Pennsylvania standoff: Why did Kamala choose the wrong running mate?

it all comes Down to Pennsylvania.

This is not an exaggeration.

If Kamala Harris lost Pennsylvania, Donald Trump is the 47th President of the United States.

Now you could say the same about Michigan or Wisconsin, but it especially feels like a Democratic candidate should be able to carry the Keystone State.

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And that’s why, in my opinion, Kamala should have chosen her popular governor, Josh Shapiro.

I have nothing against Tim Walz of football coach fame, but I don’t see what he’s done for the ticket. There’s a reason the campaign won’t let him do any solo interviews — a stark contrast. With JD Vance, Who are continuously doing interviews and press conferences.

Indeed, Vance now often takes questions from reporters in front of supporters, who scold the reporters, sometimes before they even begin speaking.

We’ll find out if Walz can think on his feet when he faces off against Vance in tonight’s VP debate. The most generous thing I can say is that the coach will rust.

Governor Tim Walz speaks to supporters at the Grand Rapids Public Museum on September 12. (Detroit Free Press/Adam Vander Kooy/via USA TODAY Network Images)

Let’s take a look at the latest figures.

In the Real Clear Politics average, Trump leads Harris by a slim margin of 48.1% to 47.9%, which is certainly a statistical tie.

At 538, the micro-margin has reversed in Pennsylvania, with Harris averaging 47.9% and Trump averaging 47.1%, another tie.

Now imagine that Shapiro, who is more liberal than the ultra-progressive Walz, was the running mate. And let’s say Shapiro had brought in another 50,000 votes as a home-state guy. You can see where this would tip the balance.

Kamala did not choose Josh for two reasons. They had a heated exchange when they interviewed him, with the Governor insisting that if he was to step down he would have to play an influential role his current jobBut so what? The President and his leaders do not often meet face to face. He preferred the image of Walz, hunter and fisherman, over the prospect of two East Coast lawyers.

But an even more important reason is more disturbing. Harris was under pressure from the anti-Israel faction in her party not to tap Shapiro, who is Jewish and a strong supporter of the Jewish state.

So the Vice President effectively handed veto power to this minority faction, which basically supports Hamas terrorists who will wipe out Israel, and faces a week or two of controversy as a result. I said at the time that it would be a world-class mistake if she lost Pennsylvania.

A pro-Palestinian protester wearing a straw hat looks horrified after blocking Vice President Kamala Harris in Wilkes-Barre, PA. (Charlie Kreitz/Fox News)

The reason Harris has spent so much time in the Pittsburgh area is because the western end of the state is much more conservative than the eastern section defined by Philadelphia. Their goal is to keep Trump’s lead in check in parts of the state he will easily win.

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One problem Harris faces right now is that she makes very little news. She avoids tough questions and follow-ups, choosing “friendly” interviewers like MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, who has described Trump as a threat to democracy.

Visiting the Mexican border was a smart move, and not just because Trump has a big one leadership on immigration, But because Harris tapped into the news cycle, where images can count more than words, and attempted to portray herself as tougher on the issue than Joe Biden.

Otherwise, I’ve only been hearing excerpts from his stump speech in response to questions, starting with how his mother raised him. Repetition is important in politics, but if you do not insert a few new lines, the press is left without a headline.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Caroline Caster)

Meanwhile, Trump over the weekend called Harris “mentally weak”, saying Biden has just gotten older but she was born that way. He also said Harris should be impeached and perhaps prosecuted for the way she helped run the country.

Now that’s classic Trump. By using over-the-top rhetoric, he stirs up debate in the media about whether he has gone too far, and the debate revolves around the terms “Kamala” and “mentally handicapped”.

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Harris did not respond intelligently every trump blowBut remember, Trump benefits from negative coverage as much as positive coverage because he is driving the news agenda.

Here’s a pool report of Harris at a West Coast political event over the weekend: “She then changed her remarks to talk about the need for comprehensive immigration reform. VP Harris’ comments on the issue follow her comments in Arizona on Friday. Was similar to. In other words, no news.

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Think about this: Trump has been absolutely crushed by a hostile press corps, he is twice impeached and is bearing the burden of January 6th. Harris has been riding an extraordinary wave of positive press, and yet she has slipped slightly in the polls and is tied in Pennsylvania.

And there is no question that if she loses there, the election will be over.