The press in general is out there pushing that the Walz pick is a shift to the left.

[JohnSJ]

It is such a disingenuous argument.

When did a woman's right to choose, education, healthcare, etc. become "leftwing"?

I believe Walz was picked to shore up the Democratic base because what will win this election will be turnout.

From my observation we are on the offensive, and instead of as in previous campaigns, letting our advisories "define" us, we are defining them.

As long as we stay on message, not get divided stay united, we should be able to do this.

[sunnybrook]

1. But we need more than the left

We need the Haley voters. This does nothing in that regard

[bucolic_frolic]

7. It gives the blunt truth oxygen and allows the VP candidate to use a bully pulpit of sorts.

[TwilightZone]

13. Most of the Haley voters were never going to vote for Harris.

That whole narrative was nonsense. The same crap was said in 2016 - "oh, 2/3 of the party is against Trump, how can he win?"

The same thing happens every cycle. We convince ourselves that the primaries mean something regarding the general election, and the reality is that they have almost nothing to do with each other. 90%+ of the GOP voted for Trump anyway.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

28. THIS!!

[FHRRK]

69. Yup

The ticket will pull some Haley voters, I bet an equal to greater number will vote for the Shitstain. Best we can hope for is the largest group of them just won’t vote

[Fla Dem]

23. There are Haley voters organizing for Harris.

Haley voters for Harris' ignore Nikki Haley's warning letter after she knocks group

USA TODAY
July 26. 2023

WASHINGTON – A group of former Nikki Haley voters who are now supporting Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for the White House said Thursday they plan to ignore a letter from the former GOP presidential candidate's attorney's demanding that they stop using her name.

A letter sent on Thursday afternoon by a law firm representing the "Haley Voters for Harris" political action committee said that the group "will continue to exercise its First Amendment rights" to encourage former Haley supporters to back Harris over former President Donald Trump in the general election.

It comes in response to a Tuesday cease-and-desist letter lawyers representing Haley sent asking the group to refrain from using her name or likeness in any way that would imply she supports Harris' presidential campaign. The warning letter from the Haley campaign said that it would get authorities involved if the group tried to fundraise under the name "Haley Voters for Harris."

More.....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/25/haley-voters-harris-cease-and-desist/74548097007/

[Zoomie1986]

26. Try some reality

Haley voters are already on board with Kamala, so this claim is nonsense on the face of it.

Also, Tim Walz knows how to speak to rural and small-town America in a way that a country-fried nitwit like Nikki Haley never could. Unlike that fascist traitor, Walz really did live in the rural heartland.

Kamala knows what she's doing.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

34. This is going to do a LOT to get younger voters to vote.

You know, the ones that elected Biden and have since been less motivated.

[Gaytano70]

53. Prove it

[Gore1FL]

58. The votes we need aren't between the 40 yard lines. nt

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Oh, horrors! Press is gonna get baked this fall too!

It's about time corporate media crawls into its little cage and pouts for awhile. Miserable overweened pricks

[ananda]

3. We already have the Haley voters.

They said so!

[TwilightZone]

15. No, they really didn't.

A small group of them has, but the vast majority of them will still vote for Trump.

The same things were said in 2016. "Trump can't win because he did poorly in the primaries." In the end, 90%+ voted for him in November.

[Zoomie1986]

32. And? So?

They were always a crap shoot for support. That they're still republicans in 2024 made that crystal clear, so nobody in their right mind was expecting to get their vote, and they weren't going to kill themselves for it if it meant alienating their own base to do it.

Do you really think they would have found Shapiro preferable? Only on some planet in the galaxy Bizarro would that happen.

[RandySF]

4. Feeding kids!

Oh my God, what a monster!

[hibbing]

88. Is his middle name Marx or something?

[RandySF]

92. I don't see much daylight between Walz and Biden.

[Kaleva]

5. What press is that?

[Johnny2X2X]

6. This is false

Walz is a shift to the center. He's a moderate. And his gun stance will go over well in the Midwest.

