Vance and Walz debate about ‘experts’

OPINION:

Tuesday night’s face-off between Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was a revelation. Americans who tuned in never saw the extreme and “weird” Ohio Republican some pundits advised them to expect.

Mr. Vance was levelheaded, empathetic and focused on the issues that directly affect the lives of ordinary Americans. The Democratic governor, by contrast, appeared nervous, rarely able to keep up with the Yale-educated Republican.

An uncomfortable Mr. Walz often retreated into a recitation of the views of “experts” — adding that he’d do the same if Americans send him to the White House.

For instance, on the recent border legislation, Mr. Walz cited all the groups embracing the proposal: “These are the experts, and the Chamber of Commerce in The Wall Street Journal said, pass this thing.” But the Democratic bill failed in the Democratic-controlled Senate because it would not have reduced illegal immigration.

The Democratic contender likewise joined moderator Norah O’Donnell in emphasizing the result of a Wharton School study critical of Mr. Trump’s economic plan. Mr. Vance fired back: “Governor, you say trust the experts, but those same experts for 40 years said that if we shipped our manufacturing base off to China, we’d get cheaper goods. They lied about that.”

The Ohio senator explained border czar Kamala Harris’ open immigration policies have an economic impact. They have made housing increasingly unaffordable. Mr. Walz asked, “Which economists are saying that it is immigrants that’s adding to the cost?”

Mr. Vance replied, “Well, there’s a Federal Reserve study that we’re happy to share after the debate.” But he didn’t need a committee of experts to tell him importing 20 million people — all of whom need somewhere to live — is affecting the rental market. Increased demand drives up costs.

Mr. Vance offered a targeted solution. He wants the federal government to give up appropriate parcels of federal land where single-family houses can be built. This is the opposite of what attendees at the World Economic Forum are proposing. Those experts are interested only in high-density, high-profit housing, and they’re happy to eradicate the American dream of homeownership to get what they want.

This is an example of why one always needs to guard against submitting to rule by experts. They often have dubious motives, which is why Mr. Vance cited the need to evaluate their advice using common sense.

This was too subtle a point for the CBS debate co-hosts. Moderator Margaret Brennan revealed her own dubious motives when she stated as fact that the recent influx of Haitian immigrants into Springfield, Ohio, was aboveboard. Mr. Vance was having none of it.

“Margaret,” the GOP vice presidential nominee said, “the rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact check, and since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on.”

Mr. Vance concisely described the CBP One app that the Biden-Harris administration created to bypass the proper immigration process by rubber-stamping bogus asylum claims.

“That is the facilitation of illegal immigration, Margaret, by our own leadership. And Kamala Harris opened up that pathway,” Mr. Vance added before CBS muted his microphone.

The debate revealed the choice in November is between being ruled by a small group of experts with their own agendas and rule by the will of the public, guided by common sense. Only one of these visions is consistent with our Constitution.