Democrats picked a relatable candidate to sway undecided voters
By: Tia Reddy
On August 6th, 2024, Kamala Harris made her selection for the Democratic vice presidential candidate. The decision came after the incumbent Joe Biden dropped out of the election because of donor apathy resulting from his poor debate performance and his perceived cognitive decline. Thus, the vice presidential pick revived a new wave of energy within the party. However, after Harris selected Tim Walz as her running mate, a new question loomed over the country: for a party often deemed elitist, in a country whose election is determined by the middle class, how will the Democratic Party adhere to its values while also gaining traction from on-the-fence independent voters?
Walz grew up as a Midwestern middle-class white man. Walz’s story represents the exact ideals that Americans are searching for. Like many other working-class citizens, he grew up in a small town, and attended his local public school. He even taught history and coached the school football team, and yet today, he is running for Vice President of the United States. Unlike his Republican opponents, he did not go to an Ivy League school, but rather a small state college. Compared to competitors, his assets are minimal with an estimated net worth of between $112,000 and $330,000 as of 2019. The fact that he earns a similar salary to most Americans makes him more appealing to the voters who can relate to him. While his personality does appeal to those in Democratic states as well, his charm is even more important in the Rust Belt battleground states. Here, his personal story will be crucial. For example, when Republicans claimed that fertility treatments disrupted their idea of a nuclear family, Walz showed how it allowed him to build his own. He used his personal experiences to show what is at stake in this election. Walz can relate to undecided voters and reassure them that the Democratic Party is the right choice—not from the perspective of an outsider, but from one who knows their lives through his own lived experiences.
While he later became governor of Minnesota, his approval within the party and among independents came from empathy—a trait that has served him well. The Republican Party has tried to undermine his accomplishments, but those attempts have usually backfired. In one particularly ineffective jab, J.D. Vance, the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, claimed that Walz avoided deployment in Iraq after his 24 years of military service for this country, calling this action “shameful.” While Democrats and Republicans have argued over the correct timeline for his dismissal and whether deployment in the Iraq war affected his decision to retire, the claims also resurfaced Trump’s avoidance of military deployments through a familial connection after being drafted in Vietnam. Due to his relatability to the American common man, Walz has created a persona that people want to defend, even being named “America’s Dad.” This attribute is why Republicans have had trouble finding the line of attack when criticizing their opponents. While Trump’s use of nicknames in previous elections once seemed effective, his bland nicknames and unseasoned attacks now seem sporadic and temporary.
Walz provides new hope for the Democratic Party. While the party has often found itself as the party of the elites, Walz’s involvement in the race provides a new, more familiar face that connects the people—rather than a career politician—to the ballot. While he might not have the investments of Vance, the business empire of Trump, or the political power of Harris, he has something even more valuable to the American people: a shared story.
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