Up until the last several weeks, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wasn’t considered a top contender to be Kamala Harris’s running mate. Being comparatively amiable and nondivisive, as well as the influence of social media, were factors in his decision to join the vice president on the Democratic ticket.
Why, therefore, did Walz go from being practically unknown on a national level to being nominated for vice president by a major party? The whole affair could be described as “weird” by you.
You may remember that a couple of weeks ago, Democrats began labeling Republicans JD Vance and Donald Trump as “weird.” Though it appeared to have been successful, the assault had all the hallmarks of a high school prank.
Searches for the term “weird” have been on the rise as of late, according to Google’s trend statistics. On top of that, “weird” was linked to Republican Party, Vance, and Walz as well as Make America Great Again.
Walz, why? Many consider him the pioneer who first began to derogatorily refer to Republicans on a national scale.
Because the Harris campaign sent out an email implying that the online discourse was being driven by “weird” assaults on the Republican ticket, we know that they were paying attention.
It is not surprise that Harris chose an online sensation; after all, this is the campaign that has embraced terms like “brat” and “coconut tree.” Although Joe Biden’s campaign failed miserably on TikTok, Harris has achieved remarkable success there as well.
But does Walz’s selection point to an overly digital campaign?
Given that Harris chose Walz over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, it’s reasonable to wonder why. For a long time, Shapiro was considered the front-runner for the vice presidential nomination. However, his views on the Israelis and Palestinians caused him to alienate many on the left-wing internet.
Walz, who is Jewish, has a lot of similar opinions on the matter, but he has gotten significantly less criticism than Shapiro.
The fact that Walz encountered almost little resistance from any of the main Democratic Party groups likely worked to his advantage. Indeed, ever before Harris assumed the nomination for the Democratic Party, her campaign has been riding high on positive feelings.
It felt like Walz’s nondivisive approach on a bigger stage translated to a smaller one as well. Harris reportedly had a great rapport with him and admired his “happy go lucky” demeanor, as reported by HEADLINESFOREVER.
A good enough reason to choose a running companion is that you get along with them and that you won’t cause party strife.
“Do no harm” is one of the primary guidelines for selecting a vice president. This choice probably didn’t hurt Harris in the least. After twelve years in the United States House of Representatives, Walz is serving his second stint as governor. In contrast to Vance, the least popular Republican vice presidential contender to emerge from the party convention, he is immune to criticism over his lack of expertise.
A choice that carries some uncertainty
Now we need to know if Harris scored any points by going with Walz instead of Shapiro.
This fall, Minnesota will most certainly not be in the hunt for a championship. Outside of the nation’s capital, no Republican presidential candidate has been able to win the state since 1972, making it the longest winning run in Democratic history. The trend is likely to persist, according to polls conducted in the North Star State since Harris joined the contest.
While it’s safe to say that Harris will need to win Pennsylvania if she hopes to become president. The polls in that state have been quite close, and it is likely to be the most consequential swing state this cycle.
Compared to Biden’s 2020 baseline, Shapiro’s 2022 performance was 14 points better, and he now has a 61% positive rating in Pennsylvania.
Though it’s debatable, the literature in political science implies that it might have been sufficient to push a Harris-Shapiro ticket in Pennsylvania this year.
We can state with certainty that Walz will not be able to sway many swing voters in Harris’s favor. While running for reelection in Minnesota in 2022, he was only marginally ahead of Biden. It appears that White voters without a bachelor’s degree were more receptive to Shapiro in Pennsylvania than to Walz in his home state two years ago.
No matter how popular Walz was in his home state, his ability to aid the Democratic ticket beyond it is still up in the air.
It would be one of the greatest “what-ifs” in history if Harris were to lose Pennsylvania and the election by a hair’s breadth. For fear of the internet left, did Hillary pass on Shapiro?
The last thing Harris wants is for the election to be in such a tight race. The Walz pick is unlikely to slow her progress, and she appears to be making headway.