The 2024 United States Presidential election has been fraught with dramatic twists and turns. Now, Kamala Harris’s newly selected vice presidential running mate is stirring some new feelings on the right.
Both parties have effectively shown how different they are with their VP choice, Trump with outspoken MAGA advocate JD Vance and Harris with her selection of the former high school football coach Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Who Is Tim Walz?
Tim Walz was the first democratic Governor elected in Minnesota since the 1980s and has gained a swell of support among his constituents. He has proliferated free school lunches in the state and often votes in favor of unions, teachers, and workers to stand by his ideals of creating a strong middle class.
After enlisting in the armed forces at 17, he served dutifully for 24 years before using his GI benefits to attend university. He became a high school teacher before entering the House of Representatives in 2005. He later became the Governor of Minnesota in 2018 and was elected in 2022.
Walz Shares Harris’ Progressive Ideals
Many opposers on the right have noted that Walz shares Harris’ super progressive legislation. They share similar views on the privacy of a woman’s right to choose and open immigration at our borders and have declined to support certain military measures.
Harris’ choice of VP backs up the message she has been sharing for a while: that she intends to be tough on conservatives and offer little bi-partisan support.
Walz Might Not Appeal to Fence Sitters
Some critics of the Harris-Walz ticket fear that the two are far too progressive to draw in undecided voters.
Currently, about 20% of all adult voters in the United States say that they have not picked a candidate yet. Many are still leaning towards a third party option, but the numbers show that plenty of adults do not vote within party lines.
The Vice President Does Not Usually Decide the Win
Usually speaking, the Vice President on a ticket does not decide the outcome of an election.
However, these rules become a little hazy when voters seem to dislike a candidate. After being announced as Trump’s running mate, JD Vance quickly fell to -6 for favorability in the polls. Since then, his connection to Project 2025 has garnered even more dislike among more moderate Republican voters who don’t want to see veterans’ benefits become dismantled.
The Parties Are Drifting Even Further Apart
Following the failed assassination of Donald J. Trump on July 13, both Republicans and Democrats called for unity between the parties. President Joe Biden made a speech condemning political violence and asked all Americans to come together and attempt to quash the political dissonance in the country.
However, many people feel like too much has happened in just a short few weeks, and now the party lines seem to have disbanded once and for all with the increasing distance between policies.
Politics Are Becoming More Polarized
Many young voters feel that no candidates accurately represent their ideals.
However, Harris’ pick shows that she is on the side of common sense, allowing a veteran and a teacher to stand up for the rights of his residents and the freedoms of people around the country. Interestingly, many young people think that Walz is too progressive and does not stand for more conservative ideals.
Many Voters Were Excited For a Different Pick
Many undecided voters wanted to see Harris choose a more moderate VP.
The other candidates in the running were Mark Kelly, a senator from Arizona and former NASA astronaut popular among Democrats and Republicans in his state as he crosses party lines and often votes on either side of the aisle.
Josh Shapiro Was a Popular Contender
Another popular choice for VP candidate was Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
The rust belt native has been a super popular state leader for many years now and has a fairly harsh stance on crime that makes him a perfect choice for moderates.
What Do Conservatives Want?
There is a large group of former conservative voters who disagree with the MAGA movement and have raised their vocal opposition to Trump.
Many think that the party is straying extremely far from family values and fiscal conservatism by attempting to re-elect the twice-divorced and three-times married felon with more legal proceedings underway.
Trump Could Lose Republicans The Election
What is especially interesting is that many long-time Republican and conservative voters want a completely different candidate.
It appears that the RNC has done a poor job of listening to their voter base for a while now.
Would Harris Reach Across the Aisle?
At their most recent public appearance together, Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz agreed that they want to reach across party lines to serve the American public, but conservatives aren’t so sure.
Many opponents have pointed to how progressive and left-leaning the current Democratic ticket is an excuse to avoid meeting on any topic. Recent polls show that Harris has just taken a small national lead over Trump. Only time will tell now how the November 2024 election will turn out.
