Kamala chooses Tim Walz as Vice President pick

On Tuesday, multiple news outlets are reporting that presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States sitting Vice President Kamala D. Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

Waltz's choice ends a whirlwind two weeks between President Joseph R. Biden (D) ending his campaign to be the Democratic nominee.

Minnesota has not been won by a Republican since 1972; but a number of polls have shown that the state is in play for former President Donald J. Trump (R). Locking down Minnesota into the Democratic column is essential for Vance to have any chance of emerging with 270 electoral votes on November 6.

Walz is a former Congressman who is well known on capitol hill.

Walz is only a few months older than Harris (both will be age 60 by election day); but Walz gives the ticket a senior statesman feel to the ticket, that would be lacking from a younger man.

He is also a fierce partisan who will be able to go on attack mode for the Harris campaign. He has already responsible for creating the Democratic talking that Republican nominee for Vice President – former Marine, Yale Law School graduate, author, entrepreneur, and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance – "Is just strange."

The preferred Democratic choice – California Governor Gavin Newsom – is from the same state as Harris making him an impossible choice. U.S. Senator, astronaut, fighter pilot Mark Kelly of Arizona was considered, but he is a strong personality who would have overshadowed Harris. Polling indicates that Arizona may already be a long shot for Democrats and it is a state that is not an essential pickup for a Harris win. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was also strongly considered as Pennsylvania is part of the "blue wall" that Harris has to have to have any hope of winning the presidency. Unfortunately, his being Jewish – would have put three Jews on the Democratic ticket (when you had his wife and Harris's husband). That would have been unacceptable to Muslims, who are a key voting block in Michigan – which is another one of the four "blue wall" states (Wisconsin being the fourth) that Harris has to have to win. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear was also reportedly considered; but he could not have delivered dark red Kentucky to the Harris campaign. He would have appealed to southern moderates in Georgia and North Carolina (the only two southern states the Harris campaign is seriously targeting this time around.) Ultimately, however Harris elected to focus on shoring up that midwestern "blue wall" strategy. Walz was also the preferred choice of progressives – who would be at their highest level of ascendancy in the history of the Democratic Party if Harris and Walz are ultimately chosen by the American people in November.