# Kamala Harris's choice of Tim Walz as VP **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** kamala-harris\ **Created:** [August 6, 2024, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352 "2024-08-06T21:19:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/243 "2024-08-08T04:12:10Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > If he was told in ~~2002~~ **2003** that he could finish his six year term, does that have any impact on the fact that he retired ~~three~~ **two** years later, in 2005? It doesn’t say when he started that six-year term. My correction to my earlier post; the MPR article says that the board hearing was in late 2002, and that he waited months for the decision, so that would put it into 2003. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/244 "2024-08-08T04:53:23Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > For me, Progressive equates to the people responsible for Seattle and San Francisco. WTF is the insinuation about Seattle? Cite please. I live here. It ain’t an unqualified paradise, and there are some homeless like in every American big city. You ever been to Seattle or the left coast? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/245 "2024-08-08T05:09:28Z")
And, I love San Francisco. Long live whoever is “responsible” for that wonderful city. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/246 "2024-08-08T05:57:28Z")
**Moderating:** Off-topic Seattle and San Francisco discussions have ALREADY been modded. DROP IT. No warnings. Yet. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/247 "2024-08-08T06:09:54Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > As far as I can tell (it’s a long thread), no-one has responded to that inquiry? He put in his retirement papers (it is a long slow process) months before his unit was announced to go overseas. You cant just say “I changed my mind” that easily. He was given clearance to serve out his final tour. Maybe he could have reenlisted. But he went into politics instead. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/248 "2024-08-08T06:12:46Z")
Good god are you OK? Thanks for taking one for the team. I think waters is trying to out due tucker on stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/249 "2024-08-08T12:58:54Z")
I’m still trying to figure out why progressives are in particular so thrilled with Walz. I’m not bothering to link or gift the article but just the quote from the NYT discussing his campaign leaning into his progressive cred in WI, “leaning into his unabashed progressivism”: > [@](#): > > “I don’t need you telling me about our health care,” he said. “I don’t need you telling us who we love. And I sure the hell don’t need you telling us what books we’re going to read.” > > “Just like Wisconsin, over in Minnesota, we believe in the Second Amendment, but we also believe in common-sense gun violence laws,” he added later. All of which sound center left to centrist to me. Glad they are especially enthusiastic but why? ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/250 "2024-08-08T13:10:49Z")
Don’t inadvertently give air to the stolen valor bullshit, out in meat space I mean. A short, crisp response to any attack, along the lines of, “Governor Walz served honorably for twenty years. We’re just thankful he never had to live through the hell of bone spurs.” Short and sweet, emphasizing the true comparison. I’m becoming more and more convinced that the “laugh at the weirdos” strategy is best. Don’t ignore their bullshit, but don’t give it more credibility than it deserves (none). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/251 "2024-08-08T13:12:09Z")
I strongly agree, always turn it back at Trump. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/252 "2024-08-08T13:16:39Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > I’m becoming more and more convinced that the “laugh at the weirdos” strategy is best. Don’t ignore their bullshit, but don’t give it more credibility than it deserves (none). Hear, hear. “Weird” may well be the non-right’s answer to “woke.” Except one of them is actually an insult to the target, too, and not just a sign of how _weird_ the accuser is. If Tim Walz gave us that, that makes him a borderline folk hero. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/253 "2024-08-08T13:19:18Z")
“Weird” shouldn’t be overused, though. Just slip an “Ok, weirdo” into a debate response and be I’ll be happy. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/254 "2024-08-08T13:28:56Z")
This lengthy discussion of Walz’s military record is a perfect example of how the Right is so often successful in changing/framing a conversation on their own terms. (And also somewhat reminiscent of Jonathan Swift’s oft-remixed quote: “Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it.”) The whole discussion here started with Loach vaguely mentioning how Walz’s military record is “being turned against him in a way I’m having a hard time disagreeing with.,” When challenged, he posted as fact - but without a cite - that “he left his unit and retired immediately after they got orders to deploy to Iraq. Leaving a hole at the top of their leadership the had to be hastily filled by someone else” and his opinion that “A CSM leaving his battalion on the eve of their deployment is a very bad thing.” (Among other things, but I’m sticking to this