Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz felt like a civil and relatively subdued conversation about the issues on American voters’ minds ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

In that respect it was different from the two presidential debates earlier this year.

The two men spent far more time attacking the other’s running mate than they did each other during more than 90 minutes on the CBS News stage in New York.

Walz had a shaky start, but hit the right track when he talked about abortion and the Capitol riot.

But the even-tempered, policy-oriented debate, with few political punches, probably ultimately served Vance — a polished public speaker — best.

If Vance was singled out for putting ideological meat on the bones of Trump’s conservative populism, he also put a polite, unassuming face on them Tuesday night.

“What these guys do is they make a lot of claims that if Donald Trump becomes president, all these terrible consequences will follow,” he said. “But in reality, Donald Trump was president. Inflation was low. The net salary was higher.”

There were moments when the Republican candidate was annoyed by what he thought was unfair fact-checking from the two CBS moderators, and at one point both candidates’ microphones were temporarily muted.

But for the most part, the onstage exchanges were even.

And there were several moments when the two men agreed on issues – and said so.

“There’s a lot of community here,” Walz said toward the end of the evening.

When Walz mentioned that his 17-year-old witnessed a shooting at a community center, Vance seemed genuinely concerned.

“I’m sorry and I hope he’s doing well,” he said. “Christ, have mercy, it’s terrible.”

The most heated disagreements emerged toward the end of the debate, over Trump’s repeated and false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen from him.

When Vance was asked whether Trump lost the last presidential election, he dodged the question and criticized what he said was Kamala Harris’ censorship.

Walz quickly noted that it was a “damn non-answer.”

“To deny what happened on January 6, the first time an American president or anyone else tried to overturn an election. This has to stop,” he said. “It’s tearing our country apart.”

Walz went on to say that the only reason Mike Pence, Trump’s previous vice president, was not on stage was because he was certifying President Joe Biden’s victory.

Vance had no answer for that and emphasized that, aside from his friendly demeanor and friendliness, he would not break with Trump’s position.

Vance and Walz entered this debate with different skills. Vance has spoken to reporters on television in heated exchanges. Walz feels at home on the campaign trail and uses his folksy style in contrast to more polished politicians.

Early in this debate, as both candidates stood behind podiums in a New York City television studio, Vance seemed much more comfortable. His answers were smooth and relentlessly focused on the message, constantly reminding the audience that despite all of Vice President Kamala Harris’s promises, Democrats have controlled the White House for the past three and a half years.

“If Kamala Harris has such great plans to address the problems of the middle class, she should implement them now,” he said.

For his part, Walz seemed hesitant and unsure about the opening topic, about Tuesday’s Iranian missile attack on Israel and whether the candidates would support an Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran. The governor of Minnesota rarely talks about foreign policy, and his discomfort about it was clear.

The Democrat took his place as the debate progressed, and during his conversations with Vance on the topic of immigration — a strong point for Republicans — both delivered astute messages.

Vance refuted accusations that he amplified false claims about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating pets in Ohio.

“The people I am most concerned about in Springfield, Ohio are the American citizens whose lives have been ruined by Kamala Harris’ border policies,” he said.

Vance said undocumented migration taxes the city’s resources, drives up prices and depresses wages.

Walz pointed to Trump’s opposition to proposed bipartisan immigration legislation earlier this year.

“I believe Senator Vance wants to solve this, but by standing behind Donald Trump and not working together to find a solution, it becomes a talking point, and when it becomes a talking point like this, we dehumanize and vilify other people.”

When the topic turned to abortion rights — a strong point for Democrats, according to polls — it was Vance who played defense and acknowledged that Republicans needed to do more to win the trust of American voters.

“I want us as the Republican Party to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word,” he said. ‘I want us to make it easier for mothers to afford to have babies. There is so much we can do for the public. policy front just to give women more options.”

Walz responded by saying the Democratic view on abortion is simple: “We are pro-women. We are in favor of the freedom to make your own choice.”

Walz was more focused on abortion, but he declined to continue his attacks when the topic turned to gun control.

After Vance said it was important to increase security in schools by making doors and windows “stronger,” Walz talked about background checks instead of endorsing Democratic calls for an assault weapons ban and other restrictions on firearms.

As a congressman, Walz regularly voted for gun rights and against many gun control measures, earning praise from the pro-gun National Rifle Association. During the debate, he said his views on gun control changed after the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, but some Democrats may be disappointed that he did not put further pressure on Vance Tuesday night.

American political history suggests that vice presidential debates don’t really matter.

In 1988, Democrat Lloyd Bentsen unseated Republican Dan Quayle. A few months later, Quayle was sworn in as vice president after his ticket won in a landslide.

It may turn out that this debate is equally irrelevant to the November results. However, unless a debate is announced at the last minute, this will be the last word either side has in a debate before Election Day.

Walz didn’t hurt the Democratic ticket and showed some of the Midwestern charm that made him Harris’ choice.

But Vance’s strong performance will likely boost Republicans in the coming days.

And the debate’s lasting impact could be to convince members of his party that the Ohio senator — who is only 40 — has a future in national conservative politics, given his ability to clearly articulate their ideological priorities bring to the brightest stages.