He signed a bill that provides free breakfast and lunches for Minnesota public schoolchildren. An advocate for fighting climate change, he took a page from the Republican playbook and championed legislation to reduce government red tape for renewable energy projects. On his watch, abortion rights, a critical issue for Democrats, were enshrined in state law. An NRA darling in Congress (he’s a lifelong hunter), Walz as governor supported expanded background checks and red flag laws. They are also now the law in Minnesota. Plus paid parental and medical leave. Plus a ban on non-compete agreements (giving workers the ability to easily switch jobs). Plus bills to strengthen worker safety.
Call me crazy, but I think a lot of voters will find this “progressive,” “extremist,” “socialist” agenda attractive.
There are other things they’re likely to find attractive in the presumptive Democratic vice-presidential nominee. His Republican counterpart, J.D. Vance, exploited his rural roots to write a best-selling book after graduating from Yale Law School. Walz, a proud graduate of Chadron State College in Nebraska, has exploited his rural roots to, you know, connect with rural Americans like himself. In 2016, Trump took his conservative district by 15 points—but Walz still won reelection to Congress. In both of his gubernatorial races, he has breezed to victory.
The political prognosticators will chew on whether or not he can help Kamala Harris win key Midwestern states like Wisconsin and Michigan. I have no idea. To my mind, what matters more is that he has a plainspoken way of laying out the issues people care about. The Democratic Party has been tagged—not wrongly—as a party of elites. Tim Walz is not that kind of Democrat. He avoids the whole “save democracy” thing in favor of talking about things that affect people’s day-to-day lives.
“Look,” he told New York Times columnist Ezra Klein a few days ago, “Kamala Harris is talking about making sure you have expanded healthcare, making sure there’s daycare available, making sure that it’s easier to get free school lunches.”
Last night, when he was introduced as Harris’s vice-presidential nominee, he showed another side, a funny, feisty side. After talking about the fact that crime had risen during Trump’s presidency, he added, “That’s not even counting the crimes he committed!” The crowd roared. A little later, he said he couldn’t wait to debate Vance, assuming, that is, “he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.” More roars. Standing behind him, laughing at his jokes, applauding at his promises to the country, Harris appeared to be very happy with the choice she had made.
And of course, there’s one other thing. Tim Walz, a balding former teacher and football coach, is definitely not weird.
For a different view on this subject, read Batya Ungar-Sargon’s America Is Ready for a Jewish Veep: The Democrats Aren’t
Joe Nocera is a columnist for The Free Press and the co-author of The Big Fail. Follow him on X @opinion_joe, and read his piece, “Mind the Gap.”
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