural settings and entered the military to access opportunity their paths then diverge sharply. Walz goes forth to become an educator and Vance becomes a venture capitalist. Vance’s narrative is one of individual upward mobility, whereas Walz’s career highlights public service and community advocacy. Politically, they reflect their respective parties' values: Vance advocates for conservative reform with a focus on personal responsibility, while Walz emphasizes collective action through government intervention and public investment.
Guest:
Gabrielle Schonder is the director of FRONTLINE documentary, "The VP Choice: Vance vs Walz." The hour-long special investigates the lives and views of JD Vance and Tim Walz as they run for vice president. In an historic election, those who know the candidates best reveal the influences and ideas they’d bring to the White House.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
*This interview will be recorded on Monday, October 7, 2024.