[Fiendish Thingy]

37. Walz is no moderate- except perhaps on guns, he's to the left of Harris

He has governed as progressively as Whitmer, and has the record to prove it:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/8/6/2261036/-Have-you-SEEN-the-list-of-Waltz-bills-passed-in-MN-Next-stop-Nationally?utm_campaign=trending

[Johnny2X2X]

42. He's gotten significant Republican support for half of that

He is center America. Common Sense.

[Fiendish Thingy]

52. Center geographically perhaps, but not ideologically

His policies and the laws he has signed are firmly on the progressive side of the political spectrum.

The fact that he’s gotten republican support for some of these bills just means there are more liberal republicans to be found in MN than the rest of the country, and he is an effective politician in getting their support, not that he is a moderate.

[geardaddy]

91. You should make this its own OP

As a Minnesotan, I'm aware of Walz's record, but I think his record needs to be a model for the nation.

[jimfields33]

61. He's a perfect progressive. His issues are to the left. And that's perfect!

We should not reject the progressive and liberal left tag and call him a moderate. Times have changed. The country wants a complete progressive ticket which we have now. Embrace it! We have finally done the impossible!

[dpibel]

108. A bit over the top

Generally speaking, you're a perfect pro. But this one gets out to the feather edge of credibility.

But, as always, I really enjoy your posts!

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. If anything, it signals the opposite

Walz gives Harris cover to run to the center on immigration, crime, antitrust, corporate regulations, fossil fuels, etc.

[jimfields33]

65. Good grief. I hope she doesn't do that. She is a liberal candidate and must embrace it.

The country yearns for it. Have you missed all the elections we’ve won since 2018? She hopefully will keep going the same direction.

[Fiendish Thingy]

68. She's already moved right on immigration

I don’t think she will abandon any of Biden’s progressive governance, but she is already strategically running to the right on her perceived vulnerabilities- immigration, fossil fuels and crime, and will probably try to thread the needle down the Center on Gaza.

Walz gives her cover for that.

I’m not complaining, and I’m not worried.

[uponit7771]

9. RIGHT!!! Too many allowed their Overton window to shift for ratings

[TwilightZone]

10. Who cares?

Why do people get so worked up about what others say about our candidates? Oh, the right doesn't like our candidate. Oh, the media doesn't like our candidate.

Who gives a shit? None of that matters. It's all just noise.

What matters is that he's an excellent choice, and it's time to get to work.

"when did a woman's right to choose, education, healthcare, etc. become "leftwing"? "

About 45 years ago. Don't fret about it. Embrace it.

[Wednesdays]

82. Plus, there will be only one poll that matters in 2024

If we get out the vote, we win. If we don't get out the vote, we lose. It's as simple as that.

[Kaleva]

11. I looked at a few dozen headlines. Didn't see any saying this was a shift to the left.

[JohnSJ]

20. On MSNBC, Bloomberg, etc. commentators are pushing that line, which is right out of the

republican playbook.

He actually isn't "left", but that is what these commentators are saying on the airwaves.

Because headlines aren't explicitly saying that, it is being falsely pushed in the commentary.

[Kaleva]

25. That doesn't qualify as " the press in general"

You gave two examples of of many dozens of news outlets out there

[JohnSJ]

38. Really. Watch in the following days, not only on the various news outlets, but especially

on social media platforms.

A perfect example of false information getting propagated was what happened in 2016, when the media falsely reported that the "email investigation was being reopened 11 days before the election.

That was a lie. What happened was Comey sent a letter to the republicans in Congress saying they were looking at additional laptops for information on her email content.

The MSM then paraded every rightwing pundit across their platforms propagating the LIE that the email investigation had been reopened for the next 7 days.

They did a similar thing against Kerry with the Swift Boat liars, effectively making that political ad, which falsely misrepresented Kerry's service record as a news story, to the point of giving that ad free airtime perpetuating that misrepresentation.

You can say that doesn't count, but anything that gets propagated on these media outlets, sure as heck does count.

That viewers need to be able to distinguish between actual news and opinion, is a very gray issue.

[Kaleva]

46. How about providing links to example that'd back up your claim

You'll need several dozen at least

[obamanut2012]

12. It is hystreical because Walz is a moderate

[JohnSJ]

41. I know. That is the frustration. They are effectively embedding republican commentary

falsely misrepresenting Walz, as fact.

