HARRIS VP PICK: MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ
Vice President Kamala Harris has picked her running mate to do battle with Republican former President Donald Trump and Trump’s veep pick J.D. Vance: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The Washington Post:
Vice President Harris has told allies that she has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate, opting for a former high school teacher and Midwestern Democrat to complete a newly assembled presidential ticket, according to three people familiar with the selection who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that is not yet public. Walz is scheduled to appear with Harris in coming days in each of the seven most competitive states — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
The Hill has a series of reactions from Democrats and Republicans on Walz’s selection here.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday selected as her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a moderate Democrat who when serving in Congress demonstrated the ability to work with Republican lawmakers, according to a person who was briefed on the decision.
Though popular at home, Walz did not have much of a national profile until his recent plainspoken critique of Republican nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance — that they are “weird.” That one word proved surprisingly effective in eviscerating a former president known for name-calling.
“These are weird people on the other side,” Walz said in an interview with MSNBC in July. “They want to take books away. They want to be in your exam room.”
It was a language pivot, after years of Democrats calling Trump a threat to democracy, and the Harris campaign latched onto it, issuing a statement calling Trump “old and quite weird.”
Walz later explained that constantly calling Trump an existential threat “gives him way too much power.”
“Tim Walz would be the worst VP in history!” Trump wrote in a fundraising email after the decision was leaked Tuesday in which he attacked Walz on immigration and environmental spending.
AND:
Walz has deep rural roots, which could prove a counterpoint to Vance, whose political ascent began with his bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which chronicles his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio.
Often appearing in public in T-shirts and ball caps, Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach, brings an amiable, Midwestern dad sensibility to the ticket.
[..}He said he first decided to get involved with politics in 2004 after trying to take a group of students to an appearance by then-President George W. Bush in Mankato. They were denied entry, he said, because one of the students sported a John F. Kerry sticker.
“Having just returned from military duty in Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom I wished to hear directly from the President and my students, regardless of political party, deserved to witness the historical moment of a sitting president coming to our city,” Walz wrote on Twitter, now known as X. “Above all, I was struck by how deeply divided our country was becoming that a veteran & a group of high schoolers would be turned away at the door.”
Angered by the incident, Walz volunteered for the Kerry campaign and, two years later, was elected to Congress to represent southern Minnesota’s rural, Republican-leaning 1st District. He won reelection five times.
[…]Once embraced by the National Rifle Assn., which endorsed him and gave him an “A” rating, Walz denounced the organization after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. He began endorsing gun control measures, including an assault weapons ban.
“The world’s changed,” he told the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2018. “I’ve changed.”
Walz was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018.
I am proud to announce that I've asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate.
As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his.
It's great to have him on the team.
Now let’s get to work. Join us:https://t.co/W4AE2WlMTj
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 6, 2024
Here is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signing a law guaranteeing all students receive a free breakfast and lunch no matter their household income.
pic.twitter.com/EqKsJi3sBl— PatriotTakes ?? (@patriottakes) August 6, 2024
I’m smiling a mile wide right now
— David Hogg ? (@davidhogg111) August 6, 2024
— Matt Lewis (@mattklewis) August 6, 2024 latform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″>
Tim Walz is an exceptionally effective governor – and also great to work with. I’m excited for what his Midwestern voice, military experience, and common-sense values will bring to our winning ticket, and for everything the Harris-Walz administration will deliver for Americans.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) August 6, 2024
You would think that Trump would *like* the fact that Walz thinks convicted felons should be allowed to vote. https://t.co/yX6f5t3sHS
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) August 6, 2024
I am still getting up to speed on VP nominee @GovTimWalz. But the more I read/listen, the more there is to like. Walz served the country proudly in National Guard, was a beloved educator and football coach. Under his leadership, Minnesota is ranked 6th best state in nation for…
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) August 6, 2024
This is Tim Waltz after he brought kids in MN free school lunch ? pic.twitter.com/Orak4Z5dpu
— Rachel Bitecofer ?????? (@RachelBitecofer) August 6, 2024
It's gonna be Shapiro, people https://t.co/J94SxsjhmM
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) August 5, 2024
@ChrisCillizza is the Jim Cramer of politics.
— TallTeeth (@WildBillPecos) August 6, 2024
The word I heard from Dems last night was “compatibility” and clearly she had better vibe w a peer like Walz than Shapiro.
But what’s striking isn’t just that she landed on the left’s preferred pick – it’s that she defied so many Dem consultants who preferred Shapiro
— Jonathan Martin (@jmart) August 6, 2024
Some of the policies Walz signed into law in Minnesota:
-Universal school meals
-Stronger labor protections
-Cannabis legalization
-Stronger LGBTQ+ protections
-paid leave/sick
-100% clean energy by 2030
-repro rights
-$1B for housing
-gun safety
-cut child poverty 1/3— Jeremy Slevin (@jeremyslevin) August 6, 2024
Tim Walz can try to take an unapologetically progressive message to blue collar workers in the midwest, the mid-Atlantic and the upper south with sincerity and with a big smile, bringing back some New Deal coalition vibes. We'll see if it works. But I think that's the calculus.
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) August 6, 2024
I'm on a call with four friends back in Chicago right now as the Walz news broke.
