Harris-Walz, I guess

Not the running mate I wanted, but hopefully I'm pleasantly surprised again.

As a Substack writer I guess I’m legally obligated to talk about Kamala Harris’ running mate, but honestly, I’m taking a wait-and-see stance.

Tim Walz wasn’t my first nor my tenth choice, and I question how a politician from a relatively safe blue state helps the ticket more than someone who could tip the balance in Pennsylvania (Shapiro) or Arizona (Kelly).

And let’s address the elephant in the room: Shapiro’s religion might not have been the reason he wasn’t picked, nor even a major reason for it, but I guarantee you there’s internal polling which showed certain segments of the Democratic Party having a problem with his…um, er, Zionism. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Walz’s policy positions are also on the “progressive” side compared with the moderate Democrats considered for the role. With Kamala already perceived as a Bay Area liberal (maybe because, well, she’s a Bay Area liberal) a lefty running mate doesn’t balance the ticket and may appeal only to those who were already going to vote for her.

Only in 2024 would you have both major-party tickets featuring running mates which appeal only to those who were already on board.

…Or maybe not. Walz covers his ideology in a tasty everyday-suburban-dad football-coach military-veteran topping, and as John Fetterman proved, a progressive who actually comes across a blue-collar regular guy can actually do quite well.