Welcome back in for Al’s Afternoon Tea. Who doesn’t need a jolt of caffeine after staying up to watch the vice presidential debate last night? That one felt like a playoff game that went into extra innings.

If you missed it, here is my initial take on the debate, which ran super-early this morning: “The Vance-Walz Debate: A Master Class in Skill and Class, and a Gaffe for the Ages.” Also, John Zmirak has a great analysis with “The VP Debate: Probably Helpful with Swing Voters, If Frustrating to Us Zealots.”

Then again, who needs our thousands of words when you’ve got this?

What's up, Doc? pic.twitter.com/krsu6DIJBL

— Real Ben Garrison Cartoons (@GrrrGraphics) October 2, 2024

And now, some random post-debate tidbits … 

Walz Silent on “Friends with School Shooters” Gaffe

Tim Walz hit a New York pizzeria last night after the debate. It was his best move of the night. In yet another Not Ready for Prime Time Moment, he ignored reporters who asked him about his bizarre statement that he’s become friends with school shooters.

"Can you clarify what you meant when you said you befriended school shooters?"

"Why did you say you were in Hong Kong when reports say you weren't?"

WALZ: *ignores* pic.twitter.com/WYORws3fGx

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 2, 2024

How hard would it have been to simply turn around and say, “Obviously I meant I’ve become friends with victims of school shooters. Now, let’s have a slice of pepperoni”?

While Walz also ignored the question about lying about his whereabouts during the Tiananmen Square massacre, my greater issue is how the moderators ignored the more serious issue of Walz’s alleged connections to the Chinese Communist Party. That’s like asking P. Diddy where he got all the baby oil, rather than about his serial abuse of women and children.

Butterflies?

No doubt Walz had a tough go of it last night. He admitted he’d been nervous, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison chalked up his debate failure to having “the butterflies.”

I also get nervous sometimes; we all get “the butterflies.” But if you are asking Americans to make you the planet’s second most powerful person in a time of great upheaval, you can’t let ’em see you sweat. And you can’t let our enemies see how easily you get unnerved.

A simple question for undecideds: Which of those two men who debated last night would you want playing nuclear poker with Russia, China, and North Korea? Summits carry far higher stakes than questions from friendly reporters. Then again, given Walz’s affection for communism, he’s likely to show China and North Korea his cards.

Clarification About Project 2025

One of Walz’s biggest whoppers involved claiming that Project 2025 would create a “pregnancy registry.” Given the fact that Donald Trump has publicly castigated Project 2025, it matters little — but since Harris, Walz, and their surrogates keep trying to bludgeon Trump with Project 2025, people should at least have the facts. Roger Severino wrote the section of Project 2025 that Walz so falsely discussed.

Walz outrageously claims the @Prjct2025 section I wrote would create a "pregnancy registry." It merely recommends CDC compile *anonymous* abortion stats for all 50 states instead of the current 46-47. Walz's own state collects miscarriage information every year, so it runs a… pic.twitter.com/LuxJLLhgOB

— Roger Severino (@RogerSeverino_) October 2, 2024

What Walz is saying is a flat-out lie. As Breitbart points out, even USA Today and Snopes labeled it a “hoax” earlier this year. The Harris-Walz campaign is built on hoaxes, not joy. 

NY Times Reaction: Vance “Made Trumpism Sound Polite, Calm, and Coherent.”

As Just the News reports, of the 13 New York Times columnists who reacted to the debate, 10 gave the victory to Vance. Binyamin Appelbaum made an observation that should make Walz — and Harris — even more nervous.

“JD Vance was more effective in presenting a version of his party’s ticket that might broaden its appeal,” he wrote. “He made Trumpism sound polite, calm and coherent.” (Emphasis mine.)

Perhaps we should start calling Vance “the Trump Whisperer.” 

MSNBC’s Kristen Welker says she was getting texts from Democratic friends who were “panicked” over how well Vance was coming across. What did they expect? When you create a false picture of a person, of course it’s going to crumble when people can meet him themselves. The Left insisted Vance is “weird.” Did he look weird to viewers last night? Perhaps those Democratic friends should ask, “What other lies have I fallen for hook, line, and sinker?”

Liberal — but straight-shooting — journalist Mark Halperin had tough words for moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan on his Wide World of News site.

From the always astute @MarkHalperin on his Wide World of News site today: pic.twitter.com/gqrMxabiZM

— Brit Hume (@brithume) October 2, 2024

With Friends Like This …

In his closing statement, Tim Walz boasted that he and Harris have the support of “Bernie Sanders, Dick Cheney, and Taylor Swift.” That’s great. A socialist, a warmonger, and a woman who’s made a billion dollars singing about her bad dating choices.

“Reshaping the Perception of Masculinity,” You Say?

Is a domestic abuser poised to become the nation’s First Gentleman? Normally, the past life and actions of a political spouse shouldn’t play a role in election politics. Does anyone care that Nancy Reagan wasn’t all that great of an actress? Heck, did anyone make a fuss when Jill Biden’s first husband insisted she and Joe were already involved with each other when she was still married to him?

However, this time out is different. Kamala Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, is not only a prime surrogate for Harris, touting his support for women and “reproductive rights,” but he is being prominently displayed as an ideal male in a bid to draw male voters to Harris. Just the other day, MSNBC host and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki declared Emhoff was “reshaping the perception of masculinity.”

So it matters very much when the Daily Mail accuses Emhoff of abusing an ex-girlfriend in 2012. Three friends of the woman, whom the Daily Mail is calling “Jane,” say Emhoff slapped her so hard that the force turned her head around. He was upset because he thought she was flirting with a valet.

The alleged incident occurred when the pair, who had been dating for three months, attended a ritzy charity event in Cannes, France. “Jane” immediately called a friend, a prominent New York businessman.

“It was hard to hear her because she was sobbing,” he told the Daily Mail. “She said she was with a guy, her date, she was at the Cannes Film Festival, and he hit her. She was in the car with the guy at the time. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know whether to call the French police. I couldn’t get a hold of her after calling back.”

The second friend shared a similar story of receiving a call right after the alleged attack. Jane told a third friend the full story in 2018, sparked by then-Senator Harris grilling Brett Kavanaugh about the false allegations that he sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford.

Previously, the Daily Mail revealed that Emhoff had impregnated his kids’ nanny. It makes us wonder: What else does the Daily Mail know about Doug Emhoff?

Don’t be surprised if they do know even more. Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway suggested as much.

This is a horrifying story. I will say that it matches with something I recently learned from two California individuals who know Emhoff fairly well and said his reputation for poor treatment of women was notorious in their circles. https://t.co/0UBAcs6j6d

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 2, 2024

On the Stream Menu

As we continue our 40-day fasting for the nation, Stream contributor Albin Sadar pleads, “Christians: Take Your Duel Citizenship Seriously” as Shane Idleman discusses “Going to War to Close Out 2024: Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough.”

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.