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selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris meets many of the key criteria for a Democratic nominee and is unlikely to create any of the controversy that has arisen on the Republican side over J.D. Vance or over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro or Senator Mark Kelly.
In addition to being a safe choice, Tim Walz is a logical choice. He touches several key constituencies in a way that can only benefit the candidate. First and foremost, he has been a teacher. Given the importance of teachers unions and teachers in general to the Democratic Party, it is significant that he has been a social studies teacher as well as a football coach.
Furthermore, another positive is that he served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. US representativeWalz was the highest-ranking veteran to serve in Congress from either party. That might not seem like a big deal after all these years, but for Kamala Harris to have a running mate from the Midwest who has been a teacher, a coach and served in the military — well, it ticks a lot of boxes that the former prosecutor and senator doesn’t have and that she won’t be able to easily attract on her own.
Walz has another clear advantage based on demographics. He has successfully represented a rural district and a rural swing district that have tilted Republican in recent years at the same time.
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The weakness of the Democratic Party, and especially of the Democratic presidential candidate from San Francisco, has been the failure to connect with small-town Americans. These are the same people Hillary Clinton inexplicably called “hateful.” With the addition of Tim Walz to the ticket, the so-called “hateful” people have become a prime target audience.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has officially become Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s vice presidential running mate. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Walz has many other qualities that no one else has. Governor Josh Shapiro Neither did Senator Mark Kelly. He has an uncle-like manner that is very charming and non-confrontational. Plus, we’ve already seen during the campaign that he’s able to deliver tough messages against Republicans with a smile on his face. I’m not sure I’d compare him to Harry Truman, but it’s the same small-town, wide-eyed partisan charm that has served my party well in the past.
The other advantage Walz has is the absence of scandal. Josh Shapiro had a sexual harassment scandal in his office that drew a lot of attention before the selection. And Mark Kelly, an extraordinary man with an extraordinary resume, also had a lot of complaints about some of his private business dealings. I don’t think any of these reasons should have disqualified anyone, but as far as I can tell, Tim Walz is a nearly scandal-free, common man type of vice presidential candidate.
And, of course, there’s the politics. Last, but certainly not least, Walz’s candidacy immediately takes Minnesota off the table — if it was ever in play — and there’s no doubt that will help Minnesota. Kamala Harris In the neighboring states of Michigan and Wisconsin.
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Walz goes mainstream Democratic position on abortionhealthcare, education and will undoubtedly be labeled as a Democratic progressive. But given his quiet nature, the district he represents in Congress and the issues Kamala Harris has taken on before, I think Republicans will have far more success and credibility attacking the presidential candidate as a far-left liberal than they will attacking their vice presidential nominee.
Democrats are clearly betting they can win Pennsylvania without Josh Shapiro. I suspect they felt that on political and personal grounds, Walz was a safer choice, having a richer, more varied personal and political history than the governor of the Keystone State.
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So, then the question arises. Will Tim Walz help Kamala Harris win the election? If I had to say, my best guess would be that he won’t. But I also believe he will meet one of the most important criteria in presidential politics – do no harm. This is something that is still unclear as to who this can be applied to Republican candidate J.D. Vance,
Overall, Kamala Harris has made a good choice because it is a safe choice. And it is a choice that, at worst, will have no impact and, at best, could help marginalized Democrats.
