When Minnesota Governor and newly named Democratic Vice President nominee Tim Walz stepped to the podium to speak for the first time next to Kamala Harris, the packed crowd at the Liacouras Center on Temple University’s campus cheered for 45 deafening seconds. It was so loud that the first word the Walz said, “Wow,” could not be heard over the loudspeakers in the arena. That’s how fired up and excited the crowd was.
“I truly cannot imagine a better vice presidential candidate at this point,” said Natalie Chernicoff, a Newtown Borough resident who attended the rally. “It is like they pulled this man out of central casting. They could not have a better pick who speaks to the everyman American, who speaks to middle America, the midwest, and swing states especially. This is the strongest ticket the Democrats have given us in years.”
The first loud cheer came at 2:19 p.m. when the video board played the first clip of Harris and Walz together since Harris’s campaign had announced Walz as the Vice Presidential pick. The crowd got louder as each speaker came out, which included Philadelphia Mayor Chenell Parker, Pennsylvania Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey, and Governor Josh Shapiro.
Shapiro was a Veepstakes finalist, but ultimately was left off the ticket. But he will still be integral in helping deliver the state to Harris and Walz, who he praised with his remarks. “Let me tell you about my friend, Kamala Harris, someone I have been friends with for two decades,” said Shapiro. “She is courtroom tough. She has a big heart. And she is battle-tested and ready to go!”
As for Walz, Shapiro said “Tim Walz is a great man. Tim Walz is an outstanding governor. Tim Walz is a teacher! Tim Walz is a [National] Guardsman! Tim Walz is a great patriot! And I’ll tell you what else. Tim Walz is a dear friend.”
In his speech, Walz expressed his gratitude for being on the ticket and touted Vice President Harris’s record. “Vice President Harris has fought on the side of the American people. She took on the predators, she took on the fraudsters, she took down the transnational gangs, she stood up against powerful corporate interests and she never hesitated to reach across the aisle if it meant improving people’s lives.”
As for himself, Walz described his upbringing in rural Nebraska, “where community was a way of life.” He then talked about his experience in the Army National Guard and then becoming a teacher and high school football coach. As for policy, Walz said, “When Vice President Harris and I talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make your health care decisions, and for our children to be free to go to school without being worried they will be shot dead in their classrooms.”
“By the way as you heard, I was one of the best shots in congress,” added Walz. “But in Minnesota, we believe in the Second Amendment. But we also believe in common sense gun violence laws.”
Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, who also attended the rally, thought that Harris made a good choice in picking Walz as a running mate. “I think Tim Walz is someone who is going to be relatable everywhere in this commonwealth. I mean, he’s a social studies teacher. He was a football coach for a state championship-winning team. He seems like my friend’s dad, my neighbor’s dad. He seems like the kind of guy that you can really relate with, and that’s one of the most important things in politics.”
Makhija’s biggest concern about the upcoming election is the contrast between Harris and former President Donald Trump. “I think Kamala Harris is about the future, Donald Trump is about going back to a time in the past. And people are always thinking about how to better provide for our children, for future generations. How we make sure the economic opportunities we had, we can pass on to our kids. Those are the kinds of things that Kamala Harris is going to talk about.”
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“Overall, the biggest issue is Donald Trump,” said Chernicoff. “Like him as a human being. He is a threat not only to democracy but to America. And to politics as we know it.”
Even with the rejuvenated excitement within the party, regular people are still doing whatever they can to make sure Harris and Walz win this year. Maria Frankenfield, another rally attendee from Newtown, said what she is doing to make sure people go out and vote. “I have been part of a campaign writing postcards to swing states. So I have 300 postcards that I’ll be sending to North Carolina to remind people to vote. Not who to vote for, but just please go vote.”
