"Harris' run for vice president could help Trump".
Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz as her running mate for the U.S. presidential election. Not all newspapers consider this a wise decision. Some aspects of Walz's resume may not appeal to moderate and conservative voters.
The choice of Tim Walz as the U.S. vice-presidential candidate demonstrates the political acumen of Kamala Harris, writes the Polish daily "Rzeczpospolita". "The former governor of Minnesota is far from being the model of an American liberal. This softens the ultra-left image of the Democratic presidential candidate. Had Harris chosen a politician as her 'running mate' who holds similarly liberal views to her, she would likely have remained at her current, very limited level of approval. The choice of Walz is therefore a nod to the moderate liberals and moderate conservatives in the Midwest states that traditionally vote for Republican candidates. This is a shrewd move, even if voters from the so-called 'Rust Belt' will never forgive Walz for opposing subsidies for heavy industry in 2008, on which this region relies."
The Dutch newspaper "De Volkskrant" also sees Harris' decision as a probable shrewd move. "Although the northern state of Minnesota usually reliably votes for Democratic presidential candidates, its voters have much in common with those in the crucial swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. There, white working-class families who switched from Democrats to Trump in 2016 and could do so again live. They are the key to the White House.
With her choice of Walz, Harris is trying to win over this target group. This seems like a shrewd move. As a politician, Walz is uniquely able to bridge the gap between moderate voters and the progressive values of the Democratic Party. (...) What Democrats particularly admire about Walz is how well he manages to convey his politics to both the left and the right - and in the everyday language that serves him so well in the campaign. At the same time, Walz's ambiguous profile, which is both moderate and progressive, poses a challenge for the Republicans. They immediately went on the offensive, labeling him a left-wing politician."
The "Wall Street Journal" sees it differently: "Donald Trump did the Democrats a favor by choosing a running mate who strengthens his base rather than appealing to swing voters. Kamala Harris has now returned the favor by selecting (...) Tim Walz, the progressive favorite, as her candidate for vice president. The decision that would have given the Republicans pause was the popular governor Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania, a swing state crucial to the victory. But Shapiro, who is Jewish, was the target of an extraordinary and disgusting campaign by the left wing of the Democrats. (...) Walz, 60, has a down-to-earth personality, comes from the Midwest, and is therefore appealing."
Now the real test begins. Specifically, Walz's reaction to the unrest of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, will be scrutinized, as poor areas in Minneapolis burned and many business owners lost everything. Did he hesitate to deploy troops? (...) Harris's choice of a running mate is her first presidential-level decision and confirms the positions she expressed when she ran as a Democrat from the party's left wing for the White House in 2019. (...) Voters who dislike Trump might decide he's still better than the alternative.
According to the Washington Post, Harris's decision shows she's not standing up to internal party pressure. "The pick means it will be a heavy lift for Harris to convince the country's middle that her campaign has broad appeal, both in style and substance. Walz is a former teacher who comes across on TV like an average Midwesterner. He's also the most liberal of the six candidates Harris considered for vice president.
Harris's decision to put Walz on the Democratic ticket could be an attempt to expand her party's coastal image - or an attempt to appease the left wing of her party. It was likely both. One thing's clear: Harris's choice of Walz doesn't prove she can resist left-wing pressure in the White House. She could have sent that message with a different vice-presidential pick. Tactically, the choice gives her opponents a clear target: a duo that leans toward an elitist liberalism."
The London Guardian, however, sees genuine enthusiasm for Tim Walz as vice-presidential candidate. "While some believe other candidates - particularly Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania and reportedly the other finalist for the role - could have helped win the campaign in a swing state, political scientists dismiss this as a myth. (...) The selection of a vice-presidential candidate can help energize a party and give it a sense of shared purpose. Tim Walz is the most progressive of the Democratic politicians seriously considered for the role. While there were reservations among activists about other candidates, there seems to be genuine enthusiasm for what Walz stands for, and for his ability to communicate it straightforwardly. Kamala Harris's decision for him contributes to a renewed determination and is another welcome step in a campaign that's far from over."
According to the British Telegraph, behind Harris's decision is the hope that Walz can also appeal to the working class. "Minnesota is a state the Democrats must hold if they want a chance to defend the White House. The entire Midwest is a crucial campaign battleground where the Trump camp has been particularly successful. Kamala Harris will hope that Tim Walz can win votes from parts of the white working class. He has served in the National Guard and worked in blue-collar jobs. The governor is also an enthusiastic gun owner and previously represented a traditionally more Republican district in Congress."
However, there are also aspects of his resume that may not play well with conservative and moderate voters. When George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in 2020 (by police), Walz was already governor. While his state's largest city descended into unrest and looting, causing damages in the tens of millions of dollars, it took Walz three days to mobilize the National Guard.
The United States presidential candidate Kamala Harris' choice of Tim Walz as her running mate is seen as a strategic move by several international news outlets. According to the Dutch newspaper "De Volkskrant", Harris is attempting to win over white working-class families in crucial swing states by selecting Walz, who is able to bridge the gap between moderate voters and the progressive values of the Democratic Party.
However, the reaction of conservative and moderate voters towards certain aspects of Walz's resume remains to be seen, particularly in relation to his response to the unrest in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd, where it took him three days to mobilize the National Guard.
