Short Summary
On August 6, 2024, following
President Joe Biden's July 21 withdrawal from the race, Vice President Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the
2024 presidential election after an unprecedented 16-day vetting process that included finalists Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. Walz, a former teacher, football coach, and 24-year Army National Guard veteran who served in Congress (2007-2019) before becoming Minnesota's governor in 2019, was chosen for his Midwestern appeal, personal chemistry with Harris, messaging effectiveness (notably his viral characterization of Trump and Vance as "weird"), and strong support from labor unions and progressives. During his governorship, Walz implemented numerous progressive policies including codification of abortion rights, paid family leave, and voting rights restoration, establishing clear policy contrasts with the Trump-Vance ticket on reproductive rights, economic policy, immigration, and democratic governance while signaling the Democrats' electoral strategy to reclaim the crucial "blue wall" states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Long Summary
Introduction
On August 6, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the
2024 presidential election, following
President Biden's withdrawal from the race on July 21. This analysis examines coverage from CNN, New York Post, Associated Press (AP), and NPR, revealing how major news outlets portrayed this pivotal development in the 2024 presidential campaign.The Harris-Walz ticket emerged after an unprecedented 16-day vetting process. Walz, a former teacher, football coach, and Army National Guard veteran with Congressional and gubernatorial experience, was selected over other finalists including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. His selection reflected both personal chemistry with Harris and strategic electoral considerations aimed at strengthening Democratic appeal in the Midwest.
The 16-Day Vice Presidential Selection Process
The selection of Tim Walz followed an extraordinarily compressed timeline after President Biden's withdrawal:President Biden called Harris on July 21, 2024, to inform her of his decision to end his campaign. Within hours, he released a letter announcing his withdrawal and separately endorsed Harris. The vice president immediately tapped former Attorney General Eric Holder and former White House Counsel Dana Remus to lead the vetting team.Early speculation focused on several governors: Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro, North Carolina's Roy Cooper, and Kentucky's Andy Beshear. Walz was initially considered an afterthought in this process. On July 29, Cooper announced he had previously asked not to be considered.On July 23, Walz appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and described Trump and Vance as "just weird," a characterization that quickly went viral and was
adopted by Harris and other Democrats. By July 30, when Harris delivered a major campaign speech in Atlanta, she incorporated the "weird" criticism, drawing enthusiastic response from supporters.After Holder and Remus concluded their initial vetting on August 1-2, a panel of Harris advisers conducted interviews with several contenders before making recommendations. On August 4, Harris personally interviewed three finalists—Walz, Shapiro, and Kelly—at her Naval Observatory residence. According to the AP, her 90-minute conversation with Walz "stood out," with the two politicians having "gelled."Harris made her final decision on August 5 and announced Walz as her running mate on August 6. They appeared together at a campaign rally in Philadelphia that evening.
Tim Walz's Background and Political Career
Tim Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, and enlisted in the Army National Guard at age 17. He served for 24 years, reaching the rank of command sergeant major. After earning a social science degree from Chadron State College, he taught in China through a Harvard University exchange program before becoming a high school teacher and football coach in Mankato, Minnesota.Walz entered politics after an incident in which his students were reportedly asked to leave a George W. Bush campaign event for wearing John Kerry stickers. In 2006, he defeated six-term Republican Congressman Gil Gutknecht to represent Minnesota's 1st District, a conservative-leaning rural area. During his 12 years in Congress, Walz maintained a relatively centrist voting record, even receiving endorsements from the National Rifle Association early in his career.In 2018, Walz was elected governor of Minnesota, and won reelection in 2022. His first term featured divided government, working with a Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic House. After Democrats gained full control of the state legislature in 2022, Walz implemented a progressive agenda including codification of abortion rights, marijuana legalization, free school meals, paid family leave, and gun safety legislation.
Factors Driving Harris's Selection of Walz
Multiple strategic considerations influenced Harris's selection of Walz as her running mate:Personal chemistry emerged as a decisive factor. CNN reported Harris was impressed "by his authenticity," while the AP noted their 90-minute interview "stood out." The New York Post stated Harris felt "especially comfortable with Walz during the final days of the vetting process" and was "particularly impressed by his 'happy-go-lucky' attitude."Electoral strategy played a key role, with Walz's Midwestern background potentially helping Democrats in crucial "blue wall" states. CNN quoted a Democratic operative saying Walz "talks and looks like a lot of the voters we've lost to Trump," suggesting his ability to connect with rural and working-class voters.Walz's effectiveness as a campaign messenger, particularly his viral "weird" characterization of Trump and Vance, demonstrated his value as a surrogate. The AP noted this simple framing became a "central meme in the new, post-Biden version of the campaign."Labor union support also factored into the decision. The AP reported that UAW President Shawn Fain told Harris's vetting team that "organized labor was most excited about Beshear and Walz—and would not be enthusiastic about Shapiro or Kelly."
