Kamala Harris whittled her VP selection down to three brave finalists: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz. ), Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa. ), and Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn. ). Okay, it ai n’t exactly the’ 27 Yankees or the’ 85 Bears, but someone’s gotta play second banana to Joe Biden’s second banana ( which, if my math is correct, means that Walz is now Biden’s third banana ).
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Kelly scared Republicans the most out of this holy trinity because of how incredible his resume is ( he’s an astronaut by all accounts ) is. The story of his girlfriend’s tragic capturing and how he stayed by her side appealed to contemporary voters, and his inclusion on the ticket probably would have kept Arizona orange. We can only speculate that during the vetting process something hideous and/or wicked was revealed about him because he was like a solid, obvious choice. ( Dead chick in the tree? Affairs with trainees? ” Booger Sugar” with Hunter Biden? Or even — sigh! — using the improper word? Knowledge-seeking individuals are interested!
After Kelly, Shapiro was next on the GOP’s anxiety list. He’s famous, a strong speaker, and would’ve been considerably beneficial in the must-win state of Pennsylvania. Shapiro would have moderated the solution and helped to deflect criticism of Biden-Harris ‘ report on Israel if he had also been in his early 50s. Josh Shapiro is also a Jew, which makes him a social outcast for the Democratic Party’s Hamas supporters, alas. ( Oy veh! ) Yes, Shapiro might’ve helped maintain Pennsylvania, but Harris had n’t danger the backlash from the buffoons.
Walz was the man whom Republicans feared the least because he does n’t have a dynamic personality, he wo n’t activate any key voting blocs ( i. e. African American, Asian, Latino ), and he would have the least amount of overall electoral influence. Moreover, his horrible control during the Black Lives Matter protests is tailor-made for GOP problems. George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, and Walz’s position was floor zero for the BLM activity.  ,
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Rioters looted, torched, burglarized, and disrupted the Twin Cities with 1, 500 components damaged, 164 incidents of fire, and several deaths. Walz wasted his chance to lead, rather choosing to play his violin like he was starring in a Nero film on Netflix. A Walz administration would shake its shoulders and let the funds burn ash if protesters always seized on D.C. given his history and allowed it to become a ash.
From an outsider’s perspective, pairing an inept, far-left Minnesota governor with a farther-left San Francisco liberal is n’t the best way to entice Middle America. It’s an odd mix. And if your test evaluation is the political image, Walz was a calorie-free improvement. However, out of all the white people in our whole nation, Tim Walz was her person.
But why? To answer that question, you need to put yourself in Kamala’s heels: Which of her ( many ) weaknesses was she hoping to buttress?
The fact that she absolutely defied the government is just one aspect of it. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich. ), refusing to seriously consider her candidacy, is quite revealing. In her head, with two people on the seat, the” specialness” of Harris’s ascension may lose its luster.  ,
Can’t have that!
Moreover, she chose to ignore Kelly and Shapiro, and she chose Walz because they were now capable of generating press coverage on their own. If Harris raise one of them veep, their profiles do grow rapidly.  ,
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And Kamala is deathly frightened of being overshadowed.
You become aware of why this is quite a sensitive subject for her when you take a step back and consider it. She never truly “won” the presidential election. She did n’t move up her sleeves and get the elections. No one cast a ballot for her; instead, the group presented the party with the most expensive solution. Plus, she had no real achievements as VP ( or as a lawmaker, for that matter ) that are worthy of the White House. In American political history, she represents the second most notable instance of meritless development.
This was n’t a nomination , — this was a coronation. The crown of Queen Kamala.
So she picked the best man possible to fulfill her specific goals: Someone who’s white — but not the wrong kind of white ( i. e. Shapiro ). Someone who’s old enough (60 ) to be perceived as experienced, but not too old. And more importantly, not too young either, because a younger, exciting ( or female ) candidate would threaten Harris’s spotlight.  ,
The government of Minnesota made sure everything was in order.
Walz was the ideal choice if your goal is to focus entirely on you. He falls into the trap of being just reliable enough to distract from her while being uninsightful enough to grab her attention. He can strike Trump with wit, but not with a threat to Kamala.
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It’s a window to her self-perception and fears.
Republicans may be sighing in pleasure because Walz was the pull, but curiously enough, but is Harris.