[Uncle Joe]

78. Everything is relative, this is just a statement on how far right the corporate media is on the political spectrum

There is historical precedence for it.

[Deek1935]

14. The corporate media is SHIT. Period.

[Fla Dem]

19. What corporate media, give an example. Just don't throw your opinion out there as fact.

Link to articles since the announcement you find as shit.

[Zoomie1986]

35. Do you have the bandwidth for the hundreds of examples

I could send you?

It's that long of a list.

Start here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/20/us/politics/new-book-clinton-cash-questions-foreign-donations-to-foundation.html?_r=0

Edited to add a no paywall link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/20/us/politics/new-book-clinton-cash-questions-foreign-donations-to-foundation.html?_r=0

I'll post more if you still need a clue.

[Fla Dem]

40. What the heck! NYT Editorial from 9 years ago?

BTW, both links have a paywall.

[Celerity]

76. +1000

[Fla Dem]

16. What press? Major Newspapers? Major TV Channels other than FOX News? MSNBC, CNN?

Or online wannabee's. We can't be deterred by everybody who has a laptop and pushes their thoughts and opinions on a podcast, or YouTube as if they're experts. Those are opinions without any foundation.

[JohnSJ]

24. It comes from the commentary within these news reports. That has been a large part of

the problem since the Communications Act of 1996. Besides the media monopolies, much of the news embeds commentary within the reporting of the news, where it because muddled what is news and what is commentary.

I saw the characterization of Walz as coming from the left from Bloomberg and MSNBC hosts.

and that characterization is not accurate

[ck4829]

17. Feeding children isn't leftwing, but being opposed to it is weird

[Prairie Gates]

18. Shitheel Jake Tapper tried this line a few days ago

Walz basically pantsed him on live television.

[MaryMagdaline]

21. Walz shores up the youth vote. He's a Progressive.

Young people want change. They’re tired of us compromising our values away to accommodate old people.

[yardwork]

50. THIS. The party is finally waking up,

Why was Bernie Sanders so appealing to progressives and young people? Because he talked about change. Trump promised change.

[MaryMagdaline]

62. Yes. I believe Bernie voters should be happy.

It’s about policy ! And governing!

[Kid Berwyn]

22. Left is what the USA and Democracy need.

…and zero fascism, warmongering and trickle down economics from the right.

[edisdead]

27. And???

What’s the problem?

[yardwork]

29. This country needs a shift to the left.

[JCMach1]

30. Doesn't matter, he's a communicator of a sort we maybe haven't had in the party

Since Sen. Fritz Hollings.

He reaches a demographic where people may be second guessing their Trump pick... I.E. traditional Republicans.

[Eliot Rosewater]

31. I have watched CNN for a total of maybe five minutes in the past year

And one minute of that five minutes was just now watching Van Jones talk about how this makes conservatives happy because they were afraid she would pick someone that would be more in the middle blah blah blah blah blah

Thanks for telling people now reasons why they shouldn’t vote for this fantastic person you stupid son of a bitch.

[TBF]

33. He is a shift to the left - which shores up the base. Safe pick, and a good one. nt

[Silent Type]

36. Thing is, Walz looks like most of the white wingers I've known in my life. Might be hard to tag him with "leftist."

Although, hardcore trumpsters will certainly try.

[unblock]

39. The vp generally doesn't have much of a say in policy

Typically the first thing that happens to a vp candidate is reporters ask questions about policies where they have differed from the presidential candidate in the past, and the vp candidates is basically forced to say I'm here to support the top of the ticket and that's that.

Vice President Al smith once famously said the vice presidency wasn't worth a bucket of warm piss (the press changed it to spit)....

[Emile]

43. Bernie and the progressive caucus support him.

It's not necessary to run as a moderate to win.

[JohnSJ]

44. You need every vote you can get, especially with the electoral college

[Emile]

45. After moderates killed the public option for

Obama Care, best to run as a progressive.

[JohnSJ]

47. Not if you want to win the general election. You realize this will probably be a very close

election, and nothing can be taken for granted.

You do know that Walz is actually a moderate?

[Emile]

48. Yea, they said Joe Biden was a moderate too. Thats

why when Bernie dropped out of the presidential race he threw all his support and supporters to Joe Biden. Right. . .

