GOP’s J. D. Vance debated Democrat Tim Ryan about a bunch of stuff, including immigration. Ryan is accusing Vance of knowing about the Great Replacement, or as The Hill dispassionately puts it, believing in ”the so-called great replacement theory, a racist conspiracy theory that asserts there is an intentional effort to replace white Americans with people of color.”

Later in the debate, Ryan literally accuses Vance of Replacing American workers himself, by investing in ”companies that use foreign workers.”

However, it was the final minutes of the debate that saw the most fireworks, with Ryan accusing Vance of holding anti-immigrant and racist beliefs and Vance hitting back by citing his own family and calling the claim “slander.” ….

Sparks flared throughout the hourlong debate, but fireworks erupted toward the end when Ryan accused Vance of espousing racist and xenophobic beliefs.

The exchange came in response to a question about the so-called great replacement theory, a racist conspiracy theory that asserts there is an intentional effort to replace white Americans with people of color.

“This is who he’s running around with, talking about replacement theory,” Ryan said. “There’s no big grand conspiracy. This country has been enriched by immigrants from all quarters of the world.” 

Vance interrupted, telling Ryan the accusation was “shameful” given his family.

“My turn, pal,” Ryan responded, prompting Vance to say, “Oh, buddy.” 

Ryan went on to note that a mass shooting at a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket earlier this year that targeted Black people was motivated by the great replacement theory. 

“This is disgusting,” Vance responded. “Here’s exactly what happens when the media and people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging the great replacement theory.” 

“What happens is my own children, my own biracial children, get attacked by scumbags online and in person because you are so desperate for political power that you’ll accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial babies, of engaging in racism? We are sick of it. You can believe in the border without being a racist.” 

“You’re so desperate not to have a real job that you’ll slander me and slander my family,” Vance added. “It’s disgraceful.” 

Vance has an Indian-American wife, and they have three mixed-race children. Brahmins who attend Yale Law School, like Mrs. Vance, are not what the immigration debate is about.

Immigration emerges as a flashpoint

Even before the exchange that closed out the debate, immigration and border security had emerged as a flashpoint, with both candidates lobbing personal attacks and touting their policy proposals.

In addition to a question specifically about immigration, both Ryan and Vance frequently pivoted answers to other questions — including those on abortion and the opioid crisis — toward the border.

Vance said illegal immigrants were coming into the country “through Joe Biden and Tim Ryan’s wide-open southern border.” He went on to cite his in-laws’ story of immigrating from South Asia legally. 

“They followed the laws of this country,” Vance said. “We’re all part of the same family, but your introduction to this country should not be breaking its laws. You should come in through the proper channels.” 

“You vote for the amnesty. You vote for the border wall funding,” [Ryan’s position is a little strange, see Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) defends his simultaneous opposition to Trump’s border wall but support for border fencing, Recount, October 10, 2022] Vance added, saying it is “going to destroy our country unless we get it under control.” 

Earlier in the debate, Ryan hit Vance for accusing him of being too soft on immigration. 

“I’m not going to take any guff from you, J.D., on this issue,” Ryan said. “This guy has invested in dozens of companies that use foreign workers. This is why J.D. Vance, with all due respect, is a fraud.” 

Five takeaways from a heated final Ohio Senate debate, by Julia Manchester, The Hill, October 17, 2022

Ryan also tries to put some distance between himself and Biden’s crazed Open Borders policy:

Ryan also touted his own work on border security and broke with President Biden and others in his party on “relaxing some of the regulations down on the border—completely disagree with that.”

What it shows is that post-Trump, and after the last two years of Biden, immigration has to be an issue, and has to be debated. And all the Democrats have to say is that the GOP is racist.