While the 2024 Presidential election continues to take twists and turns, President John Pudner returned once more to the airwaves to cover the latest in the race for the White House, specifically the presumptive nomination of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to serve as the Democrat's pick for Vice President following President Biden dropping out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee.
The pick comes after not only a tumulous three weeks for Democrats, with Harris' meteoric ascendency despite never receiving a single vote, but also the last year since Hamas' attack on Israel, with a battle for the soul of the party taking place since then as enthusiasm wained and hundreds of thousands joined the "Uncommitted" movement to voice their intent to stay home in November. That's why her selection of a vice presidential nominee was of such interest to many - how would she shore up weaknesses in her profile and address her deficiencies in terms of appeal, demographic reach, and executive experience?
As Pudner and hosts Ditch and Tim Van Horn analyze, Harris' first executive decision to pick Tim Walz not only shows the hand of a campaign concerned about maintaining a wavering base, but also a candidacy wavering as the wind blows, a ticket meant to unify a movement in disarray, and a political party ultimately governed by the fringes rather than the electorate.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Tim Walz, VP, Harris, Minnesota, Michigan, Shapiro, divesting, left, the Squad
SPEAKERS
Ditch, Tim Van Horn, and TBOR Action President John Pudner
Tim Van Horn 00:00
The vice presidential pick for Kamala Harris has been made in the name of Tim Walz. John Pudner, political analyst, joins us now on Memphis Morning News. Hey John, welcome back. How you doing?
John Pudner 00:11
Thanks for having me.
Tim Van Horn 00:14
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, if things go the Democrats' way in November, will be the next Vice President of the United States. What should we know about Tim Walz?
John Pudner 00:28
They definitely went left with this pick. They picked someone who they thought would come across a little more grandfatherly, not a member of the Squad, but is down the line on issues from even abortions past birth, to gender issues, the lockdowns. I mean, they clearly still were worried that the base, which had kind of come home to them their last week or two since Harris became top, still seem to be worried that was fragile and that they couldn't go with Josh Shapiro, who was more moderate, who certainly seemed like he might wrap up Pennsylvania for them, but was pro-Israel. They felt like they had to go left and I think a little probably a sigh of relief from many conservatives that Shapiro is not number two.
Ditch 01:13
But, the message has to get out about this guy, and you're right, the Harris campaign decided to bow down to the radicals in Minnesota over the good of the country, but that just shows that the good of the country is not in any of their interest.
John Pudner 01:29
I think their cold math was they're losing Michigan because we've got several percent on the far-left who are going to just stay home because they won't be anti-Israel enough, and then Biden's gone, and those people kind of come home, and Michigan's looking better, and they just couldn't go with the Shapiro, someone who has more the traditional U.S. view of Israel, that they are our ally and we need to defend them. I think, right off the bat, they thought maybe Michigan would go away with a candidate of Jewish heritage.
Tim Van Horn 02:05
So, Tim Walz is the running mate now, and JD Vance, I guess, would be his sparring partner when it comes to debate. Kamala seems like she's still in the honeymoon phase. Do you see us a scenario where the Trump team can and will go after both of them on their record? I mean, are they going to do that, because it seems like it's been relatively quiet out of the Trump camp lately?
John Pudner 02:36
I think what you want to do, and what I think they will do is, that the VP is not what people vote on, so I think they're doing it right at the beginning in saying this is about what Harris wants. The fact that you would pick him is about what her true values are. I mean, you have to go back to her being the one you're deciding on over Trump, so you want him to be more than the means to the end of the attack, and clearly they thought he's a kinder face on the far left. He's not a Squad member. I mean, another one lost their primary yesterday in Missouri, so they couldn't go someone who's just overtly in the Squad and an AOC type, but had those leftist views even on Israel. They don't have big quotes on him bashing Israel, but he oversaw these hearings where people came in and talked about Minnesota divesting all money from any company with any tie to Israel in the middle of this battle with Hamas, and he just thanked everyone for coming. They think they've got maybe someone's a little harder to peg, but the record is so liberal, it's got to be about this is what Harris must want when she went with someone that's liberal.
Tim Van Horn 03:53
I tell you, it's less than 90 days, I know that the ramp-up is going to be intense. They're hitting seven swing states in five days. John Pudner, thanks for joining us on Memphis Morning News.
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