Friday Fish Fry: Has either debate moved the needle?

Debate scorecard is tied, 1-1, but does anybody care?

THE JUNIOR VARSITY DEBATE ... If Kamala Harris won the first debate, J.D. Vance won the second one. Since it doesn't seem to matter if the words the candidates are speaking are true, Senator Vance was clearly more calm and composed than Governor Walz, facts be damned.

I don't know what happened to the Walz we used to see eating deep-fried butter-on-a-stick at the Minnesota State Fair and riding the roller coaster with his daughter. He was lacking the folksy charm we came to know and love and appeared positively nervous and off his game.

The only time he scored big was when he asked Vance if he thought Trump had lost the 2020 election and Vance refused to answer, saying he'd rather look to the future. Vance clearly believes Trump lost, but doesn't want to get dumped from the ticket by saying so.

Will either debate move the needle?

Not likely. The first debate convinced Republican voters that Harris is extremely smart and probably capable of bringing to fruition policies they fear, thus they need to redouble their efforts to defeat her.

And this second debate convinced Democrats that Vance can talk circles around Tim Walz and thus they need to redouble their efforts to defeat him.

Both debates will be long forgotten come November 5.