The curious VP pick of Tim Walz

The results of the Harris Veepstakes are in. The winner? Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

MN Governor Tim Walz--a good man,
a capable leader. and way left-of-center

So, um, huh?

It's possible Harris may have overplayed her hand by choosing a Progressive over a Moderate.

Don't get me wrong, there are some things for Democrats to like about Walz on the ticket: he brings executive experience as Governor, he's a National Guard veteran, and he's enacted all sorts of legislation in his state that polls show are important issues nationally (especially among Dems)--"red flag" gun laws, increasing funding for education and infrastructure, codifying abortion rights. And, I'm not exactly sure how, but he's also managed to cut taxes for most of his constituents.

So, why my confusion about Walz as Harris's running mate?

Well, for starters, Minnesota isn't a swing state (as are the homes of other Harris VP finalists, Arizona's Senator Mark Kelly, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro), so his selection doesn't bring any immediate electoral advantage, in that regard.

Secondly, the above-mentioned accomplishments of Walz's tenure--despite being popular in nationwide polling (and also gibing very well with Harris's beliefs)--are also pretty liberal ideas even for a ticket headed by the left of-center Harris,* one that is ostensibly trying to bring aboard Trump-averse right-of-center moderates (Note: most of Walz's passed legislation came with the help of a completely Democratic state assembly).

And some of Walz's other legislative wins can read as even more so (especially for many moderate voters): increasing payroll tax to fund paid childcare and medical leave, increasing state commitment to clean energy, granting voting rights to convicted felons, legalization of recreational marijuana, making Minnesota a haven for transgender rights and care.

As my wife asked me, "Exactly how does that appeal to moderates, how does that unite the country?"

That's a great question.

It doesn't. It essentially doubles down on a left-of-center agenda. And it doesn't exactly (in my opinion) expand the Harris tent (which would have easily invited in those fence-sitting, Trump-hating moderates with someone such as pro-gun, but anti-gun violence/from-a-border-state/former astronaut Mark Kelly).

Of course, pretty much all Democrats laud Walz's selection. Some, like hard-to-please WV Senator Joe Manchin praise his "normality." Others, like former President Obama cheer his character and his desire to "serve all of the people." Some claim Walz--who coined the GOP moniker "weird"--will serve wonderfully as Harris's "attack dog" on the Trump/Vance ticket.

But some, such as former Obama political strategist/CNN commentator David Axelrod (and, again, my wife) compare such a leftist choice to that of Trump's ultra-right wing pick of JD Vance (although Walz currently polls higher in favorability)--neither of which seems to attempt to appeal to moderates in that "big tent."

But it's the hand that Democrats now hold.

And Harris and the Dems (and democracy-loving citizens everywhere) have got to hope that the moderates they could have so much better courted find the Trump/Vance conservative ticket distasteful enough to cast their ballot for a pair of left-of-center liberals* 

*Signifies correction of mischaracterization of Harris as a Progressive in original post. Hat tip to capper.

Um, so VP DOESN'T matter now...?

What JD Vance says about his importance as Trump's pick for VP is, well, kind of a disturbing statement, really.

"My attitude is, it doesn't really matter."

But what does Donald think
 about JD? Turns out, not much...

Um, it doesn't matter to voters who the person is that is a heartbeat away from the Presidency?

Guess not, because, fortunately, Vance's opinion of his insignificance dovetails nicely with his boss's views (from Trump's amazingly inflammatory appearance at Wednesday's NABJ conference):

"...the Vice President, in terms of the election, does not have any impact. No impact."

Well, to a VP-pick, that's certainly got to be a resoundingly reassuring kick in the crotch, huh? And, to a nation weighing the competency of the person who is next on the US chain of command, hearing both ends of the ticket say it doesn't really matter who it is, really isn't that comforting, is it? 

For some reason, Trump
admires fictional murderer and
cannibal Hannibal Lecter

(Perhaps Trump thinks he could even win with 'the late, great Hannibal Lecter?")

Nine times in the history of our country, a Vice President has had to step into the Presidency (eight were for President deaths, but the most recent, Gerald Ford, became President with the resignation of Richard Nixon, 50 years ago this week).

Trump and Vance apparently think voters don't seem to care who that "number two" (no pun intended) person is. That's a problem when "number one" is an overweight, far from beloved, fearmongering felon that is the oldest nominated Presidential candidate in the history of our country. Not exactly the poster child for a four-year term in what is ostensibly the most stressful job in the world.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, just one year ago, Republicans sang a very different tune. The GOP, in fact, was saying the exact opposite--how important Biden's second-in-command was because he was an older President. As former rival (and now-Trump-suck-up) Nikki Haley said at the time, "A vote for President Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris."

