“Make no mistake,” said newly selected Democratic Vice President candidate Tim Walz, “violent crime was up under Donald Trump.” Walz paused as the crowd noise swelled in Philadelphia, and then delivered his punchline: “And that’s not even including the crimes he committed.”
It was the biggest applause line of a night filled with them, as Walz spoke for the first time as Kamala Harris‘s running mate. As former RNC chair Michael Steele — a fervent anti-Trumper — commented: “That one landed.”
That one landed! https://t.co/o6PF1LoYEl
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) August 6, 2024
Walz’s was a performance the New York Times described as a “zesty debut in which he marveled at the crowd, joyfully clasped his hands and went for the jugular, at least where Trump and his running mate were concerned.”
It was a slam-fest of a speech, true to the traditional role of Vice Presidential candidates: attack dog.
If the line about Trump’s alleged crimes produced the most raucous reaction, a different line of attack showed Governor Walz’s real value to the Democratic ticket, as he clawed back some of the territory Republicans have traditionally claimed, centering on Americans’ much-prized right to privacy and personal freedom.
“In Minnesota,” Walz said, “we respect our neighbors and their personal choices that they make, even if we wouldn’t make the same choice for ourselves. There’s a golden rule — mind your own damn business.”
Neighborliness that does require that each neighbor adhere to the same beliefs, faith, habits, or style of living is the type of neighborliness at the core of America’s enviable social compact, Walz asserts. Walz’s ideas embody the quintessential American independence expressed by the great American poet Robert Frost, who wrote “good fences make good neighbors.” (Frost famously read at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.)
Walz also took aim at his Republican counterpart J.D. Vance, whose selection has failed to galvanize broad Republican support after a brief honeymoon at the Republican National Convention. Instead, Vance has presented — so far — a good target for Walz, who rose swiftly in national prominence over the past few weeks after calling Vance — and Trump — “weird.” The assignation went viral.
In Philadelphia, Walz mockingly sought to further separate Vance from his “hillbilly” bona fides, saying: “Like all regular people I grew up with in the heartland, J.D. studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires and then wrote a best-seller trashing that community.”