General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt's looking more and more like Tim Walz was a brilliant choice.
Very few figured Tim Walz even had a chance. And when word came out he was picked, I wondered what Kamala Harris was thinking.
I think we know now. Walz was more personable and down-to-earth than the majority of us knew. Which is why the GOP is scraping to dig up stuff on him.
With every appearance, Walz looks like he'll be sooooooooo comfortable as Vice President.
Christmas came early.

Ocelot II
(123,905 posts)He's been a great governor, all-around good guy who's helped make MN a progressive oasis in the middle of a MAGA desert, but I didn't expect him to be such an effective political speaker. That's not to say he was a poor or boring speaker; only that on TV he seemed just normal, workmanlike, practical, not such a firebrand or so funny. He's proving to be a great asset for Harris.
I just spent a few days driving around far northern MN, visiting some nature sites (ever get a chance to see the Lost 40 in Chippewa National Forest, do it!), and observed very few Trump signs anywhere (3, I think), although this used to be Trump country, bigly. Driving through the Red Lake Nation I saw whole a lot of signs for Harris and Amy Klobuchar, definitely none for TFG. The folks on the rez definitely are not Trump fans.
BOSSHOG
(41,769 posts)Incredible compare and contrast with Vance. Walz hands down unless you are a klansman.
I find Tim rather Jimmy Buffettesque.
COL Mustard
(7,310 posts)Jimmy was a consummate storyteller. I think maybe Tim is as well.
BOSSHOG
(41,769 posts)Past tense in the case of Jimmy but I bet hes hanging out in Margaritaville and has finally found his lost shaker of salt.
And I think with maybe a slight stretch they look alike
ananda
(31,409 posts)Walz does have that Buffettesque energy, agree!
I'd love to see them use his music at the rallies!
COL Mustard
(7,310 posts)Would approve if asked!
BOSSHOG
(41,769 posts)jayschool2013
(2,551 posts)is solid blue: Duluth, Grand Marais, Cook County.
Ocelot II
(123,905 posts)Except for the rez, of course; that's Harris (and potentially Flanagan) country. There's a Trump merch store on the main drag in Walker where you can even buy a life-size cardboard effigy of Himself (only not as fat and wrinkly as the real thing), which I briefly considered buying just so I could defile it. There used to be a lot more Trump lawn signs in that area, though.
jayschool2013
(2,551 posts)Thank you.
PlutosHeart
(1,445 posts)was blue. I watched the BS happen and am convinced there is a lot of not up and up stuffs going on in voting.
It was important for them to quash the University and younger people.
Used to also live near Walker for a few years. That is truly stupid about the store. I hope it shutters. Yuck. They depend upon tourists to survive and it really gives a bad image.
wishstar
(5,662 posts)making a good combination with his upbeat enthusiasm and humor
cyclonefence
(5,032 posts)Tribetime
(6,472 posts)At the perfect time. This is my favorite combo ever.
Biophilic
(5,433 posts)MarineCombatEngineer
(15,015 posts)here is the ultimate example and the repigs have no idea of how to counter it.
musclecar6
(1,884 posts)Are the best. They are the perfect combo to take on Trump and Vance and all the rest of those deplorable MAGA congress people..
birdographer
(2,888 posts)Oooh, what do you think he and Gwen will do with the trees?????
wordstroken
(914 posts)I cant wait to see how they decorate during Christmas and all the holidays. Easter egg hunt (with a bunch of giggling kids), Halloween; oh, and pardoning the Thanksgiving turkeys. That should be spectacular!!!
Youve just opened up a whole bunch of things to get excited about with Tim and Gwen making fun decisions at the White House. Plus Hope and Gus, and Scout, Ashton(?), and Honey (their pup and two kitties).
🎄 🐣 🎃 🦃
So much love and joy on the horizon.
NJCher
(39,493 posts)You don't think this is happy, wholesome, and fun?
NJCher
(39,493 posts)The headline describing her decorations used the words "creepy" and "strange(ly)." And this was back in 2018.
People have been finding this crowd strange, weird, and creepy for a long time.
wordstroken
(914 posts)And weird.
GopherGal
(2,429 posts)From a few years ago:
Christmas at the Governor's Residence: featuring Minnesota's First Pets Scout & Afton
BrianTheEVGuy
(697 posts)Republicans build walls, Democrats elect Walz.
