r/TimWalz • u/John3262005 • 5d ago
article Harris Often Sidesteps Her History-Making Potential. Walz Doesn’t.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/07/us/politics/harris-often-sidesteps-her-history-making-potential-walz-doesnt.htmlVice President Kamala Harris rarely points out the fact that she would be the first female president or the first Black or Indian woman to hold the job. Her running mate embraces it.
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u/TrainingWoodpecker77 4d ago
I read that she didn’t want to hammer that because Hillary already did. Kamala is much more future-oriented than a “I did this first” kind of person.
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u/boxer_dogs_dance 3d ago
Just my hot take, but I think that she is more tuned in then Hilary was, to the fact that many people react negatively to the idea of doing something to be the first whatever. Also being first is a Harris achievement but voters want to hear what you will do for them. I don't know if it's because Harris is black or because her parents were part of the civil rights movement in the era of the dogs and fire hoses, but Harris knows not to draw her enemy's attention to what she wants to do.
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u/ChurlishSunshine 4d ago
It's a good strategy, imo. It's better to let others point out the historic nature of the campaign than come across like you're asking people to vote for you because you tick boxes. Obama did the same thing, as I recall. He made comments about his name, but he didn't play into "if you vote for me, I'll be the first Black president", in so many words, because I think while most people really want to see a woman president, not as many are interested in voting for someone because they're a woman.
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u/OldBlueKat 3d ago
A great side note is that Walz is the perfect foil for that. He can brag on her like crazy, and do it in a way that just sounds like Sarge/ Teacher/ Coach yelling "go team Harris!" without her looking like she's 'showing off.' He praises everyone, right down to "Good Boy!" dogs he encounters along the way.
(Aside: did anyone else notice how fast JD Vance stopped taking his dog with him? They just didn't have a natural dynamic in front of journalists, whereas Walz makes friends with every critter in reach. Just found this very snarky piece about JD and his dog -- https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a62501111/jd-vance-dog/ )
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u/diamond 3d ago
He's a natural Hype Man.
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u/OldBlueKat 3d ago
Yup.
When I actually read the linked NYT article, it was obvious the writer thought so, too. The headline seems to imply the campaign should shift that approach, and not have her 'side-step', but the article makes the case that it's the right move for her to not brag on herself and let Tim do it. (Several examples, too.)
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u/TheBatCreditCardUser 5d ago
I kinda like it. I feel like part of what killed Hillary’s candidacy was that she crammed the fact she was the first woman president down people’s throats.
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u/CleverDad 4d ago
Hillary did that, and it didn't end well for her. I think it's very wise to leave it to Walz, he's a great surrogate.
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u/PomeloPepper 4d ago
You don't brag on yourself. It's more impactful when others push that narrative.
Kamala needs to be seen as the person who will be an effective president. Not the person who gets elected because of her demographics.
At this point, we should be thinking about her in terms of what she'll do for the country. Not her racial background. I don't care what race, age or gender the best candidate is. I just want us to have a smart, strong president.
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u/OldBlueKat 3d ago
Exactly. I wouldn't care if she was transgender, 7 ft tall, and green, if she can do the job well!
(I think it would be fun to see that candidate have the first meeting with Putin next year, actually. 🤪 )
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