United States — Tim Walz introduced himself to millions of Americans on a star-studded night at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, as he accepted the nomination to be Kamala Harris’s White House running mate.
In a whirlwind quarter-hour address, Walz raced through the story of his middle-class upbringing in small town Nebraska, where he worked on the family farm, and described his experience teaching students who inspired him to go into politics.
“They saw in me what I had hoped to instill in them: a commitment to the common good, an understanding that we’re all in this together, and the belief that a single person can make a real difference for their neighbors,” he said as the crowd chanted “Coach Walz!”
The gloves came off as the 60-year-old Minnesota governor turned his fire on Republican nominee Donald Trump, accusing him of spending “all day insulting people and blaming others.”
TIM WALZ: “Leaders don’t spend all day insulting people and blaming others. Leaders do the work.”
That’s odd.
Trump hasn’t been in office for 3.5 years, and Democrats blame him for everything! pic.twitter.com/uJYTHbHb0P
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 22, 2024
But Walz devoted much of his speech at the United Center in Chicago to making the case for Harris.
“From her day as a prosecutor, as a district attorney, as an attorney general, as a United States senator and then our vice president, she’s fought on the side of the American people,” he said.
“She’s taken on the predators and fraudsters. She’s taken down the transnational gangs… She has never hesitated to reach across that aisle if it meant improving your lives, and she’s always done it with energy, with passion and with joy.”
The relatively unknown state-level official brings a Midwestern everyman vibe to Harris’s surging campaign against Trump that was central to his speech.
🚨🇺🇸WALZ: KAMALA HAS NEVER HESITATED TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE
“She has never hesitated to reach across the aisle if it meant improving your lives.
And she’s always done it with energy, passion, and joy. Folks, we’ve got a chance to make Kamala Harris the next president of the… https://t.co/zejDwi3a37 pic.twitter.com/ufjN8jo97Z
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 22, 2024
Introduced by Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz, the former National Guard soldier was cheered boisterously as he took to the stage for the biggest speech of his political career, ahead of Harris’s big night Thursday.
In a moment that brought the audience to its feet, former students marched onstage to introduce Walz — a football coach in his teaching days — after a musical interlude by Grammy Award-winning musician John Legend.
‘Fight for your freedom’
A surprise appearance by Oprah Winfrey and a rousing rendition of “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder made for a glitzy night, alongside turns from comic actors Mindy Kaling and Keenan Thompson.
Walz’s main job was to tee up Harris’s speech and the climax of a convention that has defied predictions of disunity or even chaos in the wake of President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his reelection bid on July 21.
Oprah Winfrey: “When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion. We don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady — well, we try to… pic.twitter.com/w1WKz5dcPe
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 22, 2024
“No matter who you are, Kamala Harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead, because that’s what we want for ourselves and it’s what we want for our neighbors,” he said.
On Tuesday, it was Democratic superstars Michelle and former president Barack Obama who spoke, following up on Biden’s emotional speech Monday, where he passed the torch to his vice president.
The convention has seen intense enthusiasm, buoyed by Walz’s appearances at sideline events, where he has been mobbed by supporters seeking selfies and chanting, “Tim! Tim! Tim!”
He has made a name for himself as an able communicator and is credited with coming up with one of the sharpest attack lines on Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance, whom he labeled “weird.”
.@Tim_Walz makes his debut on the national stage…is greeted by cheers from his old football team & his kids.
The VP nominee part of a long line-up of speakers on night 3 of the Democratic National Convention.
Here’s our @foxla story: pic.twitter.com/VR77vuYYFj
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) August 22, 2024
As a folksy, white son of the US heartland, Walz balances Harris’s California background and barrier-breaking status as the first Black woman nominee.
The chemistry between 59-year-old Harris and Walz and the noisy energy generated at their rallies is fueling Democratic hopes that they can defeat Trump, 78, in November.
Polls show the election remains close, but Harris is moving slightly ahead — a remarkable turn of events, given that only a month ago Trump seemed to be gaining a steadily tightening grip on the race.
On the convention floor, delegates praised Walz’s keynote address.
“I thought his speech was perfect,” New York delegate Edwina Martin, 60, told AFP.
Gus Walz grew emotional when his dad, vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, said his children were his world onstage at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday.
With tears in his eyes, Gus stood and pointed at the stage and said, “That’s my dad.” Walz’s wife, Gwen, and… pic.twitter.com/05DPG2zWqO
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 22, 2024
“I heard him at rallies say a lot of the same things, but tonight, hearing it in this setting was incredibly powerful and meaningful and inspiring.”
Before Walz lit up the arena, the crowd heard from a galaxy of the party’s biggest names, from Pennsylvania governor and rising Democratic star Josh Shapiro to former president Bill Clinton.
“In 2024, we have a clear choice: ‘We The People’ versus ‘Me, Myself, and I,'” Clinton said.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Instagram/@timwalz
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