Against all odds, Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz as her running mate in her bid to become the first woman to reach the White House. The governor of Minnesota, a 60-year-old man of rural origin and progressive convictions, was chosen by the Democratic leader as her vice-presidential candidate after a rushed selection process caused by Joe Biden’s decision not to run for re-election. Celebrated by the Democratic majority and considered “the worst vice president in history” by his Republican opponents, Walz will accompany Harris in the presidential elections on November 5.
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“They are strange people”: the rise to fame
Walz’s figure rose to fame in mid-July after the viralization of a video where she calls Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, “weird.” The comment, made during an interview for MSNBC, one of her many media appearances in support of Harris’ campaign, took on unusual force on social media, starring in countless memes accompanied by images of Trump and JD Vance. A day after the interview, a publication The Democratic Governors Association’s X Committee, chaired by Walz himself, took up the quote. The next day, a statement from Harris’ campaign used the epithet for the first time to respond to the Republican candidate’s most recent appearance on Fox News: “Trump is old and a bit weird.”
Since then, the epithet adopted by Walz has been used both by Harris herself in her campaign’s official communications and by Democratic allies, a strategy that seems to simplify a forceful message, more focused on proposals than on the risks that a second term for Trump at the head of the United States entails.
A complement to the figure of Kamala Harris
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Harris’ running mate’s speech constantly alludes to su origen en West Pointa rural town of about 3,500 people in Nebraska, nestled in the American Midwest. Walz, who served as a high school teacher and football coach before entering politics, as well as being part of the National Guard for two decades, also complements the figure of Kamala Harris and stands in stark contrast to her Republican counterpart, JD Vance.
His easygoing demeanor and easy way with words are coupled with a decidedly progressive record, which during his two terms as governor of Minnesota included passage of anti-gun laws, protection of abortion rights and child care subsidies that included both tax credits and a universal free school meal program in the state.
Tim Walz legalizes recreational marijuana in Minnesota, in May 2023, at the State Capitol in St. Paul.Star Tribune via Getty Images (Star Tribune via Getty Images)
“Growing up, I learned to be generous to my neighbors, to compromise without compromising my values, and to work for the common good,” Walz shared via his X account after the nomination. Harris, on the other hand, highlighted the career of her vice presidential candidate: “I am proud to announce that I have asked Tim Walz to be my running mate. As a governor, coach, teacher, and veteran, he has worked for working families like yours,” she wrote on X.
An appointment in record time
The selection of Harris’ number two, who became the Democratic candidate less than four months before the presidential election, set in motion an accelerated process to find an ideal running mate to rebuild a campaign in record time. Although the odds were on Democratic profiles such as the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro; the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg; or the senator for Arizona, Mark Kelly, it was Walz who was chosen by Harris after a series of detailed reports on the potential candidates and a round of interviews that took place in Washington last weekend.
The Harris-Walz duo will make their first public appearance in Philadelphia this afternoon, kicking off a tour that includes rallies in Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz in St. Paul, Minnesota, in March 2024. Adam Bettcher (AP)
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