Media Coverage Differences and Similarities
The four media outlets demonstrated markedly different approaches to covering Walz's selection:CNN presented Walz as a "progressive populist folk hero" who evolved during his time in office to become an effective Democratic messenger. The network emphasized his ability to connect with Midwestern voters, legislative achievements, and messaging effectiveness.The New York Post characterized Walz as a "darling of the far left" and part of "the most radical, far-left ticket in the history of our country." The tabloid highlighted his progressive policies, particularly on immigration, and quoted Republican critics including Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump.Associated Press provided the most comprehensive timeline of the selection process, maintaining a neutral tone while offering multiple perspectives. Their coverage detailed the "16-day blitz" to select a running mate, the behind-the-scenes vetting, and the final interviews.NPR emphasized Walz's biography and governing record, providing context for his policy decisions. They uniquely noted that former Republican Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said he had a "good working relationship" with Walz during divided government.Despite these differences, all outlets acknowledged key facts: Walz was selected after a historically compressed vetting process; his "weird" characterization of Trump and Vance elevated his profile; and personal chemistry with Harris played a significant role in the final decision.
Walz's Record and Potential Vulnerabilities
The outlets diverged significantly in their coverage of Walz's policy record and potential vulnerabilities:CNN and NPR highlighted Walz's progressive achievements as governor, including free school meals, paid family leave, marijuana legalization, abortion protections, and gun safety legislation. The New York Post emphasized his support for "sanctuary state" policies and programs providing benefits to undocumented immigrants.The 2020 Minneapolis protests following George Floyd's murder represented a potential vulnerability covered differently across outlets. NPR reported that Walz "called in thousands of National Guard soldiers and state troopers to police the Twin Cities, but not quickly enough to prevent the burning of a police precinct." The New York Post quoted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis saying "Walz sat by and let Minneapolis burn," while CNN barely mentioned this controversy.The New York Post uniquely highlighted a "$250 million scheme that defrauded the federal government of COVID stimulus dollars and exploited poor children" under Walz's administration, referring to the Feeding Our Future program scandal. Other outlets did not focus on this issue.
Republican and Democratic Reactions
Republican reactions to Walz's selection revealed their strategy for challenging the Democratic ticket:Donald Trump's initial reaction was reportedly "THANK YOU!" according to the New York Post, suggesting confidence in defeating the Harris-Walz ticket. His campaign characterized Walz as "dangerously liberal" and claimed Harris "bent the knee to the anti-semitic, anti-Israel left" by selecting Walz over Shapiro.JD Vance claimed Harris selected Walz because she "believed she had to bend to the far left, which made Shapiro a non-starter" after "extreme liberals had dubbed Shapiro 'Genocide Josh'" over his stance on Israel. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley called Harris and Walz "two open-borders, weak-on-crime, defund-the-police liberals."Democratic reactions were broadly positive across ideological lines. Progressive Representatives Ilhan Omar and Jamaal Bowman praised the selection, with Omar highlighting Walz's policy achievements in Minnesota. Labor unions expressed support, with Education Minnesota President Denise Specht praising Walz's record on education and collective bargaining.Josh Shapiro released a statement offering "enthusiastic support" for the Harris-Walz ticket despite not being selected, saying Walz would be "an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward."
Electoral Implications for the 2024 Presidential Campaign
The Harris-Walz ticket establishes clear contrasts with the Trump-Vance ticket on policy and messaging for the 2024 campaign:Walz's selection reflects the Democrats' focus on reclaiming the "blue wall" states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania that narrowly supported Biden in 2020. His Midwestern background and working-class appeal could help secure these critical states.The decision to select Walz over Shapiro suggested confidence in Democrats' ability to win Pennsylvania without a home-state running mate, though some Republicans expressed relief at Shapiro not being selected, believing it improved their chances in this crucial battleground state.With both campaigns having selected running mates with Midwestern connections (Walz from Minnesota and Vance from Ohio), the region's importance in the Electoral College strategy is evident for both parties.
Conclusion
The selection of Walz represents a strategic decision for the Harris campaign as it builds momentum following President Biden's withdrawal. The effectiveness of the Harris-Walz ticket in uniting the Democratic coalition while appealing to crucial swing voters in battleground states will significantly influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.As the campaign progresses, the contrasts between the Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance tickets on policy issues including abortion rights, immigration, economic policy, and democratic governance will shape the national debate leading up to November 2024.Articles Analyzed:
CNN,
NY Post,
AP News, and
NPR*There may be errors on this page.
