Kamala’s choice: Shapiro out, Walz in
Democrats dodged one when Kamala Harris bypassed Josh Shapiro for her vice presidential running mate, choosing instead Tim Walz of Minnesota.
For sure, Gov. Shapiro might have strengthened her chances against Donald Trump in “swing state” Pennsylvania, though some polling suggest only a marginal improvement of her chances in the state with Shapiro on the ticket – in the range of .02 percentage points.
In the several days leading up to Walz selection, Shapiro’s potential benefits to Democratic chances took a nosedive. This included the distinct possibility that the governor’s strong support for Israel would trigger further tensions with the party’s left wing over the war in Gaza; and the sudden reemergence in the press of a dated sexual harassment charge against a former top Shapiro aide and its focus on Shapiro’s role, if any, in low-keying the matter.
Feeding the anti-Shapiro bias was the governor’s attempts to accommodate, in his first budget, state Republican support for charter schools against the objections of unionized teachers.
But none of these would have been a source of ridicule, or called into question his authenticity. It’s this: Shapiro’s imitation of Barack Obama. Rostrum Shapiro not only sounds like the former president, even his hand-gestures are reminiscent of the “hope and change” Democrat.
Many of the state party faithful dig the Obama vibes. The other day in Philadelphia with Harris and Walz for a rally, Shapiro was implored by the crowd to do his Obama thing, to “preach.”
“The Daily Show” recently derided Shapiro for his Obama sound-alike, act-alike groove. Comics and political commentators would have run wild if Shapiro had gotten on the ticket. In addition to “isn’t this funny,” their serious bottom line would have been: This guy is not comfortable in his own skin, or, worst, he’s a phony.
Tim Walz, the twice-elected governor of Minnesota, oozes authenticity, though his recent rise was carefully plotted out months ago, according to a recent New York Times article. Even his use of the catchy word “weird” to describe Donald Trump and GOP veep choice J.D. Vance was road tested as long ago as February.
Give Walz credit for sticking with it and for “sticking it” (the Olympics’ gymnastics phrase of the week) when he did – on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” just as the Democrats’ vice presidential sweepstakes was getting underway.
Timing is frequently everything in politics, and Walz got the timing just right. “Weird” reverberated across the political landscape because it got to the heart of things as far as many Democrats are concerned: Trump and Vance, each in his own way, are strange beings beamed into this earthly realm from Planet Abnormal.
A former high school football coach and a 24-year veteran of the National Guard and reserve military, Walz represented Republican southern Minnesota in Congress. As governor, Walz has enacted, among other measures, protections for abortion rights and free breakfast and lunch meals for all students. He also eliminated college degree requirements for most state jobs.
Raised in small town West Point, Neb., before moving, as an adult, to equally small town Mankato, Minn., Walz is rooted in the common sense tradition of American politics. He seems sympathetic, generous, down to earth, realistic. He’d rather solve a problem than beat it to death with words.
One example of his embrace of realism is the border. He’s told Democrats that it makes no sense to act as if there is not a problem. To Republicans, he says, figure out the dimensions of the problem and then apply a remedy, something they have refused to do.
Examining why Democrats are behind in the eight ball with many blue collar workers, Walz advises the party to look in the mirror. “If they’re not voting for us, there’s not something wrong with them,” he recently told podcaster Ezra Klein.
He calls MAGA voters his “friends,” his “neighbors,” his “family.”
While remaining clear-eyed about the need to defeat Trump, Walz is somewhat perplexed by Trump’s appeal. Maybe, he’s suggested, it’s because the American Main Street, once a thriving center of commerce, is hollowed out, the result of policies of both of the major parties. Maybe it’s because people feel “scared” in the face of rapid cultural changes. Or maybe it’s because Trump is “not afraid to poke the bear.”
Walz will be doing some poking of his own in the next several months, all, of course, in the service of defeating the king of MAGA.
Richard Robbins lives in Uniontown. He can be reached at dick.l.robbins@gmail.com