Tim Walz On The Campaign Trail

 

While future President Kamala Harris has been doing a very effective media blitz, future Vice President Tim Walz has bee on the campaign trail in battleground States.  Here are some fresh clips of him on the campaign trail.

Talking about Dementia Don's cognitive issues and January 6:

Talking about jobs and manufacturing:

Talking about improving rural quality of life:

 

He's a salt- of- the- earth guy who really connects with people. What a great running mate and governing partner for future President Harris.

Tonight's VP "Debate": Normal Vs. Weird

 

Vice Presidential debates are normally seen as not determinative in Presidential elections, but do provide added insights into not only party platforms but also the person who is a heartbeat sway from being President. Governor Tim Walz has a decided advantage over Trumpist JD "Junior Demagogue" Vance in terms of appeal.  This debate may have more of an impact on voters. Vance is perhaps the least popular of any modern VP candidate.  His odd judgements of single women, bans on abortion, and the malicious lie about legal Haitian immigrants eating peoples' pets in Springfield, Ohio, have made him the poster boy for far-right demagoguery and conspiracies.  The Associated Press has an overview of tonight's debate on CBS (9 p.m. Eastern):

"The debate in New York hosted by CBS News will give Vance, a Republican freshman senator from Ohio, and Walz, a two-term Democratic governor of Minnesota, the chance to introduce themselves, make the case for their running mates, and go on the attack against the opposing ticket.

Tuesday’s matchup could have an outsized impact. Polls have shown Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump locked in a close contest, giving added weight to anything that can sway voters on the margins, including the impression left by the vice presidential candidates. It also might be the last debate of the campaign, with the Harris and Trump teams failing to agree on another meeting. [snip]

Vance’s occasionally confrontational news interviews and appearances on the campaign trail have underscored why Trump picked him for the Republican ticket despite his past biting criticisms of the former president, including once suggesting Trump would be “America’s Hitler.”

Walz, meanwhile, catapulted onto Harris’ campaign by branding Trump and Republicans as “ just weird,” creating an attack line for Democrats seeking to argue Republicans are disconnected from the American people.

A new AP-NORC poll found that Walz is better liked than Vance, potentially giving the Republican an added challenge."  (our emphasis)

Gov. Walz has an advantage going in: he's an authentic, plain spoken guy, whereas Vance is a dishonest fake who shifts positions to advance his career.  If Gov. Walz can parry the anticipated dishonest attacks from the unlikable Vance, and return fire at Vance's way- out- of- the- mainstream views, it should be a good night for the Harris-Walz ticket.  

Gov. Walz's Speech Accepting The Vice Presidential Nomination

 

ICYMI, here's Gov. Tim Walz's acceptance speech at last night's rocking DNC.  We confess that we lost it at about the 8:00 mark when Gov. Walz lovingly addressed his family's struggles with infertility and his tearful 17- year- old son Gus said, "That's my dad."  At that moment it felt like the coach was everyone's dad. 

 

BONUS:  Plus he had his high school championship team there to cheer him on.  Priceless!

Once a proud coach, always a proud coach. pic.twitter.com/RTbAWoMxc6

— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 22, 2024

Walz Speech Galvanizes Democrats

 

We know what a great candidate and how dynamic and relatable Vice President Kamala Harris is, and that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is rightfully a force in Democratic politics. ICYMI, here is Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' speech last night in Philadelphia, giving proof of the Vice President's good judgement:

 

Walz is like the favorite teacher you had, the guy in the neighborhood who's friends with everybody, the great dad and husband, the man who's been true to his values and himself his whole life.  If there's a Q rating for politicians, Walz' would be through the roof.  

This is a ticket built to win in November.

BREAKING: Harris-Walz!

 

The choice apparently has been made.  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be Kamala Harris' running mate:

Vice President Harris 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 following, according to three people familiar with the pick, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that is not yet public.

The choice of Walz, 60, creates a ticket that many Democrats have said would be politically beneficial. Harris, 59, who is Black and Indian American and spent much of her career in deep-blue California, chose from a list of finalists populated by White men, including Walz, who have represented more competitive swaths of the country.

The selection culminates an increasingly intensive process in recent days, as the Harris team narrowed down the prospects and various factions of the Democratic Party lobbied for their favorites. On the weekend, Harris interviewed three finalists: Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. [snip]

Harris’s choice of a running mate was among the most closely watched decisions of her fledgling campaign, as she sought to bolster the ticket’s prospects for victory in November and rapidly find someone who could be a governing partner. In picking Walz, she has selected a seasoned politician with executive governing experience, and signaled the importance of Midwestern battleground states such as Wisconsin and Michigan.

Walz’s foray into politics came later in life: He spent more than two decades as a public school teacher and football coach, and as a member of the Army National Guard, before running for Congress in his 40s. In 2006, he defeated a Republican to win Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District — a rural, conservative area — and won reelection five times before leaving Congress to run for governor.

Walz was first elected governor in 2018 and handily won reelection in 2022. He emerged publicly as one of the earliest names mentioned as a possible running mate for Harris, and in the ensuing days he made the rounds on television as an outspoken surrogate for the vice president...

More as the story develops.

Bravo!!

BONUS:

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

 

BONUS II:    Wonkette has some nice quotes and vids.  What a likeable, normal, smart guy.