Tim Walz, the Progressive’s Moderate, Is the Obvious VP Choice
Minnesota governor Tim Walz is a moderate from the Midwest who earnestly believes in compromise and bipartisanship. The twist? He’s also a progressive populist who can’t stop winning. Kamala Harris would be foolish to pass him up as a running mate.
Minnesota governor Tim Walz speaks at a press conference on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Jim Vondruska / Getty Images)
The election of Joe Biden was meant to bring with it a certain promise. Here was a seasoned politician from a state with conservative elements, with a moderate style that eschewed America’s deepening cultural divides, who believed in compromise and dealmaking with his rivals. When the moment came, he would use these attributes and a narrow Congressional majority to aggressively push through a bold progressive agenda.
That didn’t quite work out with President Biden. But it did, at least at the state level, with Minnesota governor Tim Walz.
As you read this, House Democrats are reportedly pushing Walz as running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, with even former House speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly leaning toward her former House colleague. Walz rocketed to national attention after single-handedly coining the entire Democratic establishment’s new attack strategy on Donald Trump and the Republicans, but so far hasn’t been considered a front-runner in the vice-presidential stakes. That’s too bad, and hopefully it’s changing.
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