particular point for clarity). When asked for details about this, he cited noted tabloid bullshit newspaper The New York Post. And then we are off into dozens of posts over a couple of days digging into whether Walz abandoned his unit on the “eve of deployment” (spoiler alert: he didn’t), instead of discussing things like: - [Walz championing free school breakfast and lunch for all students in MN](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/08/07/walz-education-track-record-minnesota) - [Walz being a longtime LGBT ally, going all the way back to the 90s when he was a high school teacher](https://thehill.com/homenews/4814484-lgbtq-rights-groups-celebrate-walz-harris-vp/) - [Walz’s tax policies that lower the burden on lower-income families and resulted in an expected budget surplus of $3.7 billion](https://abcnews.go.com/Business/tim-walzs-record-economy-minnesota/story?id=112637705) Which isn’t to say those things haven’t been mentioned already in this thread, but they are not catching fire like this unproven assertion of, essentially, cowardice, which was originated by right-wing outlets like the Post, and uncritically carried here like a disease to infect this entire thread, and which many of us are guilty - myself as much as anyone else - of wasting considerable time questioning and refuting. Until anyone brings actual cites that prove that Walz is a coward, I’m not engaging in that bullshit anymore and suggest nobody else does either. Let’s talk about the things that Walz has actually, provably done and not waste time on unfounded right-wing talking points. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/255 "2024-08-08T13:38:32Z")
On that note, I found this roughly 20-minute video from a…lawtube (?) personality who happens to live in Minnesota quite a nice summary of why Walz may be viewed as progressive: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0_Y0u4bjYes/maxresdefault.jpg "WHO THE HECK IS TIM WALZ?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Y0u4bjYes) He apparently made great strides in things like expanding or protecting abortion access, labor rights, and social security benefits (or at least, not taxing them). And actually spent down the government surplus on, you know, the public. And actually treated COVID seriously. Among other things. ---
**Author:** ![TeroSunbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terosunbear/32/14748_2.png) [@TeroSunbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeroSunbear)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/256 "2024-08-08T13:50:24Z")
Tampon Tim it is! That name will not scare off any voters, probably just round up all the cat ladies still not listening to the news. And no Trump voter of 2020 will vote for harris Walz anyway. And this and transgender policy is just standard for Democrats, it is not weird. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/257 "2024-08-08T13:53:55Z")
Thats heartening! Thats all they’ve got to work with. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/258 "2024-08-08T13:59:19Z")
Were you not aware that girls have cooties? I learned it in the second grade. Clearly your education failed you. /s ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/259 "2024-08-08T14:04:12Z")
No, Republicans, please don’t keep reminding women voters that Tim Walz supports them and that the GOP don’t…no…stop… ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/260 "2024-08-08T14:06:21Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Glad they are especially enthusiastic but why? I can only answer for myself, but it is mostly relief that it wasn’t Shapiro, with whom I differ on a number of important (to me) policies, the discussion of which here would constitute a hijack. For some progressives, we’ll take left of center over someone to the right of that. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/261 "2024-08-08T14:11:36Z")
Well, here’s the text of the email that Our Revolution (Bernie’s PAC) sent out after the announcement: > _([ActBlue](https://act.ourrevolution.com/go/19134?t=45?)\> Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her VP is great news for progressives!_ As Bernie said, “he will deliver for the working families of the US.” > > > Walz is a **proven progressive** who has successfully delivered on reproductive rights, clean energy, stronger labor protections, paid leave, free school meals, cannabis legalization, affordable housing, and gun safety — **and just as important: he knows how to beat Republicans.** > > > > Polls show Harris and Trump are TIED, but adding Walz to the ticket gives us a fighting chance. This is amazing news that has progressives fired up, but this is still a razor tight race and we have work to do! > > > > [ **Choosing a Midwesterner committed to a working class agenda will make the ticket more competitive in key battleground states — but now we need to get to work! Donate to our Swing State Fund TODAY.** ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352/262 "2024-08-08T14:25:04Z")
I’ll also point to the link in ShadowFact’s extremely excellent post above – Walz founded a Gay-Straight Alliance at his rural Minnesota high school in the mid-90s. Progressives really like people who did the right thing _before_ it was popular. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harriss-choice-of-tim-walz-as-vp/1005352.md?page=14)