MARY LAHAMMER'S LATEST LEGISLATIVE RACE TO WATCH.

>> ERIC: AND POLITICS IS WHERE WE START TONIGHT.

NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT DEMOCRATIC VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ WILL TAKE THE DEBATE STAGE AND FACE OFF AGAINST REPUBLICAN VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE U.S.

SENATOR J.D.

VANCE.

IT IS THE FIRST AND ONLY SCHEDULED DEBATE BETWEEN THE V.P.

CANDIDATES AND WILL BE THE FIRST TIME WE SEE EACH IN THIS UNSCRIPTED SETTING.

DANA FERGUSON IS PART OF THE POLITICS TEAM OVER AT MPR NEWS AND SHE'LL BE HEADING TO NEW YORK CITY TO COVER THE DEBATE DANA, WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Eric: TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STRATEGY FOR THE DEBATE.

I'VE BEEN READING THIS WEEK THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING, GETTING UNDER WALZ'S SKIN EARLY AND OFTEN.

>> RIGHT.

THAT'S WHAT WE'VE HEARD A LITTLE BIT.

AND WE KNOW THAT THE WALZ CAMPAIGN IS EMPLOYING TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BEAUTY JUDGE TO STAND IN AS -- BUTTIGIEG TO STAND IN AS VANCE.

MEANWHILE, CONGRESSMAN EMMER IS REHEARSING AS GOVERNOR WALZ WITH VANCE.

PRACTICING SOME OF THE MINNESOTA-ISMS, THINGS THAT THE GOVERNOR DOES.

BUT, YES, THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY KNOW THAT THE GOVERNOR CAN GET SORT OF FIRED UP IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS IF HE'S PRESSED.

AND I THINK THEY WILL TRY TO TAP INTO THAT ON TUESDAY.

>> Cathy: HE CAN GET A LITTLE PRICKLY AT TIMES.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: YES, EXACTLY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHICH MINNESOTA-CENTRIC TOPICS MIGHT COME UP DURING THE COURSE OF THAT DEBATE?

>> I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S RESPONSE TO THE RIOTS IN 2020, FOLLOWING GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER.

WE'VE BEEN HEARING QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE FEEDING OUR FUTURE FRAUD SO, THAT LIKELY WILL COME UP.

AND THEN I THINK SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE IN 2023 BY THE DFL-LED LEGISLATURE AND SIGNED INTO LAW DEALING WITH ABORTION, POSSIBLY SOME OTHER POLICIES HAT REPUBLICANS VIEW AS A LITTLE BIT TOO FAR LEFT FOR THE WHOLE OF THE COUNTRY.

>> Eric: HOW ABOUT HIS MANY TRIPS TO CHINA?

COULD THAT COME UP?

>> IT'S POSSIBLE, AND WE KNOW THERE ARE CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS THAT ARE GOING TO PROBE THAT ISSUE BEING LED BY REPUBLICANS.

SO THERE COULD BE AN EFFORT THERE TO TIE HIM TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN SOME WAY.

ALTHOUGH THERE'S NO INDICATION THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EXISTS.

>> Cathy: I WONDER WHAT J.D.

VANCE GOES AFTER FIRST IN TERMS OF -- I WONDER IF HE'LL BRING UP THE GOVERNOR'S MILITARY CAREER.

>> I THINK HE COULD.

AND HE MIGHT MAKE IT MORE OF A SERIES OF COMMENTS BOUT THE WAY THAT THE GOVERNOR MISSPEAKS OR SAYS THINGS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY ACCURATE.

SO THAT VERY WELL COULD BE ONE OF THEM.

THE GOVERNOR'S FAMILY HISTORY USING IUI, INTRAUTERINE, I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO GET THE ACRONYM RIGHT, ASSISTIVE REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES, RATHER THAN IVF, SO JUST GOING TO THE POINT THAT SOME OF THE INACCURACIES OR JUST THE WAY THAT HE SPEAKS DOESN'T LWAYS MATCH UP WITH WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

>> Eric: PART OF THE CBS RULES, THERE WILL BE NO FACT CHECKING BY THE ANCHORS.

