In a statement, Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., said Walz would “bring balance” to the Democratic Party
Published August 6, 2024 3:52PM (EDT)
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) leaves the U.S. Capitol for a private meeting between Senate Democrats and U.S. President Joe Biden’s senior advisors Mike Donlion, Steve Richetti and campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on July 11, 2024 in Washington, DC (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)
Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday was immediately denounced by Donald Trump, but the choice is earning praise from key constituents in the anti-Trump coalition.
In her announcement, Harris described Walz as “a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran” who has “delivered for working families like his.” Trump, by contrast, wrote on Truth Social: “TIM WALZ WOULD BE THE WORST VP IN HISTORY!”
But moderates and centrists, whose votes Harris will need in November, largely seem on board.
Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., a centrist who caucuses with the Democrats, seemed pleased that Walz isn’t too liberal of a choice, in his view, writing that the Minnesota governor will “bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen.” Walz will “bring balance back to the Democratic Party,” he said, adding: “I look forward to continuing work with him to bring normalcy back to Washington.”
The Lincoln Project, a group founded by anti-Trump Republicans, also commended the pick and followed up their initial tweet of a smiling Walz hugging a group of schoolchildren with a video of the same, writing: “Can’t wait to watch MAGA twist themselves into a pretzel trying to convince America this guy is evil.”
Writers for The Bulwark, a conservative anti-Trump site, supported the choice although their initial pick was Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, The Guardian reported.
“As a matter of modern politics … this one shouldn’t have shocked us,” two staff writers there wrote. “In an era where vibes rule everything around us, Walz, by the end, was the guy riding the zeitgeist.”
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a fierce critic of Trump, also approved of Harris’s pick. He wrote on X: “I served for years with @GovTimWalz in the house. We always got along well, and when we would argue issues it was always with respect. He will make a great VP to @KamalaHarris.”
Former Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., who is running for Senate in his blue state, also extended his congratulations, writing on X: “We had the chance to work together as fellow governors, and while we come from different parties, I have always appreciated his dedication to public service.”
Businessman Mark Cuban, a moderate, also approved the choice, writing on X: “On the @tim_walz choice, I think people who don’t like it are missing the lesson of the switch to Harris. She went from worst to first as people got to know her. It’s not a reach to think the same thing will happen with Walz.”
“People are tired of the ideologues and hate from both parties,” Cuban continued. “They want to vote for normal people they can relate to. Walz can sit at the kitchen table and make you feel like you have know him forever. That’s an incredible skill these days.”
By Nandika Chatterjee
Nandika Chatterjee is a News Fellow at Salon. In 2022 she moved to New York after graduating from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where she pursued a B.A. in Communication and a B.S. in Psychology. She is currently an M.A. in Journalism candidate at NYU, pursuing the Magazine and Digital Storytelling program, and was previously an Editorial Fellow at Adweek.
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