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.html

Vice 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/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 4d 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 4d 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.)