EDITORIAL: Harris appeases her hard left with the Walz selection
Kamala Harris, who still hasn’t held an unscripted media appearance since Democratic power-brokers anointed her to replace the now-forgotten Joe Biden, made her first major decision of the campaign Tuesday — and it underwhelmed.
Ms. Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — a former congressman, teacher and football coach — as her vice presidential candidate. The decision confirms that, as president, she would eschew a moderate path and instead be at the beck and call of the radical progressives dominating her party. A “squad” member, if you will.
The decision is rather curious, given that Gov. Walz is virtually unknown outside his reliably blue home state. Although some Republican operatives believe Donald Trump has a shot to take Minnesota this year, Gopher State voters haven’t supported a GOP presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1972. Nor does Gov. Walz necessarily appeal to the moderates who will decide this election. He has morphed into a passionate devotee of the far left, recently proclaiming, “One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.”
Gov. Walz got the nod over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, the popular leader of a vital swing state. But Gov. Shapiro defends Israel’s right to fight back against Hamas atrocities, earning the wrath of progressives who have thrown their lot behind Middle Eastern terrorists. The fact that Ms. Harris felt it necessary to appease antisemitic protesters in the Democratic Party does not bode well for America’s foreign policy under her leadership.
Back to Gov. Walz. It’s difficult to see the national appeal. Republicans have already begun the attacks, pointing out that he did virtually nothing when the city of Minneapolis was engulfed in violence and riots after the killing of George Floyd during the summer of 2020. Instead, he expressed “excitement” about those seeking “fundamental change” as the city burned, stores were looted and a police precinct was attacked.
The New York Times reports that “he and Minnesota’s Democratic Legislature have enacted a sweeping progressive agenda.” James Freeman of The Wall Street Journal noted, “The selection of Mr. Walz is bound to reignite the debate on whether Kamala Harris has managed to get to the left of Bernie Sanders.”
Both Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump appear to have chosen running mates designed to excite their own rabid supporters rather than to expand their coalition to attract the independent and moderate Americans who will be vital to electing the next president. Vice presidential candidates rarely decide the election — and that will be no different in November.