A few weeks ago, very few people outside of the Beltway and niche media circles had ever heard the name Tim Walz. Almost overnight, the relatively obscure governor from Minnesota started to gain traction thanks to a viral clip where he called J.D. Vance “weird.”
It resonated with a lot of people. He came across as direct, plainspoken, and affable. And on Tuesday, August 6, Vice President Kamala Harris officially announced him as her running mate.
The conventional wisdom was that Harris would pick a moderate Democrat. But is Walz a true moderate? Because if you go online, there is a split screen reality about who Tim Walz actually is.
On one side: Midwestern nice guy Democrat who grew up in a small town in Nebraska, is a National Guard vet, was a high school teacher, a football coach, a congressman, governor, and to top it all off, a gun owner and a hunter. Policy-wise, he’s worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments. He cut taxes for working families. He passed a law to provide paid family and medical leave to Minnesota families.
But on the other side: he’s as radical as radical progressives come. Here are some policies cited to support that argument: during the pandemic, Walz set up a phone line so Minnesotans could report their neighbors for violating Covid rules. He allowed Minnesota’s health department to ration lifesaving Covid drugs based on race. Walz made Minnesota a “trans refuge state,” signing a law that allows the state to take custody of a child whose parents refuse “gender-affirming care.” He also established a council to implement DEI training in statewide agencies. And after George Floyd’s murder, he said: “My administration will use every tool at our disposal to deconstruct generations of systemic racism in Minnesota.” This, as the city was burning.
Then, there is the secondary story of Tim Walz, which is not about Tim Walz at all.
Until Tuesday, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro appeared to be the frontrunner as a charismatic, handsome, and moderate governor from a key battleground state the Democrats need to win. Why didn’t Kamala choose Shapiro? Did anti-semitism play a role?
To explain all of this are three of my favorite writers and thinkers: Free Press contributor Batya Ungar-Sargon, Free Press senior editor Peter Savodnik, and Free Press columnist Joe Nocera (or, as he likes to be called, our in-house-liberal). Suffice it to say, they all have very different opinions on Walz.
Today: Who is Tim Walz? Why did Kamala Harris land on him? What does this choice say about the state of the Democratic Party? And in the race toward the White House, does it even matter?
If you liked what you heard from Honestly, the best way to support us is to go to thefp.com and become a Free Press subscriber today.
On April 12, 1861, the United States Civil War began when Confederate forces began a bombardment of the Union held Fort Sumter at the mouth of the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina.
The battle was not itself a great battle, and the number of casualties was shockingly small, but what it began totally changed the lives of millions of people and the course of the United States.
Learn more about the Battle of Fort Sumter and the start of the American Civil War on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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We're telling you about a tropical storm coming ashore on the East Coast and hundreds of earthquakes out west.
Also, we have details about an alleged terror plot that was meant to target Taylor Swift concerts.
Plus, how long it could take to get a couple of stranded astronauts back on Earth, what new pain management options could now be offered before getting an IUD, and how classroom meditation seems to make a difference for kids.
Those stories and more news to know in about 10 minutes!
President Joe Biden’s proposed changes to the Supreme Court are “shameful” and “dangerous,” legal expert John Malcolm says.
Last week, Biden announced a “bold plan to reform the Supreme Court,” including ending lifetime appointments in favor of 18-year terms, implementation of an enforceable code of ethics, and an attempt to reverse the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling on presidential immunity.
“It is attempting to attack the integrity of the court and to destroy the independence of the one body that is supposed to be apolitical,” says Malcolm, senior legal fellow and vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government at The Heritage Foundation.
Malcolm joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain the likelihood of any of Biden’s three proposals actually being implemented, and what each would mean for the integrity of the Supreme Court.
National Book Award winner M.T. Anderson has written his first novel for adults. Nicked is set in 1087 and follows a monk and treasure hunter looking to steal the bones of Saint Nicholas – this is based on true events — in hopes it will miraculously cure a plague raging through the Italian city of Bari. In today's episode, Anderson speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about why he considers the comic novel a 'medieval noir' and what it means to believe — or not believe – in miracles.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Organizers cancel three of Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna after alleged terror plotters arrested. President Biden tells CBS News in his first interview since withdrawing from the race that he's not confident of a peaceful transfer of power if former President Trump loses. Tropical Storm Debby still menacing the Carolina coasts. CBS News Correspondent Stacy Lyn with tonight's World News Roundup.
VP Kamala Harris hits the road with her new running mate, Tim Walz, who lands his first official couch joke of the campaign against his GOP counterpart, JD Vance. Meanwhile, Trump tries to brand Walz as a communist. Then, Dan and guest host Melissa Murray break down Biden’s Supreme Court reforms, Trump’s January 6th case and the infinite shadiness of Justice Clarence Thomas’s flight schedule.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
