The CBS veep debate wasn't as bad as ABC, but the moderators quickly broke their own promise not to "fact check" the candidates (meaning the Republicans). After weeks of portraying Vance as a woman-hating, immigrant-baiting monster, Vance confounded CBS and other outlets by sticking to civil discourse and hitting soft notes for swing voters.

Managing editor Curtis Houck brought his notebook to describe what he saw during and after the debate. The turn toward civility led to a strange result: Democrats seemed frustrated with Tim Walz for being too civil to Vance! 

Vance talked about his three kids, he felt sympathy for Tim Walz's son being on the site of a school shooting, and he empathized with young women in unwanted pregnancies. This was quite a contrast with hypernegative network news coverage since Trump selected Vance as his running mate. His reputation within the media is that he's a smarter Trump -- Van Jones on CNN called him a "more dangerous virus."

CBS promised they wouldn't "fact check" the candidates, but once the debate began, CBS couldn't help but hector Vance from the left. An "overwhelming consensus" of scientists believe there's a climate crisis. The Haitian migrants being flown into Ohio and other states were all legal, not illegal. Vance ably stepped up and called out the moderators for breaking their own promise. What is the "CBP One app"? The networks have only mentioned it to suggest illegal immigrants aren't getting enough help from it. 

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