ST. PAUL, Minn. – It’s a long shot, but veteran Minnesota political reporter Peter Callaghan sees a path for Governor Tim Walz on the Democratic ticket for vice president in November. “There are so many dominos that would have to fall,” Callaghan conceded in a column on the MinnPost site. Among dominos would be if President Biden yields to pressure to withdraw his candidacy fir re-election. It must be noted too that Walz has stood with Biden to stay the course. Even so, Walz is showing up on short lists as a viable running mate for Kamala Harris. if she ascends from vice president to replace Biden.. Others being talked about in backrooms:
> Gavin Newsom, California governor.
> J.B. Pritzker, Illinois governor.
> Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania governor.
> Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan governor.
Backroom and cloakroom chatter
It’s all speculation, of course – and no consensus. Walz, for example, has found his name on veep lists in the New Republic magazine and CNN. Forbes magazine, however, mentions Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota but not Walz. Neither Newsweek magazine nor the New York Times lists either Walz or Klobuchar. On lists or not, Callaghan notes that Walz is among kingmakers in national Democratic circles. He co-chairs the Democratic National Committee rules committee. He served six terms in Congress. He’s chair if he Democratic Governors Association. He’s been elected twice as governor of Minnesota.
Callaghan. At MinnPost since 2004. Earlier in Washington state at the Tacoma News Tribune. His focus as a columnist: Public affairs, open government, politics, education policy, urban policy, historic preservation.
Walz. He demurs on the vice presidential speculation: “It’s an honor but these things are parlor games. I’m serving Minnesota first.”
Verbatim
Walz: “We are not a party that all wears red hats and marches to the same drummer, Knowing the threat of a second Trump presidency far outweighs the discussions we’re having now. At this point in time, if President Biden says he’s going forward, then that’s where I’m at. I’m working with him.”
Walz attractions
For Walz to be Kamala Harris’ running mate, Biden would have either to resign the presidency or to lose the party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention beginning August 19 in Chicago. Walz would have demographic attractions to balance the ticket. He’s white, she’s black. He’s male, she’s female. He’s a Midwesterner, she’s a Californian. Too, Walz is a good campaigner – well and clearly spoken. He inspires trust. On issues Walz a moderate reformer whose values tyat would work well with Harris: Firm on women’s rights, gun reform, and wider voting access. He has no patience with presumptive GOP candidate Donald Trump’s name-calling and campaign demonizing, nor Trump’s white supremacy and dictatorial and isolationist values. And unlike Trump, Walz has no criminal baggage, aside from a 1995 speeding ticket in Nebraska.
Minnesota’s been there before
‘For what it’s worth, Callaghan jokes in his MinnPost column that Minnesota is the land of 10,000 vice presidents – “two anyway.” Walter Mondale was vice president under Jimmy Carter and Hubert Humphrey under Lyndon Johnson.