Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is among those who have been named as possible running mates for Vice President Kamala Harris. He was on a list that included Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) until Cooper withdrew from consideration.
But for David M. Perry, journalist and historian, Walz is the one.
"If it happens, I’ll be thrilled. I’m a Minnesotan and have watched Walz since he started running for governor in the 2018 election," wrote Perry in an MSNBC column.
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At first, Perry confessed he felt trepidation over Walz's conservatism. He feared Democrats would put a "brake on progress, seeking the kind of consensus across the middle that just isn’t possible these days thanks to the devolution of the Republicans."
With a Democratic state legislature and Senate, they were able to advance protections for the transgender community, access to reproductive care, recreational cannabis use, and automatic voter registration, to name a few.
"Tim Walz was just one of the Democratic leaders behind the unprecedented sweep of legislation, and arguably not even the most important," said Perry. "Long before his name was mentioned in the veepstakes, he went viral for pictures of kids hugging him and then lining up for a high-five line as Walz clowned around in the classroom."
Another video went viral after his name was dropped as a potential running mate.
"That stuff is weird, they come across weird," Walz said last week. He then told CNN, "I see Donald Trump talking about the wonderful Hannibal Lecter or whatever weird thing he is on tonight ... That is weird behavior. I don't think you call it anything else."
The historian said that he's willing to "share" Walz with "the world."
"Much to my surprise, I’ve become fully 'Walz-pilled,' not so much because of the viral clips, but because when he has had the opportunity, he has done everything he can to make Minnesota a better place for everyone," wrote Perry.
And while Republicans may "howl" at the progressive policies that people are happy about, Perry speculated, "if you help enough people, voters will reward you. There’s some Midwestern dad energy that the nation sorely needs."
A Bloomberg report cited Harris' shortlist whittled down to three: Kelly, Shapiro and Walz.
