Harris’s First Major Mistake: Doubling Down on a Progressive as Her Running Mate

Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris just made the first real blunder of her campaign. She has picked, in Governor Waltz of Minnesota, a running mate who aligns closely with the candidate’s own ultra-liberal political leanings, instead of trying to expand her appeal. That is what Democrats criticized President Trump of doing when he selected, in Senator Vance of Ohio, a candidate who solidified his conservative base rather than broadening his reach.Picking Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party member Mr. Walz confirms Mrs. Harris’ progressive bent but also confirms a troubling reality about the Democrat Party. The vice president’s choice boiled down to two contenders: Mr. Walz and Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania. In selecting Mr. Walz, Mrs. Harris passed over a candidate many expected to pose a major challenge to the GOP — a choice exposing that antisemitism is an issue in the Democratic Party.Pennsylvania delivers 19 Electoral College votes. It is considered a must-win for both parties. If Mrs. Harris had picked the popular Mr. Shapiro, who earns approval ratings above 50 percent, she would have significantly increased her chances of winning the Keystone State. She might need that boost, given her past opposition to fracking, which accounts for hundreds of thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania and tens of billions of dollars in income.Mr. Shapiro is a traditional Democrat, who wants to expand unions but also encourages small businesses. He has broken from the left wing of his party by embracing the state’s oil and gas industry while simultaneously echoing concerns about climate change. He also favors robust law enforcement and, most surprising, last year endorsed a Republican-backed proposal in his state to spend $100 million for vouchers offering families a choice between private and public schools. After huge blowback from teachers’ unions, Mr. Shapiro later rescinded his support, but his instincts were admirable. Mr. Shapiro would have made an excellent vice-presidential candidate. However, as a pro-Israel Jew, he was unacceptable to the progressive left. The Democratic Socialists of America, which includes Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York among its members, posted an open letter on X denouncing Mr. Shapiro as an “outspoken supporter of the Zionist project in Palestine,” which the group says has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians. Ms. Harris might also have worried that a Jewish running mate, while helping her in Pennsylvania, might cost her the state of Michigan, which President Biden won by only 154,000 votes in 2020. Instead of backing Mr. Biden, more than 100,000 Muslims voted “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary this year, in protest over his support for Israel’s war against Hamas. Knuckling under to antisemites in her party, Mrs. Harris chose Mr. Walz. The far-left governor is best known for standing by while rioters protesting the killing of George Floyd burned down or otherwise damaged over 1,000 commercial businesses, schools, government offices, and private homes across the state — many of which were minority-owned. A Black man, Oscar Lee Stewart Jr., died when he was trapped inside a pawn shop that was set on fire. In the aftermath, few of the looters and criminals responsible for the widespread and costly destruction were sent to jail. That is Tim Walz’s Minnesota.Mr. Walz is a champion for “gender-affirming” treatments for children, portraying Minnesota as a refuge for LGBTQ Americans, and has vowed to make Minnesota a sanctuary state, thus protecting people in the country illegally. He has also embraced abortions with no limits or restrictions and restored voting rights for felons. Mr. Walz’s left-wing bona fides are well known, so the liberal press is trying to reinvent the governor, just as they have reimagined Ms. Harris, to broaden his appeal. Los Angeles Times, in announcing the pick, described Mr. Walz as a “moderate Democrat” while the Washington Post emphasized that he is a military veteran. As the public will soon learn, there is controversy over Mr. Walz’s stint in the United States Army National Guard, in which he rose to the rank of command sergeant major. He faced criticism in 2022, during his second campaign for governor, for retiring from the National Guard in 2005 as his battalion was to be deployed to Iraq, Stars and Stripes reports. In 2018, two retired command sergeants major of the Minnesota National Guard argued that Mr. Walz “failed his state. He failed the Minnesota Army National Guard, the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, and his fellow Soldiers. And he failed to lead by example.” Mr. Walz contends, according to Stars and Stripes, that “he left the military to focus on his first run for Congress.”In any event, Ms. Harris’ choice may please Senators Sanders or Warren, but Americans are fed up with the chaos created in our cities and our country by progressive policies. The vice president has shown poor judgment in her first major decision. Almost certainly more will follow.

Harris’s First Major Mistake: Doubling Down on a Progressive as Her Running Mate

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