Usually when a presidential candidate is looking for a running mate, they’re searching for someone who can shore up their numbers in a crucial state or region and who could also potentially balance out the ticket ideologically.
That’s exactly why many thought Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was an odd one; she was already heavily favored to win in deep blue Minnesota but could use some help in hotly contested Pennsylvania. Why not choose popular PA Gov. Josh Shapiro—was it because he’s Jewish and she didn’t want to alienate the anti-Israel crowd?
One thing she probably didn’t count on was that she would lose support in Minnesota following the pick, yet that’s precisely what’s happened, according to one poll. You’d think voters in the guy’s home state would be excited to see him on the ballot, but maybe they know him all too well:
Harris now leads Trump 48% to 43%, a significant decline for her from the previous survey that showed her up 50% to 40%.
The opposite of a post-convention bump that normally would have been expected.
This is particularly remarkable given that this was a poll that included more Democrats than Republican respondents — with Dems making up 40% of the sample, Republicans 35%, and independents the remainder.
The poll was conducted by SurveyUSA from Aug. 27 through Aug. 29 and included 800 adults.
Harris is probably wishing she could go back in time right now and choose someone else because the far-left Walz has come with all sorts of baggage.
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My colleague Bonchie reported Saturday on poll results that show she’d be up big against Trump in Pennsylvania had she chosen Shapiro. He wrote:
So why did she choose a Betamax, valor-stealing doofus from Minnesota over Shapiro? We all know why. There was no logical reason for Harris to go with Walz, a baggage-laden radical from a non-swing state. It's clear she only did so to appease the Hamas simps in her party.
That about sums it up.
It’s still a long shot for Trump to carry the Gopher State—it hasn’t gone for the GOP in a presidential election in 52 years—but it's not entirely out of the range of possibility:
The numbers show that even Walz’s own constituents aren’t fans.
Only 52% of Minnesota voters see him as an excellent or good choice, with 12% saying he’s a fair selection, and a staggering 34% saying he’s a poor pick.
Walz is underwater with men, with 49% approving of his selection and 50% opposing it. About 40% of male respondents called him a poor choice running mate.
Oops. Sorry, Kamala, there are no do-overs this time around.