Controversy has been swirling ahead of the lone CBS News debate between Vice Presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance after it was announced that the moderators wouldn't be fact-checking them in real-time.
Instead, CBS announced in a statement, it would be up to the Democratic Minnesota Governor and the Republican Ohio Senator to fact-check each other, a potentially messy prospect in the era of "fake news" and MAGA propaganda.
Fact-checking was non-existent at Donald Trump's lone debate with President Joe Biden, but he was fact-checked extensively by ABC's David Muir and Linsey Davis.
Gov. Walz is polling a whopping 40 points ahead of the historically unpopular Vance and has been doing his debate prep with the very experienced Pete Buttigieg. Vance has been doing his prep with Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba.
Advantage: Coach Walz.
Despite the consensus giving Gov. Walz the advantage, the voice of the people is also calling for the moderators--CBS News anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan--to not just be robotic questioners.
Walz will have plenty of facts on his side--including Vance's history of criticizing his running mate, the "childless cat lady comments," and the lies he continues to tell about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, the state Vance represents in the Senate. But Vance has that smooth frat-boy liar thing so down pat, he's made several careers out of it.
Fact-checking once the debate has ended won't be nearly as effective as stopping a lie before it can become accepted fact.