KPN
(16,504 posts)biocube
(40 posts)Progressive members of the party that have criticized Biden since he took office love him but to everyone else he's just a normal Midwestern dad.
Butterflylady
(4,332 posts)With someone that has integrity and honesty. All their used is typically like the orange con. No matter what they throw at him, it just bounces off because he is being himself.
GopherGal
(2,429 posts)The "weird" thing is an interesting off-shoot from the ability to sell many "progressive" ideas as neighborly decency. ("It's weird to be against feeding school children." "Who wants to make 10-year-old rape victims bear their rapists' children? Weirdos."
The "midwestern dad" "coach" fatherly persona is a melding of that compassion with the strength and sternness from a 24-year military career and 20+ years of experience in classroom management (and, I gather, a bunch of time as a HS cafeteria monitor...)
I would add that is just the way those people are out there in the heartland. Not everyone, of course, but a lot of them.
Walz grew up only 40 miles away from where I was born and raised.
There's something about their demeanor and approach to life which is honest and refreshing. People love it and can't get enough of it.
I found it to be a tremendous advantage when I moved to the NY area. People (and job interviewers in particular) would comment on it, straight to my face.
catbyte
(36,642 posts)She said she likes Walz so much because wishes he was the dad that she lost to Fox News.
Those monsters destroy families.
Response to catbyte (Reply #13)
jfz9580m This message was self-deleted by its author.
Response to ificandream (Original post)
jfz9580m This message was self-deleted by its author.
Marcuse
(8,247 posts)
Thanks for the image!
ProudMNDemocrat
(19,551 posts)Isn't he great?
This is the man I have known for going on 20 years. Tim has not compromised his ethics, values, and principles. He is smart, relatable, approachable, etc. He does not suffer fools. He is not easily intimidated. He is a FACTS man. He is funny. He is very down to earth.
KPN
(16,504 posts)the short list. After watching a few You Tubes I was excited. I dont think a VP pick has ever excite me as he did. I was hoping she would choose him. They were all excellent, but he excited me like no one has before.
moonscape
(5,482 posts)I went on a YouTube hunt/play of everything I could find. .So smart and hilarious.
He supported Biden until the end, and in an interview said (as exact a quote as I can recall):
I know Joe Biden is old, Joe Biden knows hes old and wishes he wasnt. But Donald Trump wishes he wasnt going to prison so its a draw!
ProudMNDemocrat
(19,551 posts)He is a natural, that is for sure.


Emile
(33,692 posts)him early. He was the very best choice she could have chosen. He and her are both clicking and having a blast. His common sense and plain spoken speech will win over a lot of voters. Plus it doesn't hurt that his smile looks like someone is tickling his tummy.
rhiannon55
(2,730 posts)I was so worried about what my kids and grand kids would go through under a dictatorship with a madman and his mini-me in charge. I feel so much hope now.
I love them both! I haven't felt this optimistic in a long time.
Bluethroughu
(7,074 posts)The sense of fear is replaced with relief, and excitement for a future of positive possibility.
We got this.
mahina
(19,619 posts)Me too.
Bluethroughu
(7,074 posts)First interviews I saw, I said that's the VP for President Kamala. He has her back 100%!
PortTack
(35,450 posts)Srkdqltr
(8,180 posts)Several of the other choices were really excellent but Walz has something.
Sky Jewels
(8,975 posts)that I was trying to prepare myself for crushing disappointment if she didnt choose him. I knew it in my bones that he was THE right pick. Im so relieved and happy that hes the guy/the dude.
Klarkashton
(3,218 posts)This good guy. Yet the numbers keep climbing.
hahahaha
IronLionZion
(48,237 posts)and make a great team. Like Obama and Biden, then Biden and Harris, VP is a great pathway for future presidents. Although Walz claims he doesn't want to be president and I believe that makes him a great choice for our first woman president's VP.
progressoid
(51,164 posts)Seriously. I tune into AM radio and that's about all they talk about.
They got nuthin'
ificandream
(11,083 posts)DEI, stolen valor, critical race theory? Short and simple for the stupids. sigh.
Initech
(104,386 posts)"Walz is the guy you call when you need help with the creepy dude at the bar - and JD Vance is that creepy dude at the bar!".
