America's Dad

"Walz has been an outspoken supporter of abortion rights, one of Democrats’ top issues this election. And unlike President Biden, a Roman Catholic who previously said Roe vs. Wade went too far and often appears uncomfortable talking about the subject, Walz embraces abortion rights as a regular talking point.

In an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Walz praised Harris for visiting a reproductive healthcare clinic and frequently using health terms like “uterus.”

“I think old white men need to learn how to talk about this a little more,” Walz said. “And I think the biggest thing is: Listen to women. Listen to what they’re saying. We’ve seen that when we listen to them, they’re speaking loudly on the issue and they’re speaking at the ballot box.”

Los Angeles Times: What’s up with ‘weird’? Tim Walz and his Midwestern plain talk, August 6, 2024

Having a VP candidate who openly speaks about abortion rights as healthcare and talks about making Minnesota a sanctuary state for trans people feels like a tidal change in US politics. Kamala Harris, who is still riding a wave of enthusiasm since the announcement, went for a pick popular with the left wing of the Democratic Party even where other candidates were lauded as perhaps bringing vital swing states with them in the election (especially Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who gave a speech at the rally). I hate to have hope and I'm particularly worried about what message the Democratic party would take away from a loss in this election if this generational change doesn't work out, but as so many commentators have mentioned, this momentum is a radical departure of what this race felt like a few weeks ago.