In choosing Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential pick, Vice President Kamala Harris has fulfilled the wishes of the more progressive wing of the party. Many in the party disliked Gov. Josh Shapiro’s views on education policy, as well as the perception that he was too critical of the pro-Palestinian protests that erupted on college campuses this spring.
Picking Shapiro, went the thinking, would only reignite the rift within the party over the war in Gaza and blunt the solid momentum Harris was enjoying with the base.
In other words, it looks as if the Harris campaign decided that it was not worth risking an intra-party fight with their VP choice in order to choose the Pennsylvania governor who could help to move the needle — even if only slightly — in the state most critical to determining the Electoral College. Republicans we talked to were more worried about the impact Shapiro would have on the contest and saw him as the stronger opponent.
Walz, like Shapiro, has executive experience, and his rural roots can help blunt attacks against
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