Kamala Harris has picked Tim Walz as her vice-presidential pick.
Conventional wisdom suggests that the 60-year-old governor of Minnesota is a safe choice when compared to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is 51.
The media is adamant that Mr. Shapiro, a gifted orator, would have helped Harris win Pennsylvania, the most important battleground state in the 2024 election.
Most political experts believe that if the current vice president wins The Keystone State, she will probably be the next president. Donald Trump and his allies are spending a lot of money in Pennsylvania to prevent this from happening.
According to political commentators, Shapiro was the one who could get VP Harris closer to the finish line.
Therefore, contrary to popular belief, he was the so-called “safe choice,” the person who could guarantee the win.
By going for the “do-no-harm” pick, Harris is putting all the weight of the election on her own shoulders. If she wins, she will not have to share the credit with anyone else, and if she loses, the California native will have to carry most of the blame.
Here are five reasons why choosing Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro is a bolder move.
1. Kamala Harris thinks she is winning
Contrary to what she is telling her supporters, Harris does not see herself as an underdog. Walz is a man who knows Washington as a former congressman, this makes him a governing pick.
Harris is not only thinking about winning the election, she is already focusing on how she will govern. Walz might deliver some votes in the Midwest, but it is clear that Shapiro had a higher ceiling in that area.
2. Harris wants the spotlight
The former senator is confident and wants to keep the spotlight on herself in the foreseeable future. According to reports, Shapiro and his supporters were envisioning a co-presidency, where the VP would be involved in all the major decisions.
With Walz, Harris is telling the world that she is the one running the show. Former President Barack Obama went the same route in 2008 by choosing Joe Biden over former rival Hillary Clinton.
3. Harris is running as a true progressive
While she has made some overtures to the center on immigration and fracking, with Walz, Harris is saying boldly where her heart is. She seems ready to build on the progress made under Biden.
Shapiro’s ideas are closer to those of former President Bill Clinton or the early years of the Obama administration.
If Harris is successful, she might become a transformative political figure à la Ronald Reagan. Four years of Biden followed by 8 for Harris could cement some big wins for progressives, the same way Reagan did for Conservatives in the 1980s.
4. Harris is not a pushover
Her critics will say that she is listening to the “Hamas wing” of the Democratic Party by not going with Shapiro. However, Harris has always made clear that while she supports Israel, she is also sympathetic to the pain of the Palestinian people.
By ignoring calls to be more pro-Israel, Harris is projecting some form of independence. She intends to fight for her vision to prevail. It needs to be said that in politics, perception is often reality.
There is zero difference between Shapiro and Walz on Israel, but the former is seen as more hawkish on the issue because of his faith.
5. Harris is choosing people over politics
Shapiro was a more strategic pick that solved many of Harris’s political problems. However, she decided to follow her heart and go with the person she had more chemistry with.
The governor of Pennsylvania might be a better politician, but Walz has more ease when it comes to making connections.
That is why he has the full support of people like Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar and Senators Joe Manchin and John Fetterman.
Those officials see politics very differently, but they all agree on Walz.
Thanks to this pick, Harris is boldly claiming her own lane. Win or lose, it will be all hers.
