While Granite State Democrats like Joyce Craig say they are “thrilled” by the selection of Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, some Republicans are absolutely giddy.
“I am ecstatic. I am so pleased with this pick,” said former Trump White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Mark Halperin’s “The Morning Meeting” just minutes after the news broke. “I think putting Pennsylvania in play was such a smarter move.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro had been considered the front-runner to be Harris’s pick, in part because he’s viewed as a moderate member of his party.
Walz, on the other hand, is an unapologetic progressive whose record as governor of the Gopher State is “an oppo research goldmine,” according to one GOP strategist.
“Tim Walz is a radical extremist,” longtime Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski told NHJournal. “He’s too extreme for New Hampshire.”
By picking Walz, “Harris has doubled-down on her biggest problem: She’s too far to the left,” said veteran GOP strategist Pat Griffin. “Trump made the same mistake, doubling down on his base and giving Democrats an advantage. Harris just leveled the playing field.”
On the list of issues Republicans have already highlighted is Walz’s record on illegal immigration, signing bills to give illegal aliens driver’s licenses, as well as free, taxpayer-funded health care and college tuition. He’s also a strong supporter of sanctuary cities and amnesty for all illegal immigrants in the U.S.
Walz signed a bill legalizing abortion through the entire nine months of pregnancy, and he signed an order allowing minors to undergo sex-change surgery no matter how young.
“Tim Walz is going to help New Hampshire Republicans make this a ‘common sense’ vs. ‘far-left’ campaign, and that’s a winner,” said GOP strategist David Carney. “We have plenty of Democrats in our state, but not a lot of lunatics.”
Another issue for Republicans is how Walz handled — or mishandled — the riots in Minneapolis that followed the murder of George Floyd by a city police officer. Walz, who admits his performance during the riots was an “abject failure,” delayed in sending the National Guard in the face of repeated requests from the Minneapolis mayor.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the riots inflicted $500 million in damage on the Twin Cities, the second-costliest rioting in U.S. history (only the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles were worse.)
Harris made her own news in the aftermath of the riots, tweeting a fundraising request for a bail fund that aided rioters with their legal costs.
Asked about Harris picking Walz, vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance told reporters, “They make an interesting tag team because Tim Walz allowed rioters to burn down Minneapolis in the summer of 2020, and the few that got caught, Kamala Harris helped bail them out of jail.”
Walz supporters insist this Midwestern roots and background as a former high school teacher and coach will connect with middle-class voters, regardless of his record as governor. During their first appearance together as the Democratic ticket Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Harris referred to her running mate as “Coach Walz.”
New Hampshire voters won’t be fooled, said campaign veteran Kerry Marsh with Spectrum Marketing. Granite State voters “are more engaged and will be watching for a strong, clear message on pocket book issue and safety — both personal and international.”
What they’ll find, Marsh said, is “elite Democrats’ progressive politics wrapped up in a Trojan horse-like package of ‘Midwestern nice guy.’ His record is awful.”
Even moderate New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu believes Walz will struggle to defend his record.
“Gov. Walz and I have always gotten along, but given that he is one of the most liberal governors in the country joining with one of the most liberal senators in the country, this ticket is definitely not good news for taxpayers and families.
“Under Gov. Walz, families in Minnesota have seen monthly household inflation costs outpace the national average. He proposed raising the gas tax by 70 percent. He’s supported turning Minnesota into a sanctuary state. On all the kitchen table issues on the minds of American families, his far-left record would take us in the wrong direction.”