Sky Jewels
(8,975 posts)3catwoman3
(26,448 posts)...of VP Joe Biden.
ificandream
(11,083 posts)RussBLib
(9,851 posts)...careful now, don't get too exuberant!
https://russblib.blogspot.com
Zoomie1986
(1,213 posts)My mother had finally calmed down from how so many people dumped on him that she was ready to stop grieving and face reality. She asked me what I thought of Kelly as VP, and I said, nah, not the right fit for Harris.
'But he's an astronaut!'
'You're showing your age, Mother. People are over the astronaut thing, now that any idiot with money can go into space. Plus, she's from California and he's from Arizona. Too close. No, I think you need to keep an eye on Tim Walz."
'Who?'
'Governor of Minnesota. Solid Democrat, smart guy, has run the state beautifully. She needs a running mate with the regular guy vibe, someone from a 'salt of the earth' state like that. He checks off a bunch of boxes and balances the ticket well. I think he'll be the guy.'
So the day Kamala announced him as her running mate, I got a call from my Mom, 'HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WOULD BE WALZ?' The caps are justified there, because she really was screaming it.
Anyway, I reminded her that I'd told her why I thought he'd be the guy. The combo added up right, that's all. He simply 'fit' Harris and made the ticket complete, somehow.
I never once thought it would be anyone else.
Hope22
(3,795 posts)but I think Pete would have put a bit of polish and youth to the office. I hope it all works out and Harris takes eight years and then Pete steps up.
Random Boomer
(4,296 posts)The MAGATs toss around all manner of lies and exaggerations to insult Tim Walz, but even if every single thing they said was true, Walz would still be my top pick for Vice President of the United States.
No person is perfect. I don't expect infallible. His virtues and strengths outweigh by far the worst the GOP can say about him.
sellitman
(11,701 posts)President Harris will surround herself with great qualified people.
As opposed to the orange turd who will pick boot-lickers and sycophants.
NJCher
(39,493 posts)He hand selects people to live the lie with him.
kimbutgar
(24,649 posts)And she made a good pick.:Hes smart, funny and so likeable) and will hard for the convicted felon to attack him with childish insults. As a former teacher Walz he knows how to deal with an unruly child.
Put me in coach Im ready to play (vote for Harris/Walz November 5th)
kentuck
(113,394 posts)Democrats cannot go wrong when they are authentic.
Gaytano70
(1,207 posts)I get to see Coach Walz live in Kamaha (Omaha) on Saturday!
MaryMagdaline
(7,934 posts)Not a lawyer.
Love my Democratic Party, but it helps to have fewer city slickers
pansypoo53219
(22,072 posts)Celerity
(48,946 posts)
pansypoo53219
(22,072 posts)need plain vs vance.
Celerity
(48,946 posts)obamanut2012
(28,359 posts)PlutosHeart
(1,445 posts)and secretly and selfishly wished he would not get it yet felt a deep welling inside that he needed to be the one. I did actually look up about the others and found things that concerned me, some more than others.
He is and was my Governor. I had nothing but respect for him. Even enjoyed listening to him! 🤣
I said it before and will repeat "I cried literally all day for two days". I do not recommend this state of emotions that combines both joy and sadness all at once. I was a wreck. Feeling a bit better now.
NJCher
(39,493 posts)Thank you.
PlutosHeart
(1,445 posts)I really do know.
obamanut2012
(28,359 posts)Because her advisors would say he was too "folksy," even though we need that REAL folksiness back in politics. Then, the night before he was in MN at an event and not in PA I was bummed. But, my wife was in the shower and we were getting ready for work (we are in CA, so it was early for us when the news came) early Monday, and the news came out! She thought I had fallen because I was running down the stairs yelling Walzwalzwalz!
Warpy
(113,131 posts)That's really the point, we had all the good ones and the GOP had all the bad ones. Good.
I was in the Walz camp the first time I saw a video of him skewering a Scrooge Republican in his own state. Wow.
I'm just glad he's on our side.
edisdead
(3,359 posts)He has been fantastic for MN.
NHvet
(255 posts)before election day
Blue Owl
(55,751 posts)
Evolve Dammit
(20,422 posts)riverkittenDem
(64 posts)I would genuinely love to see him as our VP.
yankee87
(2,499 posts)He has got to be the best VP pick in my lifetime. I wanted Shapiro, and boy, Ive never been so happy to be wrong.
HeartsCanHope
(918 posts)She picked Walz on his merits, not as payback to some political weirdo group! The great thing is the entire country wins.
We're not going back!!