The News Not Noise Letter Extra: Meet Tim Walz
Here's the tea on the Minnesota governor who could be the next VP.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is VP Kamala Harris’s running mate.
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared tonight with her new running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at a raucous rally in Philadelphia. She introduced him as “Coach Walz” and declared “I’ve found a leader, fighter, patriot.” In his first comments Walz thanked Harris for bringing back “the joy” in politics. Watch 30 seconds of his speech and you’ll see why people say that the Minnesota governor gives “happy warrior.” He smiles and looks like a friendly grandpa even as he’s driving in the verbal knife on his opponents. We asked the News Not Noise audience for reaction to the choice, and here are what some happy Democrats had to say: “He is Ted Lasso,” “Big dad energy,” “He is normal,” “Glad he’s rounding out the ticket as a vet and educator.” “He is everyman like Biden was.”
Like Vance, Walz pleases the base and could energize the party’s young voters, but is unlikely to enhance the ticket’s appeal to moderates and voters across the aisle. (Though Harris allies are pushing quotes from anti-Trump moderates praising the pick.) Below we get into his bio, some of the advantages he brings to the ticket, the criticisms and a little trivia.
Who is Coach Walz?
Tim Walz is a two term governor of Minnesota and 6 term Congressman, representing rural Minnesota’s 1st District for over a decade. He’s a former public school social studies teacher and winning football coach (his team won state championship), earning him the nickname “Coach Walz.” He also served in the Army National Guard for 24 years, becoming the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer to serve in Congress and was stationed in Europe post-9/11. Despite his balding, graying hair, Walz is just 60 years old – just a few months older than Harris (and the same age as Brad Pitt!)
What are Walz’s Advantages:
Governor Walz is a folksy Midwestern hunter/coach/veteran who can repair his own car, shoot turkeys, AND become a memeable social media sensation among 20-something progressives. Here are the wins he brings to the Democratic ticket:
White Guy Bona Fides: Forgive me if this is too blunt for some: Walz reads as whiter-than-Wonder Bread. At least in theory, his presence on the ticket could give “permission” to some white male voters who might otherwise resist electing the first Black South Asian woman president. This is a marketing concept (used by Obama) that you have to create a “permission structure” for people to break with past behavior. Additionally, because Walz is Minnesotan he might be able to close voters in neighboring Wisconsin and nearby Michigan (must-win states), and because he was born in Nebraska he could help win an important electoral vote in that state. (Nebraska is one of two states that don’t have winner-take-all.) Note: These are assumptions. Walz’ recent election returns suggest his appeal lies with Democrats, not swing voters.
Messaging Sensation: Walz is natural with a soundbite. He started the trend of calling former President Trump and Sen. Vance “weird.” He’s crushed it in his appearances for Harris. Plus he has a natural ease on social media, where you can find him with his daughter, dog, or broken car parts. Democrats can’t wait for him to take the debate stage with JD Vance. Under that aw-shucks Midwestern exterior is a fearsome verbal assassin.
Progressive Record: As a member of Congress, Walz was a moderate. As Governor of Minnesota he passed a long list of policies that are Democratic party priorities. These include: officially codifying abortion rights, expanding gun background checks, requiring paid family leave, creating universal free school meals, and legalizing recreational cannabis. He has also passed legislation banning LGBTQ+ conversion therapy and signed a “trans shield law” to protect people who travel to Minnesota for gender-affirming care from prosecution in other states.
For Your Next Trivia Night:
Mandarin Skillz: As a young man Walz taught English in China, honeymooned there, and built a business with his wife bringing kids to China. He’s been at least 30 times and speaks some Mandarin. In 2016, he said, “I don't fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship. I totally disagree.” Republicans have already seized on this to warn he’ll be soft on China.
School Ties: He was a teacher for 20 years and taught part of that time at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. While working as a social studies teacher and football coach at Mankato West High School in Minnesota, he was the faculty adviser for the school’s first gay-straight alliance in the ’90s. His dad was a teacher and 3 of 4 of his siblings married teachers.
GI Bill: He went to college on the GI Bill.
Guns and Limits: Walz is a gun owner and a hunter. In Congress the NRA gave him an A rating, but he’s changed his policies and now has an F.
Repro Rights & IVF: Walz and his wife Gwen Walz, also a school teacher, conceived both their children using IVF after he and his wife struggled with infertility.
Dog Dad (and Cat Guy): Walz has a dog named Scout and a cat named Honey.
Broad Appeal: Walz was the choice of Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar, Nancy Pelosi, and the United Auto Workers, but also the Obamas, and the Clintons. AND Joe Manchin. Manchin, who is so moderate he left the Democratic Party, said, “I can think of no one better to bring our country closer together and bring balance back to the Democratic Party.”
Purple Lanes: Walz also renamed a stretch of highway in honor of the singer Prince (a Minnesota native) and signed the bill in purple ink.
Criticism and Concerns:
GOP Attacks
Republican Trumpers celebrated the pick. Pundit Dana Loesch gloated that Walz is “the dumbest, most extremist choice for VP,” and Ben Shapiro sneered that Harris is “doubling down on her radical base.” Here are some Walz positions that they gleefully highlight:
Culture War Issues: They take issue with his work to create a safe haven for people seeking gender-affirming care and claim he “put tampons in boys bathrooms” (read the article and you decide what that means).
China: They accuse him of “fawning over Communist China.” Again, this is a language thing, you decide if you think his language is in fact “fawning.”
BLM Protests: And they argue that his response to the George Floyd protests “allowed rioters to burn down Minneapolis.” Facts: When the protests turned violent Minneapolis’s mayor asked Walz to mobilize the Minnesota National Guard to contain the unrest. Walz waited a full day to do so, and was criticized for deploying them late and at federal buildings rather than to protest hotspots. Walz claims that city officials dropped the ball and that he tamed the situation once he had full control. Seems there’s plenty of blame to go around. Read more here. Some GOP pundits also falsely claim Walz wanted to “defund the police,” but Walz actually opposed a measure that would have dissolved the police department, and he took some heat from progressives for doing so.
