Posted on 08/07/2024 6:36:20 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. -- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz beat out Democratic governors and senators from across the East and West coast to be named the Vice Presidential nominee running alongside Kamala Harris. But what do Wisconsin voters think of our Midwestern neighbor getting on the ticket?
"I think Walz is more consequential for Wisconsin than the other possible candidates were," Barry Burden, Political Science Professor and Director of UW-Madison's Elections Research Center said.
And some Wisconsin voters seemed to agree Tuesday, like Rod Rotar after watching Walz's acceptance speech in Pennsylvania. He spoke to News 3 Now after grocery shopping on the West Side of Madison.
"It was just like watching someone from Wisconsin here," he said, "it was honestly like watching Tommy Thompson, except for the other party. And it was actually a great speech."
Before getting into politics in Minnesota, Walz was a high school teacher and football coach. He grew up in rural Nebraska, and served for 24 years in the National Guard.
According to Burden, that and Walz's working class look as a husband to his wife of 30 years and father to two kids makes him more familiar to Wisconsinites than Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro or Arizona Senator Mark Kelly would have been.
"Harris has some connections, she lived in Madison as a young person, but I don't think she has that kind of relatability outside of urban areas in Wisconsin that Walz can can make a stab at," Burden said.
Back in the Metro Market parking lot Tuesday, Richard Hughes believed picking Walz was a good move to reach general Wisconsin. "He seems to have moderate Midwest values. It's a nice compliment to the Harris ticket, I think."
"When you get outside of Madison or the Metropolitan areas, it gets pretty rural and pretty Trump fans," Hughes said. "At least they'll get Independents, I think."
Burden does expect the GOP to go after how Walz handled the unrest across the Twin Cities area in 2020 following George Floyd's murder, and his "friendly measures" toward undocumented immigrants.
"Giving them driver's licenses and access to state benefits, that will fit into the Republican theme that Democrats are soft on immigration and that Kamala Harris in particular, has not managed the the border well," Burden said.
He could also see Republicans trying to paint their VP pick JD Vance, who is from Ohio and spent part of his youth in Kentucky, as more of a rural Midwesterner than Walz.
"Republicans are already looking for ways to peel those two apart and to show that Walz is not the genuine article when it comes to, you know, connecting with white voters outside of urban areas," the Professor said. "I think that particular criticism is likely to fall short, just given Walz's deep experience in small towns, you know, where he grew up, where he was a teacher, where he spent most of his life."
But with a bit of a sports rivalry between Wisconsin and Minnesota, how do Wisconsinites feel about the other side getting on the ticket?
"I had grandkids who went to the University of Minnesota, so no comment," Hughes said.
"While they still have a bad football team, they did have a good governor," Rotar said.
“And the ‘reporter’ didn’t ask what the grocery shoppers thought about the cost of groceries?”
But he DID put in a free plug for Metro Market, which was probably the point. ;)
All Trump has to do is sing the praises of the GB Packers and he’ll win Wisconsin.
Party of deceit, death and destruction.
We rearrange the Deck Chairs on the once “Great ship of State”, and the Captain and crew already have private “lifeboats” secured. (reference to generation wealth, power, and access to private yachts, planes, trains and bunkers).
Voting will change nothing.
We are Long past the time for debate, and orderly changes.
Sure, I’ll vote for the R like always, but only God in Heaven can save us, or the sacrifice of millions in a righteous conflict. Which is more likely?
It is obvious that the Return of THE King is more likely. Western Civilization is as soft as Chris Christies gut.
George McGovern in a skirt 2.0.
Oops.
I am not kidding.
Born and raised in NE WI and lived most of my life in the UP, the packers are a religion there.
Never does the local news on TV have a night go by without something about them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.