Fortunately for our democracy, Pence
 wasn't the VP Trump thought he was

To be honest, if Trump had cared enough and had vetted his 2016 Vice President to be as unprincipled as he was--and now, presumably, as JD Vance is-- Biden's victory would have likely been overturned.
Thankfully for the country, despite tremendous pressure from Trump and the Trump supporters chanting, "Hang Mike Pence!" outside the Senate chambers, Pence did not bend to Trump's twisted will, but, instead, followed the directive of the US Constitution and ratified Biden's electoral vote victory. 

So, the VP turned out to be very important to this country.

And Harris's pick may help to shore up regional outreach or offer strength regarding Harris's perceived weaknesses (I'm looking at you and immigration, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly).

But, to Trump and his pick, it doesn't matter.

I guess that really says a lot, doesn't it? 

And that is, perhaps, the most disturbing statement of all.

Harris's VP sweepstakes

So, who will be Harris's pick for VP? There's plenty of speculation, but one thing is certain: Harris's choice won't be anywhere as abysmal as Trump's JD Vance.

Arizona's US Senator Mark Kelly

Although some of the early favorites, such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California's Gavin Newsom, have taken their names out of the running, there's still a surprisingly strong line-up from which Harris can choose.

The two that seem to be drawing the most attention are North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper--a close friend of Harris's who has won convincingly in what many consider a red state--and Arizona's US Senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut who was only elected in 2020.

I think she'd do well to pick Kelly. 

First off, he's from a swing state. It's always nice for a campaign to have a "favorite son" in a swing state.  

And, as Arizona Senator, Kelly has worked on in-state border issues; he's even been critical of Biden's handling of immigration.  Kelly could give the Harris ticket a bit of instant credibility regarding Harris's perceived weakest issue.

His views on guns align with a tenet of the Harris campaign, which promotes "the freedom to be safe from gun violence." Kelly and his wife, former AZ Rep. Gabby Giffords--who was shot and disabled at a political event--formed their own political action committee to address gun violence. But Kelly still can additionally appeal to Second Amendment advocates: "Gabby and I are pro-gun ownership. We are anti-gun violence."

Hey! He's an astronaut!

Kelly's service as a US Navy Captain will likely bring automatic standing with US Vets, as well.

And, hey, he's an astronaut (which is undeniably cool, right?).

And he's WAY better than JD Vance.

Here's a USA Today article with pros and cons of Harris's potential VP picks

THIS is our next President

Vice-President Kamala Harris just blew the doors off this whole election in Milwaukee today with this INCREDIBLE speech.

THIS is our next President:

Remembering the GOP demonization of Joe Biden

Now that Joe Biden's out of the Presidential race, the GOP will have to start its work on demonizing Harris.

But before we let Biden go, let's take a moment to review the disgusting lies told about him by Trump and his GOP.

The GOP certainly gives Pinocchio
a run for his money

Pre-MAGA GOP colleagues universally found Joe Biden to be a decent and honorable man. For decades. Decent and honorable.

That all changed when the GOP needed to create distractions in order to defend their indefensible President Trump who had had a dalliance with Russia, worked to overturn the election, hoarded and hid classified documents, did nothing for 187 minutes while the US Capitol was being overrun, was found to be a sexual abuser and a business fraud, and was convicted of 34 felonies.

Yikes! That’s a lot of distractions to create.

So, they did.

Biden rigged the election.

Biden accepted bribes.

Biden weaponized the Department of Justice.

And none of it was true.

Not one court found that the election had been rigged. Trump's administration (even his daughter, Ivanka) attested to its legitimacy. The right's baseless claims about Dominion vote-switching or Trump's felonious lies about Georgia's dead voters have all been debunked.

And the sheer scope of rigging an election would include law enforcement, poll workers, political individuals and organizations (both Democrats AND Republicans), and the judiciary. AND NO ONE EVER SPILLED THE TEA?!

And how about Joe's bribes (as part of a GOP impeachment fishing expedition)? Records showed that about $5000 pertained to his son's truck payments, and the $200,000 from his brother James was clearly shown as a loan repayment (by the way, head of the Biden impeachment committee James Comer also loaned his OWN brother about $200,000).

Well, still, Biden certainly weaponized the DOJ, right? Similar to the election-rigging lies, such an operation would have been massive. Joe would have not only had to strongarm the DOJ, but local District Attorneys and their staffs, FBI investigators, judges throughout the country, citizens on several Grand Juries, witnesses, the lawyers (including Trump's) who selected the jurors to hear and decide his case, as well as the jurors themselves.

For good measure (to evidently throw people off the scent of his insidious weaponization plot) Biden retained the Special Prosecutor investigating HIS OWN SON! And then he let the court proceedings run their course of convicting him. I'm curious, was Joe willing to also throw Jill under the bus, if it had come to that?

As Joe Biden would say, "C'mon, man!"

