‘A good vibes candidate’: Harris’ VP pick Walz appeals to working class Americans, say analysts

United States Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday (Aug 6) picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in her bid for the White House.

Walz, a working-class politician with a rural background, is an appealing option for Democrats and independents – and perhaps even moderate Republican voters, said analysts.

Harris’ choice also reflects her strategy to run on a progressive policy platform, said Kathryn Schumaker, a senior lecturer at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

“Walz has a legislative record of achieving outcomes that protect workers, that offer more government support for children and families, and protect reproductive rights. This is very much a policy-based choice,” she told CNA’s Asia Now on Wednesday.

“(Furthermore), he's quite personable. He's affable, he’s funny, he knows how to crack a joke. He's sort of a ‘good vibes’ candidate.”

WHO IS TIM WALZ?

The relatively unknown Walz will have his work cut out for him as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee.

National polls showed almost 80 per cent of the American public do not know enough to have an opinion of him.

The 60-year-old has a compelling resume.

He was a high school teacher and football coach, and had a stint in China from 1989 to 1990 teaching English and American history.

He was also a National Guard veteran and congressman before his current role as second-term governor.

Schumaker said working- and middle-class voters will resonate with Walz’s humble beginnings and lengthy public service record.

“He didn’t come from an elite university background. He didn't seek higher office immediately. He worked his way up through the electoral system. He's someone from the heartland,” she said.

“The district that Walz represents is an area that reflects a lot of the broader trends in the US – it has experienced deindustrialisation and agricultural decline. (It is) a place where families have struggled to find jobs,” added Schumaker, who grew up in that same district.

In terms of his political career, Walz has “talent” along with a track record of legislative achievements and election wins, said Louis DeSipio, political science professor at the University of California, Irvine.

In 2006, he upset a long-running Republican incumbent in a rural Minnesota district to win a seat in Congress. He served for 12 years before being elected governor of the state in 2018. 

“(The Democrats) very quickly need to introduce him to the American people. There's hope that he'll speak to football dads and older white voters,” said DeSipio.

“He gets a couple weeks to try out, and then we'll know if this was a good or bad decision on Harris' part. So far, (the reception has been) positive.”

HARRIS IN THE LEAD

Recent opinion polls showed Harris leading Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump by at least one point.

Observers said Harris is likely outperforming for the moment due to the novelty effect as a fresh, late entry in the race. She also inherited a strong support base from incumbent President Joe Biden, who withdrew from his re-election campaign last month. 

“There's a bit of excitement about her dynamism and (also) relief that Biden is now moving off the stage. All that probably gave her a few points’ lead,” Frank Lavin, a visiting fellow at American public policy think tank Hoover Institution, told CNA938’s Asia First.

Nevertheless, Lavin questioned if Harris can speak to Middle America and move beyond her base to attract votes from centrists.

“If she can do that, she will solidify a 2 or 3 per cent lead,” he added.

Analysts suggested Walz could help sustain the momentum in the Democratic ticket, particularly in crucial battleground states including Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

He is widely seen as skilled at connecting with white, rural voters who in recent years have voted broadly for Trump.

“Walz brings a little bit of diversity to the ticket – he is from the Midwest, from a rural area. So, he does have better reach with the agricultural and suburban community than Harris might,” said Lavin.

“There's more political pounce with Walz on the ticket.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Diehard Republicans and Trump fans, however, will not convert to Harris’ camp no matter who she picks as her running mate, said Schumaker.

Hence, the Harris-Walz ticket needs as big a voter turnout as it can get by rallying Democrats and undecided voters to the polling booths come Nov 5.

“The people who support Trump are about a third of the American population, and they will vote for Trump regardless of policy concerns,” she said.

DeSipio added: “People need to be reinvigorated to pay attention. The energy, the excitement, the big rallies, are very important … to get voters who might otherwise be apathetic or not interested in voting, to feel that there is something to turn out for.”

Walz’s capabilities and voters’ reception of him will become clearer when he heads to the vice-presidential debate with Trump’s running mate JD Vance in the coming weeks, said experts.

“We'll see their agility and ability to think on their feet and win the audience,” Lavin said.

“Vance is very bright, very capable but he can also come across as a bit strident and pedantic. Walz is a little bit less well known … but stylistically might be a little more appealing.”

Schumaker said Vance, who has only been a member of Congress since last year, has a “very thin legislative record” and “a bit of a mystery in terms of his policy preferences, (having) changed positions quite a lot”.

“Walz has a very clear, strong legislative record, and can appeal to some of the big issues that will be on the ballot in November,” she added.

“(He) seems like a consequential choice that potentially younger voters can find appealing and rally around.”

Up next, Harris and Walz will address the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug 19 to 22.