VP Harris selects a running mate (and other major election storylines)
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Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate on the 2024 Democratic ticket yesterday, in a decision that solidifies the campaign lineups of both major parties three months ahead of Election Day.
Walz, a 60-year-old US Army National Guard veteran and former teacher, served as a House Representative from Minnesota for 12 years before being elected as the state’s governor in 2018, then again in 2022.
- As governor, Walz has pushed a progressive agenda that includes an expansion of reproductive rights, goals to address climate change, and increased public education spending.
- Analysts say Harris’ selection of Walz is primarily aimed at appealing to voters in Midwestern battleground states like Wisconsin and Michigan.
Outside of Harris’ new running mate, some other major election storylines have emerged in recent days:
Polling indicates Harris has pulled ahead of Trump. According to RealClearPolitics’ polling aggregator, Harris is currently leading Trump by a 47.4%-46.9% margin among registered US voters, marking the first time a Democrat has led in the 2024 race, per RCP. Additionally, Harris currently holds a slim lead over Trump in polling aggregators from FiveThirtyEight (+1.7%), VoteHub (+0.2%), The Economist (+3%), and Race to the White House (+1.3%).
The growing risks of a recession and/or another Israeli war could reshape the race. Recent economic turbulence has given the Trump campaign an opportunity to place a renewed focus on the economy, where Trump consistently polls higher than Harris in terms of confidence among voters.
- Plus, a full-scale war in the Middle East involving Israel and Iran – which became a more realistic possibility last week following an assassination on Iranian soil – could potentially yank Harris off the campaign trail due to her duties as vice president.
Looking ahead… Barring any surprises, the next major event of the 2024 election cycle is the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19-22.
📊 Flash poll: How do you feel about VP Harris’ selection of Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate?
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Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that the selection of Walz means there will be a heavy burden on Harris to convince the middle of the country that her campaign is broadly appealing in both style and substance, since Walz presents a relatively easy target for GOP attacks.
- Others contend that Walz is the vice presidential candidate most likely to help Harris win the day-to-day fight for attention and message and enthusiasm, given his recent emergence as a media phenomenon who’s upended Democratic messaging about the GOP.
- “What Walz brings to the Harris campaign — and what it still needs to show” –Washington Post Editorial Board
- “Kamala Harris isn’t playing it safe” –Ezra Klein, NY Times
- “By picking Tim Walz as running mate, Harris shows how she aims to win” –LZ Granderson, LA Times
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that Harris’ selection of Walz in her first presidential-level decision essentially hands a favor to Republicans, since it shows that she will eagerly bend to pressure from the progressive wing of her party and opens her up to attacks on that front.
- Others contend that Harris’ choice of Walz is exactly what you’d expect of a candidate afraid to cross the party’s young activist base, and that by choosing perhaps the most left-wing governor in America who is acceptable to pro-Hamas agitators, Harris isn’t hiding who she is.
- “What the Choice of Tim Walz Says About Kamala Harris” –Wall Street Journal Editorial Board
- “With Walz Pick, Kamala Harris Leans In — to the Left” –National Review Editorial Board
- “Harris-Walz is the most radical ticket in American history” –Washington Examiner Editorial Board
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