And now that Biden is gone, it's Harris's turn to take the slings and arrows launched by the lying, desperate, and morally-bereft GOP.

How long, for instance, before Trump amplifies another birther accusation against an opponent (especially one born of two immigrants)? Or creates dishonest narratives about her record? Or maybe the porn-star-hush-money-payer will salaciously question Harris's past? 

After the demonization of Joe Biden--a decent and honorable man--nothing is beneath Trump and the GOP.

Harris, I think, is more than ready to take them on.

 

Can Kamala Harris win?

Now that Democrats are coming to grips with Biden's much-needed departure from the presidential race, it's time to choose the successor.

Being this late in the game, the logical choice is Biden's VP Kamala Harris.

But can Harris win?

She has a lot of things going for her.

Harris can beat Trump in November

She's got the name recognition, her policies have been out there since her run for the Democratic nomination in 2020, she was elected Vice President in 2020 and is on the Biden/Harris ticket that resoundingly swept the primaries in 2024.

Harris is a known commodity that could hit the campaign trail running.

And, perhaps the biggest reason of all, because Harris and Biden share a campaign committee, all $91 million on hand of the campaign's war chest would come Harris's way (which wouldn't likewise transfer to any other Democrat).

Note: Although, amazingly, that massive amount still trails Trump's $116 million, it towers above the available funds any other potential Democratic hopefuls might have.

Harris's polling tends to run a bit better than Biden's in a match-up with Trump. Her numbers are generally better, as well, with two demographics that are well-positioned to make a difference in the upcoming election: Blacks and women.

She has also gained renown as a champion for abortion and women's reproductive rights, an issue that has mobilized voters even in red states to support laws protecting a woman's right to choose. Ostensibly, Harris would bring those voters out in November, as well.

There are the Biden/Harris administration successes she could point to--bipartisan bills regarding infrastructure and semi-conductor production, for example--and what, by then, should be a much more positive picture regarding issues such as inflation and the border (especially with Biden's recent executive action).

And her experience as a California prosecutor would eviscerate Trump's positions and record--the exact opposite of what Biden should have done (and was unable to do) in his catastrophic June debate.

Some down sides: She's connected to the perceived failures of the Biden administration, i.e., inflation and immigration (the latter of which she was tasked with improving, pretty much to no avail); her disapproval rating runs higher than her approval (although she still fares better than both Biden and Trump); she fostered some policy and performance criticism during her time as San Francisco DA and California Attorney General; and the above-mentioned Biden/Harris administration successes appear to have been pretty much all Joe, no Kamala.

But there are two ENORMOUSLY important points that would help Kamala Harris win in November:

1) She's not Biden

2) She's not Trump

So, Democrats, let's get on with it.

It's Harris's time.

Bring on November.

Here's a great take about why Harris may NOT win (from Politico)

Racism: Today's "Trump Daily Despicability" Entry

Today's entry into the Trump Despicability Index is no secret: Trump is racist.

And he knows how to play his racist audience for support.

Trump's racist assertions about Haley are lies

He's previously done so quite obviously: promoting Confederate "values" with his "Fine people, on both sides" comment about Charlottesville, or his inspiring of the ultra-racist and Trump-supporting Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by" during a Presidential debate when asked to condemn their repulsive tenets of white supremacy.

Now, just as he did for Barack Obama, Ted Cruz, and Kamala Harris, Trump has added Nikki Haley to his resume of racism by promoting the baseless and disgusting conspiracy lie that she, too, is ineligible for the presidency because she is--wait for it--not a US-born citizen.

Um, except she is (as are Obama, Cruz, and Harris).

Haley was born, indisputably, in the US--in Bamberg, South Carolina.

And, according to the US Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment (which also talks about disqualification for insurrection, btw), "All persons born...in the United States...are citizens of the United States..."

So, why does Trump do this?

Because he wants the racism daily double--he thinks his doing so will "delegitimize" a political opponent (who is not "white" like him and his followers) AND he gets to rally and infuriate his gullible and angry base of deplorable voters that are still burning from the "indignity" of a Black man being elected US President in 2008.

And, in this heavily MAGA anti-immigrant climate (well, non-European immigrant, anyway), it's just a bonus for Trump's rabid base that Haley's parents were both immigrants (who, btw, Trump says are "poisoning the blood of our country").

Hmm, also immigrants were Harris's parents and Cruz's father (Obama's Kenyan dad had been studying in the US with his Kansas-born wife when Barack was born). (Parenthetically, Melania's an immigrant, too, albeit of white, European heritage).

This isn't a coincidence.

And this isn't a mistake.

This is a former president and current candidate for that office purposely playing the racist card to pull the cockroaches from the dark recesses of our society out into the light so they will cast their votes for him.

THAT'S Trump's strategy.

If that's not despicable, nothing is.