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If there were doubts about why Kamala Harris selected an upper-Plains State Governor who 7-in-10 Americans recently held no opinion on as her running mate, his speech before tens of thousands of Democrats late Wednesday offered insight.
Inclusive, at times post-partisan, and persistently exuding common-sense in the best Midwest tradition, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s appearance at the Democratic convention showed that Harris considered the widest possible pool of candidates in choosing a potentially surprising running mate. A former state champion football coach and a senior National Guardsman, Walz as the VP pick embodies the kind of national security liberal that Democrats have been seeking for more than two decades—someone who can confidently convey to the country that a strong defense is not the exclusive domain of Republicans, and that Democrats, too, understand how to handle and fire a gun.
“Look, I know guns. I’m a veteran. I’m a hunter. And I was a better shot than most Republicans in Congress, and I’ve got the trophies to prove it,” Walz stated in Chicago.
The efficient, conversational speech served as a capstone to a whirlwind rebranding of the Democratic ticket. Given the freedom to restage the future direction of her party, Harris chose a straightforward former high school teacher as her running mate—a move that appeared both wise and shrewd when Walz took the stage at the end of Wednesday’s session at Chicago’s United Center.
“Kamala Harris is tough. Kamala Harris is experienced. Kamala Harris is ready,” Walz declared, fulfilling the running mate’s top role as the boss’s hype machine. “Our job is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling.”
Since President Joe Biden stepped down four weeks ago, Democrats have witnessed a resurgence of not just hope but also a fighting spirit. The path to 270 electoral votes has become more defined with the first woman of color as the party’s presidential nominee, with Walz positioned to help maintain the Bidenesque coalition in the so-called Blue Wall states.
From the opening moments of this convention, it was clear Democrats understood they had a short window to introduce their understudy and were going to rely on every shorthand they could find. “Let’s vote for our MVP, Kamala Harris, and our coach, Tim Walz,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Jamie Harrison said Monday as he opened the proceedings.
While past VP nominees—a former Vice President in Al Gore, incumbent Senators in Joe Lieberman, Biden, Tim Kaine, and Harris—were well-known figures in Washington circles, Walz was hardly a familiar face there. Although Walz served in the U.S. House, few Democratic activists considered him a future face of the party. That’s why Walz’s introduction on a national stage in recent weeks held more significance than most routine appearances on C-SPAN.
In his biggest moment before debating his GOP counterpart J.D. Vance, Walz seemed to hit the mark. At times, it was abundantly clear that Walz could appeal to moderates and conservative voters who might not fully agree with Harris. He threw in a few criticisms of Republicans’ agenda and demonstrated his ability to act as a capable spokesperson for Harris. Yet, he also carefully avoided projecting a partisan image, a stark contrast to the persona Vance, a first-term Senator from Ohio, has cultivated for himself.
“I learned how to compromise without compromising my values,” Walz stated, positioning himself as a figure who couldn’t be labeled a partisan hack.
But for Democrats needing a nudge to staff campaign field offices in the suburban areas and residential communities they often overlook, Walz offered an equally balanced approach. If Democrats were seeking an amiable dad in their children’s carpool, they appear to have struck gold in Walz.
To be sure, few voters base their voting decisions solely on the running mate. No one decided to oppose Hillary Clinton in 2016 because they found Kaine objectionable, and even fewer found reason to reject Mitt Romney in 2012 because he chose to include then-Chairman Paul Ryan in his backup plan. The only way the VP pick truly matters is if it’s a blunder. Sarah Palin, 2008.
Walz, a similarly unknown Governor with a less prominent resume, could potentially fit that mold. Both, of course, successfully delivered their national introductions at upper-Midwest conventions. However, at this point, there’s little reason to believe Walz is as untested as Palin, or carries the same risk of self-destruction. Instead, Walz seems perfectly comfortable—even if it’s a bit corny—in his own persona as the Dad Next Door who never met a cliche he didn’t find useful as a proxy for his feelings. “There’ll be time to sleep when you’re dead” and “mind your goddamn business” both found their way into his speech on Wednesday.
But amid the tropes that “the government stays the hell out of your bedroom,” he also brought enough fire to keep the Democratic base energized without alienating the centrist core that forms this nation. Right on cue, Walz noted that as Governor, he ensured all students in Minnesota had a free breakfast and lunch. “While other states were banning books from schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” Walz said to applause in Chicago.
A simple message, certainly. But with the supporting role, it’s often best to keep it that way—especially when the top of the ticket appears to be performing so well.
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