The Minnesota Walz

Kamala Harris chose Tim.

Just not the Tim I hoped for.

Tim Walz is the governor of Minnesota, and he is popular in his state for progressive actions such s codifying legal abortion, providing school lunches, and ensuring the prosecution of Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd.  He's also an average small-town guy, the sort of fella who's more comfortable in a bar or  lodge meeting than an ambassador's reception.  He's likely to talk more about meat-and-potatoes than issues involving initials, and he's more likely to eat meat and potatoes than the fancy food on the menu of Le Cirque or Maison Robert.  He's the most plain-speaking Democrat to run for national office since Harry Truman.

As for the also-rans . . .  Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona was apparently seen as too much of  maverick for some of his disagreements with President Biden over domestic policy.  Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro my have been to pro-Israel regarding the Gaza War, though by all accounts he preferred Harrisburg over Harris.

"Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their Governor, and my work here is far from finished," Shapiro said in a statement.  "There is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this Commonwealth."  

This choice raises obvious questions.  Can Walz help Harris win the battleground states in the Midwest?  What governing qualities would he bring to a Harris administration?  How come Pennsylvania and three other states call themselves "commonwealths?"  Except for that last question, these - and other questions to be asked - will be answered soon enough.  But in the meantime, everyone in the Democratic Party is celebrating the choice and Harris continues to be on a roll.