Vice Presidential hopeful Tim Walz- known for precious little else before his summertime selection- has made a quick reputation for misstatements and gaffes along the campaign trail. The self-professed “knucklehead” has misrepresented plenty in just a few short months, from his location during the Tiananmen Square Massacre to the scope of his military service. Bafflingly, the media seems to mostly excuse the Governor's gaffes as clumsiness, with the Minnesotan himself blaming his "passionate" nature for the missteps.
Harris herself seems painfully aware of her running mate’s blunders, having reportedly warned the potential VP to be more careful with his words. Even more puzzling, the campaign seems to have known of his tendency to muddle his message, considering the drastic decline of his media appearances since joining the ticket. As a Governor, Walz flew under the radar but regularly appeared on national news programs, including Fox News and MSNBC, to discuss political affairs. Since Harris announced him as a running mate, he has made far fewer showings despite entering a period where it is more important than ever for Americans to hear his opinions. The content of the interviews he has granted has seemingly declined, as well, as he attempts to solidify his position as an everyman gym teacher-turned-politician.
After awkwardly saying he plans to “wake up November 6th with Madame President,” Walz downplayed the blunder by admitting, “I have a problem with not being specific with my language,” before making a few dozen more jokes about monitoring a public school lunchroom. This came during one of his few television appearances, a late night talk show, where little of substance was discussed.
While one might forgive a friendly, less-than-articulate vice-presidential candidate, such willingness stands in aggressive contrast with how accountable those same viewers expect Donald Trump to be and how much emphasis they place on decorum in office. Pundits complain about Trump’s trademark bombast constantly and speculate how his sloppy speech could potentially put the United States in danger. Now, they use practically the same quality as a positive for Walz, making him a man of the people. An extemporaneous chief executive can either be positive or negative, but not either depending on party.
Particularly given the recent underscoring of readiness with Kamala’s 11th-hour promotion, America should be acutely aware that our VP must be razor-sharp, and the position can no longer be relegated to an affable sidekick. Whoever we pair with our President must be ready, on day one, to assume the office with minimal assistance. The idea that Tim Walz could be the next commander-in-chief should concern any informed voter and absent significant additional information; no citizen should feel comfortable sending him to Washington. Voting in opposition to Donald Trump resulted in our current conundrum, in which the President of the United States maintains questionable capacity, and his Vice President denies any association with his platform.
Hilary Gunn is a Connecticut native with a degree in Criminal Justice from the George Washington University. She works for a nonprofit and has previously collaborated with the CT GOP as an activist, political campaign manager and field director, and social media organizer. She is currently serving in her fourth term of municipal office and has previously acted as a delegate on the Republican Town Committee.