He stands out in a ‘sea of elites and strivers’

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On Tuesday, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris announced that Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, is her running mate. New York Times Opinion asked eight of its columnists and contributors to assess the pick by rating Walz on two metrics: how much he’ll help Harris against Republican nominee Donald Trump and how much enthusiasm Walz will generate.

Josh Barro, author of the newsletter “Very Serious”: Walz is good on television, and his roots as a high school teacher and football coach from the rural Midwest will offer a good contrast to the Republican ticket. And he does no harm — what voter is open to Harris but finds Walz too off-putting to elect?

Charles Blow, Times columnist: Walz made “weird” happen. His affable and relatable style on the campaign trail helped him distill the current conservative movement into a single word, “weird,” that has been a surprisingly effective attack line. He brings a plain-talking, labor-friendly, Midwestern appeal to the ticket. He is President Joe Biden, 20 years ago.

Jane Coaston, contributing Opinion writer: We have never had a defensive coordinator in the White House or on the campaign trail. Excited to hear how the 4-4 will work nationally.

Gail Collins, Times columnist: Teacher and football coach!

Liam Donovan, Republican strategist: An affable character with an avuncular charm befitting a career teacher and coach. Walz’s background as a senior enlisted National Guard member and his unique path to the governor’s mansion stand out in a sea of elites and strivers. Odd-couple pairing adds cultural and optical balance to the ticket.

Ross Douthat, Times columnist: I’m looking forward to the vice presidential debate, which will now feature two supporters of child tax credits who otherwise represent quite different Middle American folkways — Scots-Irish vs. Minnesotan — and even more divergent pathways from those roots to national political ambitions.

Michelle Goldberg, Times columnist: Walz is incredibly charming, has a perfect Midwestern biography, is great on the attack and unifies the Democratic Party. He was reportedly Nancy Pelosi’s favorite, and the former House speaker is the best tactician in Democratic politics.

Barro: Tim Kaine (Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vice presidential pick) was a do-no-harm pick, too. By picking Walz, Harris passed up an opportunity to lock down Pennsylvania and better reassure moderate swing voters. And if — as I suspect — Harris picked Walz because she feared Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro would overshadow her, that speaks poorly of her confidence and of how she is likely to govern.

Blow: He has the same weakness as all VP candidates: His celebrity is primarily regional. Most people in the country don’t know him.

Collins: Speculating about the vice presidential nomination is so relaxing; now we have to get back to the deeply depressing possibility that we could wind up with JD Vance.

Cottle: His progressive politics could feed into the Republican attacks on Harris as a San Francisco lefty loony. He comes across as a little too long in the tooth to support the whole fresh-blood vibe.

Donovan: A safe, sturdy pick that the coalition will rally around, but the hesitation to go for the electoral jugular in Shapiro — and the apparent susceptibility to intraparty pressure during the honeymoon phase — should give Democrats pause. It’s all fun and games until you wake up 10,000 votes shy in Pennsylvania.

Douthat: In the first big decision of her candidacy, Harris threw over the popular, moderate-coded governor of a must-win swing state (Shapiro) for the more liberal governor who arguably mishandled the demonstrations of 2020 but did well in his cable news hits and found a fan base on progressive Twitter. Progressives will find that energizing. I’m not sure anybody else should find it reassuring.

Goldberg: I worry a little that Democrats are overestimating Walz’s identity-based appeal to white swing voters, and there might be a backlash from some pro-Israel voters who expected Harris to choose Shapiro.

Blow: “Don’t be weird.”

Coaston: “For everybody.”

Collins: OK, this isn’t politically practical, but my dream bumper sticker is “Take that, Pennsylvania.”

Cottle: “The future doesn’t have to be dark and weird.”

Donovan: “Let the good vibes roll.”