Three Key Takeaways of the Tim Walz V.P. Nominee Selection

Topic: 2024 Election Analysis

News broke at the crack of dawn today that Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.  Last week, the veepstakes also included Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Pete Buttigieg.  Shapiro and Kelly were rumored to have made the final round of interviews, which probably included awkward stares and laughs with Harris as diversity bona fides were discussed ad nauseam.

Before I jump in on why Walz, here is a brief blurb on why I think Beshear, Pritzker, and Buttigeg were passed over:

·      Beshear – Not only is star power and name recognition an issue here, the governor of Kentucky isn’t going to be used to steal Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, or West Virginia, and would probably result in low progressive base turnout since he’s at least sane enough to get elected in Trump-era Kentucky (or so they say).

·      Pritzker – a boring non-starter resembling Jabba the Hutt and worth billions, which is also something socialists hate.  Pritzker, who is Jewish, may have also eventually run into the same progressive buzzsaw that ate up Shapiro’s hopes (keep reading).

·      Buttigieg – a ticket can only take so much open wokeism, and a Harris-Buttigieg ticket would most likely result in an unfathomable split in the male vote in favor of Trump, far surpassing whatever it would fetch for the female vote, which according to meticulous polling analysis, isn’t what you might expect.

I had been hearing a lot of rumbling about Mark Kelly, including locally in Arizona, because he was an astronaut.  Apparently being an astronaut is enough to qualify someone for key leadership positions just because it is such a cool thing and involves spaceships, aliens, and lasers (yes, this is my sarcastic voice).  Perhaps Eric Holder came across the recent Arizona registration numbers showing a lead of over 260,000 for the GOP, up almost twofold since the 2020 race that was ripped off in epic fashion, and decided the path through the Sun Belt wasn’t well developed after all.

So, why Walz?  Here are three immediate takeaways on the Walz pick and what they mean for the race going forward.

I.                             A Verdict on Shapiro

Not even the media can deny that Pennsylvania is a Trump-leaning state now, despite trying to fluff polling to show 2016 as a fluke.  On paper, if we were to believe V.P. nominees can carry a state (more of a myth perpetuated by LBJ’s presence on Kennedy’s 1960 ticket) for the presidential nominee, Shapiro was the best choice.  Two years ago, he won (or “won”) the largest gubernatorial margin for a non-incumbent in the Keystone State since 1946.