How outlier Tim Walz became Kamala Harris's VP on the Democratic ticket

As Kamala Harris started her last-moment US presidential campaign following Joe Biden stepping down from the race, speculation immediately began over who she would pick for a Democratic running mate. Tim Walz did not tend to appear on initial lists of top contenders. 

That quickly began to change as the Minnesota governor started making the news rounds, acting as something of an attack dog for the upstart Harris campaign. Within days, he had become a national figure known for his dad jokes and his sarcastic defence of his progressive policies. 

"What a monster. Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own healthcare decisions," he said in response to Republican criticisms of social welfare programmes in his state.

In a matter of days, Walz had joined the ranks of big-name contenders, white men mainly from swing states. Though Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro appeared to be in the lead throughout the selection process, that quickly collapsed following the standard close scrutiny of VP contenders, showing that he had links to a sexual harassment cover-up at his office, that he supported charter schools (which often redirects money away from public schools), and more recently his support for outlawing the boycotting of Israel (BDS) and his comparison of pro-Palestinian protesters to the Ku Klux Klan.

By Monday night, the betting markets showed that the money was on Walz as the Democratic VP pick. And on Tuesday morning, east coast time, it was hardly a surprise that he was chosen.

"There is so much to be excited about in Governor Walz. His record is fantastic. With a slim majority they passed free school lunches, universal background checks on firearms, legal marijuana, and more," Connor Farrell, founder and CEO of Left Rising, told The New Arab.

What does Walz bring to the Democratic ticket?

Though he fits the demographic for balancing out the ticket as a white man from the Midwest, he doesn't fit the conventional personality for a VP pick—an understated partner who will not upstage the top of the ticket.

Walz has already shown he can steal the show, something that could potentially be beneficial in a time-crunched race for the White House, as it is expected to be a tight race to the end.

On their first stop together in Philadelphia Tuesday evening, Harris proudly stood by Walz as he shared his life story along with what many are referring to as "dad jokes".

"Like all regular people I grew up with in the heartland, J.D. studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community," he said to a cheering crowd, as he contrasted himself with his Republican opponent, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance.

He then made reference to an internet joke about Vance having a relationship with a couch, saying,  "Come on. That's not what Middle America is. And I gotta tell you, I can't wait to debate the guy, that is if he's willing to get off the couch and show up."

More important than his humour, Walz is appealing to Democrats for what he has been able to get done with a slim majority in Minnesota. He was the first governor to constitutionally protect abortion in his state, he legalised marijuana, and he brought free lunches to schoolchildren. 

As governor of Minnesota, which consistently votes for Democratic presidents, he might not appear to bring much to the ticket geographically. However, as someone from the Upper Midwest, which is essential for the Democrats to win, he brings representation that is important.

"I think the Midwest, working class and rural perspectives in the campaign are sorely needed. What would it have looked like to have the two candidates from San Francisco and Philadelphia? It would be a different perspective," James Zogby, veteran pollster and president of the Arab American Institute, told TNA.

He added that Walz was his favourite of the VP options, though he admits that he "dared not hope too much."

Daring to hope amid Israel's war on Gaza, Middle East, and domestic crackdowns

These days, it is difficult for many Arabs and Muslims to allow themselves to feel hope, even with new faces on a new ticket. 

The election of Joe Biden in 2020 followed four years of Trump, whose first executive order was to enact a Muslim ban. But many have come to see Biden as much worse for Arabs and Muslims with his support for Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in the occupied territories.

As Trump campaigns to return to office, he has given strong indications that his support for Israel would go further than supporting daily bombings of Gaza. He has suggested that he would support the Israeli annexation of the West Bank and Gaza, thereby creating another mass displacement of Palestinians. In 2019, Trump gave Israel US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, considered a gift to Netanyahu during his re-election bid.

Biden's support of Netanyahu, following a massive voter turnout by Arabs and Muslims, felt to many like a betrayal. With his vice president now running for his position, it is difficult to see how her policies, beyond lip service, will be much different than Biden's. She has expressed sympathy for Palestinians, yet she has spoken before AIPAC multiple times.

Now, she has chosen a running mate who has also spoken at an AIPAC conference. At a 2010 gathering, he said, "Israel is our truest and closest ally in the region, with a commitment to values of personal freedoms and liberties, surrounded by a pretty tough neighbourhood."

Still, he was able to stand out from the other vice presidential contenders by calling for a ceasefire and for showing sympathy for pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting Israel's war on Gaza.

"They are asking to be heard and that’s what they should be doing," Walz reportedly said about pro-Palestinian protest voters who chose "uncommitted" at the ballot box. "Their message is clear that they think this is an intolerable situation and that we can do more. And I think the president is hearing that."

Meanwhile, activists have critiqued Walz's history on Syria—particularly his meeting with Syrian president Bashar Assad in 2009 and his opposition to Obama's 'red lines' after the Assad regime deployed chemical weapons. On the other hand, activists have also praised Walz's positions opposing the Iraq war and his support for a nuclear deal with Iran. 

There are some who are seeing the choice of Walz are something of a win for progressives, particularly with Shapiro as the other top contender. However, given the scope of destruction in Gaza with no end in sight, acknowledging any sort of win is an extremely sensitive matter, as can be seen in contentious online discussions and carefully worded statements by community organisers.

"Anyone doing grassroots work knows that this moment wouldn't be possible without the grassroots organising work. There's still a lot of work to do, whether it's policy on Palestine or healthcare," Amina Barhumi, strategic projects consultant, told TNA.

She says their next step is to invite Harris and Walz to meet the Muslim community at the Democratic convention later this month in Chicago. Around 50,000 people are expected to march in protest at the DNC.