What does it mean to say that JD Vance “won” last week’s vice-presidential debate with Tim Walz? Regrettably, it means that style matters more than substance. Most of what Vance said was a lie. But because he said it smoothly and suavely, and because his opponent was visibly nervous, a lot of people said he won, even though some of his lies were contorted to the verge of bizarre, even though Walz’s answers had plenty of substance most of the time, despite a delivery lacking Vance’s gracefulness. A disheartening number of people are persuaded by appearances, in a way that is far older than American politics. In fact, as Milton shows in