The uniform response: he's every midwestern Boomer dad we grew up with.
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) August 6, 2024
Tim Walz is the first person on a Democratic presidential ticket not to have attended law school since Jimmy Carter in 1980.
— John M. Cunningham (@jmcunning) August 6, 2024
"This is a very dangerous ticket — a very liberal ticket, a very progressive ticket. This ticket will leave the American people LAST at a time when the American people have already been left behind by Joe Biden & Kamala Harris." @ByronDonalds pic.twitter.com/ed4tcaBcxZ
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 6, 2024
Enough with the opinions.
It’s time for the support.
— Armando (@ArmandoNDK) August 6, 2024
Kamala Harris has made it clear with Tim Walz–this contest will pit genuine, humorous, dedicated public servants against the Smarm Boys, slimy, lying, self-interested opportunists.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) August 6, 2024
"Tim Walz allowed rioters, and arsonists, and looters to rampage through Minneapolis. Kamala Harris then turned around and encouraged contributions to a bail fund for the few that were actually arrested."
"Kamala Harris is a San Francisco liberal and Tim Walz is a self-professed… pic.twitter.com/n0Q1JOOoon
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 6, 2024
Picking a Rural Democrat who used to represent a Red district with a progressive, populist record is a great way to balance a ticket with a nominee from Oakland, California.
And @GovTimWalz is also just awesome https://t.co/3dKWwN8tGk
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) August 6, 2024
Something that’s made a massive, material difference the last few weeks—Harris brought joy back to Democratic politics. She’s a constitutionally joyful person. I think Tim Walz is, too. Together, they could make this campaign fun. And if we’re having fun, we’re going to win this.
— Aaron Regunberg (@AaronRegunberg) August 6, 2024
Yes, Gov. Josh Shapiro could have brought a bigger payoff (19 Electoral Votes) but Gov. Tim Walz fills the age-old bill for VP nominees: First, do no harm.
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) August 6, 2024
NRSC spox Mike Berg on Walz pick:
“Kamala Harris did not pick Josh Shapiro because antisemitic progressives did not like that he is Jewish. It was Harris’ first major decision as the nominee and she caved to the pro-Hamas contingency within the Democratic Party.”
— Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) August 6, 2024
The likely impact of Walz, based on my conversations with top Democrats:
organized labor pleased, motivated to rally
progressives comfortable w/ him
centrists/vulnerable Ds sigh of relief since he's seen as folksy, funny
military service, educator roots get DNC spotlight
— Robert Costa (@costareports) August 6, 2024
Tim Walz doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. From delivering for working-class Americans to standing with the UAW on our picket line last year, we know which side he’s on. That’s why we’re going to send@KamalaHarris and @Tim_Walz to the White House this November. pic.twitter.com/uALOPL9LOJ
— UAW (@UAW) August 6, 2024
— Hope ???? (@HopeisaBison) August 6, 2024 ” charset=”utf-8″>
When @GovTimWalz became @DemGovs Chair last December, he said two very important things in his first interview:
1.) "This is the time to be bold."
2.) "These guys are weird."
Now it's time to make him our next VP. LFG!!! https://t.co/TDAUlhXLS6
— Sam Newton (@SamNewton) August 6, 2024
I'm thrilled to see Tim Walz join the Democratic ticket.
From providing free meals for schoolkids to implementing paid family leave in Minnesota, he's about doing good in all the ways you can.
He'll be an incredible partner to our first woman president. Let's go win this. pic.twitter.com/gH32Xq1Nco
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 6, 2024
BREAKING: HARRIS PICKS WALZ FOR VP!
•Nat'l Guard 24 yrs
•Public school teacher 20 yrs
•Congressman 12 yrs
•MN Gov 6 yrs
•Pro working families, raised corp taxes, is anti-fracking, is pro free school lunch
•USA's first female Native American Gov Peggy Flanagan succeeds Walz— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) August 6, 2024
Nothing says “folksy” and “blue collar” like supporting sex changes for children, drivers licenses for illegals, cheering on deadly BLM riots, and demanding unlimited importation of jihadist refugees. Walz is the koolaid label on the bottle of poison.
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) August 6, 2024
It is amazing that Vice President Harris had a chance to move toward the center, pick her Governor of Pennsylvania whose 19 electoral vogues could easily be the margin of victory and who is closer to the center than she is and skipped him, in part because of anti-Semitic…
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) August 6, 2024
Governor Walz isn’t only an ally to labor – he’s our union brother with a deep commitment to a pro-worker agenda. Labor stands united behind the Harris–Walz ticket and ready to help lead the effort to defeat Trump, Vance and their Project 2025 agenda.https://t.co/Ievcd9t0ka pic.twitter.com/LB3NAlooxH
— AFL-CIO ? (@AFLCIO) August 6, 2024
I'm so excited that my friend @Tim_Walz will be the next Vice President of the United States! As a fellow Midwesterner and governor, I know firsthand that his leadership is an important asset to this ticket. He’ll be an excellent partner for @KamalaHarris, and I’ll do everything…
— Gretchen Whitmer (@gretchenwhitmer) August 6, 2024
The post HARRIS VP PICK: MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ appeared first on The Moderate Voice.