Right here’s why readers assist Tim Walz as Kamala Harris’s VP decide

Readers Say

“Navy chops, deep center class roots, skilled politician, nice humorousness, and good chemistry with Harris. He checks all of the containers,” one respondent to our ballot mentioned.

Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her working mate in her 2024 presidential marketing campaign on Tuesday, a transfer Boston.com readers largely assist.

Walz, 60, grew up within the small city of West Level, Nebraska and was a social research trainer, soccer coach, and union member at Mankato West Excessive Faculty in Minnesota earlier than coming into politics.

He served six phrases in Congress beginning in 2006, the place he was a champion of veterans points. Walz served 24 years within the Military Nationwide Guard and rose to the rank of command sergeant main, one of many highest enlisted ranks within the army.

He ran for governor in 2018 and through his first time period labored with a legislature that was break up between a Democratic-controlled Home and a Republican-led Senate.

However the bipartisan cooperation he had established unraveled early in his second 12 months when the pandemic hit, and Republicans criticized Walz for restrictions that included lockdowns, closing colleges and shuttering companies. He got here underneath hearth by Republicans once more for his response to the unrest within the wake of the homicide of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. 

Regardless of the criticisms, Walz has made many inroads as governor, comparable to sweeping protections for abortion rights, new protections for trans rights, tax credit for households with youngsters to handle childhood poverty, and common free faculty breakfasts and lunches for all college students, no matter household revenue. Walz and different Democrats additionally enacted a paid household and medical go away program, legalized leisure marijuana for adults and made it simpler to vote.

We requested readers if Walz was the correct alternative for Harris’s vice presidential decide. The bulk (66%) of the 568 respondents to our ballot mentioned sure, he was the correct candidate. Simply over a 3rd of readers disapproved of her alternative.

“Along with his army background and faculty teacher-football coach stride, he’ll attraction to these Democrat and swing voters who could view Harris as elite or aloof,” Ken S. from Cambridge mentioned, including that Walz is “a Midwestern yin to Harris’s coastal yang.”

Others praised Walz for his “no-nonsense sort of management” and for bringing “large Midwestern dad vitality” to the 2024 election marketing campaign.

“He brings a reasonable Midwestern voice to the desk together with a toughness to get issues executed. I’m very excited in regards to the ticket,” Beth S. from Andover mentioned.

Many critics of Harris’s alternative mentioned Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro would have been a greater decide so as to win over voters in swing states.

“She ought to have picked somebody from a battleground state,” reader Scott from Stoughton mentioned.

Under, see what readers needed to say about Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s vice presidential decide.

Responses have been evenly edited for grammar and readability.

Is Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz the correct alternative for Kamala Harris’s VP decide?

Sure

“He comes from a rural Midwestern background which can attraction to those that haven’t been swayed by Harris’s background. He has expertise with divisive points and has been properly thought out in his responses. The truth that he doesn’t have a standard political background makes him all of the extra interesting to independents who need a change in management. Lastly, on a private stage, Mr. Walz used to show with my mother and father in Nebraska and his spouse was my first piano trainer; they’re sort, caring and considerate individuals who will convey a breath of recent air and groundedness to this ticket.” – Elizabeth G., Danvers

“He’s a vet and a champion for veterans affairs, he was a profitable coach and trainer. He’s a union member and he’s a bipartisan chief who can get issues executed in contrast to loads of politicians today. All of those points align with my life particularly after shedding a son to PTSD who served proudly as a U.S. Navy corpsman in Iraq.” – J.C., Boston

“Walz seems to be a typical sense Democrat and a sensible choice as VP for Harris. Frequent sense is one thing I consider the Republican Social gathering has deserted with the backing of Donald Trump and his divisive agenda.” – B.B., Medfield

“Navy chops, deep center class roots, skilled politician, nice humorousness, and good chemistry with Harris. He checks all of the containers, and is an effective communicator. I feel ultimately Harris had a number of good choices, however the chemistry factor sealed the deal.” – Bob Z., Littleton

“Walz appears to be the correct messenger, on the proper time, a person in a position to attraction each to the bottom of the get together and to rural America. And if the selection was certainly between Walz and PA Gov. Shapiro, the latter decide would most likely have price the Democrats Michigan, and with it, seemingly the White Home.” – Ethan W., Lexington

“Kamala Harris nailed it together with her decide of Tim Walz, as the 2 of them share the identical beliefs and aspirations for the nation. With their selfless devotion to public service, I envision this unimaginable staff steering America again in the correct route and making us the envy of the world in each means conceivable.” – Jeff, Natick

“He represents a very good and hopeful model of America. He went to varsity on the GI Invoice. He was a trainer, a coach, a dad – a cat dad! He’s efficiently and productively labored with a Republican legislature. He’s really humorous. He’s a retired guardsman. He’s fully unproblematic. It’s a stark distinction to the ugly twosome.” – Lauren C., Lowell

No

“He’s okay however she ought to have picked somebody from a battleground state like Kelly or Shapiro.  She clearly wished to select somebody that might not overshadow her.” – Kevin W., Arlington

“He’ll solely keep or additional nation divisions and transfer the nation additional to the left as he’s favored by the left wing of the get together. He’ll do little to unite the USA towards a cooperative agenda that serves the wants of ALL People. Governor Shapiro would have been a greater, wiser alternative.” – Antonin S., Harvard

“Kamala seems to be doubling down on far-left positions by choosing Walz. She dangers a lot by not bringing a extra reasonable component into her marketing campaign. Bidenomics is a complete bust for a lot of, many struggling households, and extra of these insurance policies isn’t going to assist these households to get their heads above water.” – Ed T., Worcester

“The main accomplishments as outlined on this article don’t handle the economic system, fiscal duty or border safety, our nation’s highest wants. Plain and easy.” – John, Shrewsbury

“I consider Shapiro would have been extra useful to her election prospects.” – Greg, Newton

Boston.com often interacts with readers by conducting casual polls and surveys. These outcomes needs to be learn as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.