I have to say, in light of recent evidence, I really do believe that Kamala Harris wound up stuck with Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) because there was no one left on her short list willing to join her ticket. Let's consider the evidence.
I think it goes without saying that the Walz rollout has been a disaster. Upon being named as Kamala's running mate, the Harris-Walz campaign has been plagued by damaging stories about Walz's record as well as damning allegations of stolen valor. The Harris-Walz campaign, after trying to ignore the issue all week, finally conceded that Walz had lied about his military record—though they used the euphemism "misspoke."
It was a rocky rollout of the full ticket, and even Walz hasn't done a single interview with the media. The campaign is hiding him, just as they are hiding Kamala. It feels like they didn't properly vet Walz, and had simply been left with no other option, and have been blindsided by the damaging stories that have come out about him the past week.
I'm telling you, it feels like they didn't vet him because he was a last-minute decision and not the candidate the campaign originally wanted.
Related: Walz on the Democrat Ticket Turns Abortion Into a Winning Issue for the GOP
Okay, for starters, from the moment that Kamala Harris became the undemocratically anointed presumptive nominee, there was a short list of candidates that reportedly had as many as 12 candidates, and the most likely contenders were battleground state Democrats with reputations for being moderate: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.), and Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.).
Despite having all the qualities Kamala Harris needed to help expand her map, Cooper took his name out of contention two weeks ago. That, to me, was the first sign that Harris's search for a running mate was encountering real problems. Not only is Cooper someone who could have helped Kamala expand her map, but he is term-limited from seeking the governorship again and will be out of a job come January. However, Cooper told the Harris campaign "no thanks," because he wants to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026.
Who gives up a chance to be vice president to run for the U.S. Senate in two years? Someone who doesn't think Kamala Harris can win. Sens. Mark Kelly and Josh Shapiro were always at the top of the list, and both survived a slew of damaging leaks without being taken out of contention. When it was revealed that the running mate would be revealed at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pa., it looked like the job was Shapiro's.
However, when Kelly was reportedly no longer in the running, something had clearly changed in the campaign's priorities. Shapiro remained favored, but it was clear that the strategy behind the running mate selection had been revised, and then, almost out of nowhere, it was announced that Kamala had picked Tim Walz—a radical leftist blue state governor who had barely been on anyone's radar despite being on the shortlist.
How did that happen? Why did it happen? According to reports, Shapiro, who had been aggressively campaigning for the job, appeared to back out at the last minute. We've heard all kinds of bizarre explanations for why he wasn't "chosen," none of which seem realistic to me. It was claimed that Shapiro was seen as "too ambitious." That doesn't quite pass the smell test to me.
Considering the rocky rollout of Tim Walz as Kamala's running mate, it really feels like they hadn't properly vetted him because he wasn't actually supposed to be the running mate.
