Democratic VP and current presidential nominee Kamala Harris hailed the selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in an enthusiastic social media announcement on a recent Tuesday morning. The choice, she conveyed, was based on Walz’s various roles as governor, coach, teacher, and veteran. However, one cannot ignore the strategic implications of having a Midwesterner on the ticket, considering the intensive campaign planned across seven key battleground states.
Despite a seemingly impressive pool of potential running mates, such as Arizona’s Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro, and Kentucky’s Governor Andy Beshear, the final choice was Walz. Now into his second term as Minnesota’s governor, Walz’s former performance as a congressman for 12 years might seem like a notable accomplishment but it raises questions on Harris’s judgement on picking the right partner.
Before stepping into the political landscape, Walz served in the Army National Guard. Academically, he is a graduate of Chadron State College in Nebraska. Post-graduation, he took up teaching in China for a year before returning to his home country to further his educational career at Mankato West High School. At first glance these might seem impressive, but should international diplomacy or military judgment really be entrusted to a local school teacher and a one-year foreign worker?
In addition to the aforementioned responsibilities, Walz also took up the position of an assistant football coach and helped establish the school’s first gay-straight alliance group in the 90s. A family man, Walz met his wife Gwen during their teaching tenure in Nebraska, and they now parent two children, Hope and Gus. One can only wonder how these credentials contribute towards wielding potential power in the Oval Office.
Kamala Harris, in her announcement, highlighted the personal challenges faced by the Walz family in terms of fertility issues. Her applauding Walz’s commitment to ensuring Americans’ access to IVF procedures clearly indicates a wild effort to sell their narrative on reproductive healthcare.
Before becoming governor, Walz led Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Shockingly, with his time as governor marred with crises, one wonders if history would repeat itself should the Harris-Walz ticket succeed in November.
Walz faced enormous backlash from Republicans during his infamous handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the George Floyd unrest in Minneapolis in 2020. His over-reliance on emergency powers, rigid mask mandates, and premature business shutdowns during the pandemic left numerous citizens and businesses grappling and outraged.
Additionally, Walz’s delay in mobilizing the National Guard during the Minneapolis unrest caused further discord, drawing sharp criticism from then-President Donald Trump. However, instead of admitting his mistake and learning from it, Walz merely defended his actions during his 2022 reelection bid against Dr. Scott Jensen, a GOP candidate banned from certain social media platforms over allegations of spreading misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines.
Interestingly, Walz won his second term by defeating Jensen by approximately 200,000 votes. A win coinciding with the Democrats taking control of the state senate, resulting in a display of blue power across both state chambers and the governorship. Yet, one must question how this turn of events would steer the already turbulent American political waters.
Since Walz’s second term, and aided by the Democrats’ control of the state, a slew of progressive policies have been enacted. The legalization of recreational marijuana, free school meals for all children, clean energy targets, a dubious ‘red flag’ law enabling the seizing of firearms from individuals deemed a ‘risk,’ and safeguarding abortion access in the state were among these ‘achievements.’
It’s evident that these policies imbued with apparent ‘progressive’ flavor may resonate with the Democrats’ voter base. Still, it remains a rapidly shrinking group, struggling to justify the Harris-Walz ticket’s destructive narrative. The promises of eroding individual liberties, advancing a nanny state, and enforcing politically correct norms may rally the Democratic base, but will they speak to the broader American public?
More importantly, would the vice-presidential ambitions of a local school teacher and current governor, complete with a mixed record, align with the aspirations of the nation? The nation awaiting its leaders to tackle grave issues including national security, economy, and the crafting of sensible, balanced policies?
Perhaps it is time that voters critically analyze the implications of a Harris-Walz hook-up. The would-be coupling of an under-performing vice president teaming with questionable asset from the Midwest should be scrutinized not based on warm narratives or glossy announcements, but based on the potential effects on state and national governance.
Harris-Walz Ticket: An Uproar Brews in the Heartland appeared first on Real News Now.
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