>> I THINK THAT BOTH CANDIDATES MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THAT.

BUT THE PUBLIC COULD SEE A NEGATIVE IN THAT.

I KNOW THAT REPUBLICANS LAST TIME, WHEN FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP DEBATED VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, A LOT OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS A NEGATIVE FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT, THAT THAT IVE FACT CHECKING AS OCCURRING.

SO IT COULD CHANGE THE TENOR OF THAT DEBATE.

>> Cathy: I BET YOU'RE HOPING TO ACTUALLY GET TO TALK TO THE GOVERNOR IN NEW YORK BECAUSE, REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TRIED -- WE ALL HAVE, ALL THE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN MINNESOTA HAVE TRIED TO TALK TO HIM.

AND HE'S JUST NOT BEEN AVAILABLE.

>> RIGHT.

IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE SOME TIME.

I KNOW OTHER MEMBERS OF THE MINNESOTA PRESS CORPS HAVE ALSO BEEN TRYING TO GET THAT TIME AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING UP ITH THE GOVERNOR ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, WHAT'S GOING ON ON HE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, AND THE MOST THAT WE'VE REALLY HAD IN THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF OR SO WERE TWO SHOUTED QUESTIONS AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR.

SO OPEN INVITATION TO THE GOVERNOR'S STAFF, PLEASE GIVE US SOME ONE-ON-ONE TIME.

>> Cathy: WELL, HE'S PRETTY TIGHTLY CONTROLLED.

>> HE IS.

>> Cathy: ON THE TRAIL.

AND THAT'S BY DESIGN.

>> YES.

THEY'RE HOPING TO KEEP HIM REALLY ON NARRATIVE, AVOIDING QUESTIONS THAT COULD SORT OF DERAIL HIM OR GET HIM OFF TRACK, SAY THINGS THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DELVE INTO, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE A VERY SHORT TRAJECTORY BEFORE ELECTION DAY THAT IS GETTING SHORTER EVERY DAY.

>> Eric: NOT TO BE THE HYPE MAN FOR THE DEBATE, BUT I WONDER SINCE THERE APPARENTLY WON'T BE A SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, I WONDER IF THIS RAISES THE STAKES A LITTLE BIT OR VIEWERSHIP FOR THIS DEBATE?

>> I THINK IT VERY WELL COULD.

THIS COULD BE THE CLOSING SALBO IN THIS WHOLE THING, AND THE V.P.

THE CANDIDATES GET TO BE THE ONES TO DELIVER THE FINAL PUNCH FOR THEIR TOP TICKET FOLKS AND MAKE THE CASE FOR WHY ONE OR THE OTHER WOULD BE THE BETTER INDIVIDUAL TO LEAD THE COUNTRY.

SO I ANTICIPATE THEY'RE BOTH GOING TO BE COMING OUT SWINGING.

>> Cathy: THERE WAS THE MINNESOTA POLL THIS WEEK, WHERE MINNESOTA VOTERS WERE ASKED ABOUT WALZ'S FAVORABILITY AND J.D.

VANCE'S FAVORABILITY RATINGS.

WHAT DID THAT SHOW EXACTLY?

>> IT SHOWS THAT THE GOVERNOR IS EVEN IN TERMS OF FAVORABILITY, 53ISH PERCENT SAID THEY FIND HIM AVORABLE.

52 SAID THEM FIND HIM UNFAVORABLE.

BY CONTRAST, J.D.

VANCE HAD A HIGHER UNFAVORABLE RATING COMPARED TO THE FAVORABILITY.

THAT MIGHT BE THAT FOLKS HERE DON'T KNOW HIM AS WELL, HE'S NOT THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE.

SENATOR OF THE STATE.