Move over, Josh Shapiro. Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota is Kamala Harris’ pick to be the next vice president of the United States.
Politics :
Hard to believe, but it’s only been 2 weeks since Joe Biden stepped aside and Kamala Harris stepped up to become the Democratic nominee for president. However, 2 weeks and 1 day since then, she now has a running mate — and his name is Tim Walz.
I was surprised when the dynamic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — who could potentially deliver his state’s 19 electoral votes — was not the ultimate pick. However, after watching Tuesday’s Harris-Walz rally in Philadelphia, it all sort of made sense.
Josh Shapiro spoke immediately before Kamala Harris and Tim Walz — and boy was he on fire! If the Democrats are ever in need of a great orator who can stir up a crowd, they’d need to look no further than Shapiro. However, therein lies the problem.
Shapiro’s entire presence appeared as if he should be at the top of the ticket instead of in the #2 spot. He also reportedly insisted on certain demands in order to accept the role of secondary running mate.
Tim Walz was different.
Another Tim Walz Gem
— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) August 5, 2024
This Nebraska native is a former high school teacher, former high school football coach, former member of the US House of Representatives (with relationships still present on Capitol Hill), and a former Sergeant Major in the US National Guard with 20+ years of service. He’s also a hunter, a gun-rights advocate who supports “responsible” gun ownership, a guy who’s gone viral with a video on making car repairs, and the inventor of the catchphrase that Trump and JD Vance are ‘weird.’
After 5 minutes of watching him next to Kamala Harris at Tuesday night’s official debut rally, Tim Walz proved why he is the pick.
He’s folksy. He’s the poster child of middle America. He speaks the language of Appalachia. Or, in other words, he’s the one-time football coach that white male voters will find relatable. He’s the trustworthy face older white voters will feel comfortable seeing on a ticket led by a Black female.
Oh, and he’s a down-home, ordinary White guy who prevented a Jew and a Black on the same ticket — a nightmare scenario for a certain element of society.
He’s also authentically funny.
On Tuesday while discussing how crime rates went up under Donald Trump, Walz added: “And that doesn’t even count the crimes he committed”. He called the Republican ticket “weird as hell” and on the topic of abortion, he said the government should follow the midwestern golden rule to “Mind your own damn business”.
Tim Walz is a safe pick. He’s a natural #2. He won’t rock the boat. He won’t turn off young voters in the way Shapiro would have done. He won’t alienate Michigan’s Muslim voters, who were turned off by the possibility of Shapiro.
Donald Trump and his MAGA followers who feared Shapiro would be the pick are breathing a sigh of relief today. However, they’d be foolish to underestimate the power of Tim Walz and his ability to potentially get Harris-Walz over the finish line in November.
OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Kamala Harris picks Tim Walz as her VP.
Tim Walz. A man whose story I was not familiar with at all until a few days ago when I noticed his name, as a dark horse, who came out of nowhere and I thought “might be” rising to the top of Kamala’s list.
But honestly, until the announcement was actually made, I thought Shapiro would still be her pick. So my initial reaction was mixed. Until the rally last evening!
In short: Repubs were right to fear Shapiro. But after seeing/hearing what I (and the world) saw/heard last night, the Repubs are truly deceiving themselves if they don’t recognize they may have even more to Fear with Walz!