Staff Reports
Kamala Harris is reportedly on the verge of announcing her vice presidential pick, and in a delightfully convoluted move that could only stem from the Democratic playbook, it has been narrowed down to two contenders: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The announcement is expected to be made just hours before their first public appearance together at a rally at Temple University. It’s a real nail-biter—except it’s not, because both options reek of establishment politics.
The odds are shaking up faster than a can of soda on a summer day, with betting site OddsChecker revealing that Walz seems to be getting some late love from six bookmakers. Meanwhile, Shapiro is sitting pretty as the supposed frontrunner. The political chess match is shaping up, but does anyone really care who ends up as Harris’s sidekick? Both candidates have strong ties to the Democratic establishment, which could dampen any lingering hopes of energizing the party’s base—unless, of course, one considers hyper-local issues and regulatory hand-holding to be what’s needed to inspire change.
🚨 BREAKING: Kamala Harris narrows VP search to final two contenders. Who will join her on the ticket? All eyes on Josh Shapiro and Tim Walz. Read more at: https://t.co/rVUY3t9HFt
— Patriot911 (@Patriot911News) August 5, 2024
Tim Walz, once a geography teacher and high school football coach, has transitioned smoothly into the political sphere. He spent over a decade playing the political game in Congress before taking on the governorship. His time in office includes some signature Democratic moves: a focus on education and health care, which always sound great in speeches but often translate into more spending and government control. Despite his lengthy resume, you really have to wonder if his military experience as a Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard even remotely qualifies him to helm a campaign against the former president and his crowd-drawing rallies.
On the other hand, Josh Shapiro, who has been holding the Attorney General position in Pennsylvania like it’s a hot potato since 2017, carries his own blend of Democratic charm. His focus on issues like consumer protection and defending state laws against federal overreach means little to folks who feel the very same federal government he defends is more of a bureaucratic overlord than a benevolent caretaker. With a history of voicing bipartisan support, one must question if that translates into meaningful policy action or simply means he’s adept at cozying up to lobbyists from both sides of the aisle.
And here’s the kicker: the search for a running mate only kicked up a notch after Joe Biden decided to retire from the race, leaving Harris with no choice but to pick someone who presumably won’t overshadow her presence on the ticket. Why is it that the Democrats always end up gravitating towards these middle-of-the-road politicians when they claim to be the party of progress? Perhaps they mistake low-risk choices for delivering substantive change, a misguided notion that could very well backfire as they stomp into the election cycle touting stale ideas and safe picks.
As Harris wraps up her vetting process, possibly in a secret lair with all the charm of a DMV waiting room, one can’t help but marvel at the spectacle of it all. She’s expected to announce her VP pick via a social media frenzy, perhaps to drown out the sound of the ticking clock counting down to November 5th. The true debate, however, rests not with who her running mate will be but how, in a party so fixated on “change,” they consistently opt for the same tired formulas. The irony is hard to miss: just as their leadership seems determined to diversify its appeal, they double down on the familiar and forgettable.