[JohnSJ]

49. 2020 was a very close election if you look at the numbers in those critical swing states.

In other words, we needed every vote.

As for Bernie throwing his support to Biden, that was after Super Tuesday, and thank goodness he did, instead of what happened in 2016, where after the convention he threw his support to Hillary, his supporters did not follow suit, and actually campaigned against Hillary. David Sirota, Nina Turner, Cornell West, Brihana Joy Gray, etc.

[uponit7771]

57. TFG runs hard extreme 100% of the time, I don't see this lore being applicable any longer

[JohnSJ]

64. I know. I just think we need every vote we can get because of the way the electoral college

is structured.

Walz is actually more moderate than people would like to admit, and that is ok, as long as we stay unified, and get out the vote.

[Emile]

73. If you want more votes you run as a progressive.

[JohnSJ]

80. The country is mostly center left, center right. It depends what you mean by progressive.

If it means slogans like "defund the police", then you lose.

If it means a woman's right to choose, immigration, the economy, workers rights, civil rights, etc. then you win.
'

[Emile]

81. This party is not conservative, we're progressives who would have liked a public option when

Obama Care was passed.

[JohnSJ]

83. No it isn't, but it isn't left either. It is more left center, and so is the country.

[uponit7771]

55. RIGHT !!! Trumps not running as a moderate of anything

[TwilightZone]

74. Bernie and the progressive caucus were going to support the nominee, regardless.

Their support is really not indicative of anything regarding Walz's relative political stances.

[Emile]

75. Uh huh. . .

[JohnSJ]

84. You really think they would not have supported any VP candidate on the Harris ticket?

Of course they would have.

Up against trump/vance there is no question about that.

They are not going to do a 2016 repeat.

[Gaytano70]

51. To the Press:

And?

[Think. Again.]

54. Finally some GOOD news from the for-profit media!

[yellowcanine]

56. How 20th century of them.

[Mysterian]

59. Oh no! How horrible!

Kids might get fed.

(paraphrasing Gov. Walz)

[Doodley]

60. When the whole GOP is now an authoritarian cult, any Democrat looks like a shift to the left.

[Freethinker65]

63. Left of Trump and Vance

[dem4decades]

66. Morning Joe was back on his Republican ways this morning, and Kornacki was a wet towel too.

Back to watching the Olympics, tired of the press bullshit.

[-misanthroptimist]

67. Our corrupt media needs to keep the race close for their own profit

They do that because they are corrupt.

(They could just be stupid and incompetent, but I don't want to be mean.)

[mucholderthandirt]

70. Not what I'm seeing on CNN. They seem to be pretty happy about him being basically center Dem.

Maybe I'm not hearing it right. They're being fairly happy about Walz, pointing out how he's helped his state, united both sides to do good for the people.

[JohnSJ]

71. Good. You are probably hearing it right.

[Nanjeanne]

72. That would be the thrust no matter who was picked. The difference is

Walz can simply say "It's weird NOT to want to feed children. It's not left to do it. In fact it's right."

[Blue Owl]

77. Fuck 'em -- Diarrhea Donny's was a pick to the right

[FullySupportDems]

79. Good of them to notice

Now talk about the right wing extremists who've been perverting our democracy, and how Dems align much more with our country, ok Media? Stop selling us out. Greedy jerks.

[ancianita]

85. Well said & amen! Corporate media hype push "to the left" while coalition ignores it. It's what they do. Then we win.

Corporate hype will do what it's always done with Democratic administrations: never cover their domestic and foreign accomplishments but grind out its tired old negative hype playbook.

[Sky Jewels]

86. And if it had been Shapiro, they would be saying "this is a controversial pick that divides Democrats."

[bmichaelh]

87. Both protected ACA when in House & Senate

MSM will not bring this up.

You got 2 individuals: 1 US Senator from California and 1 US Representative from Minnesota who voted against the repeal of ACA that Trump as President tried to repeal.

Who is the extremist?
Those who protect healthcare; or those who try to take away?

[onecaliberal]

89. The fascist press can fuck off.

[JCMach1]

90. Where were they in calling Vance a shift to full-blown fascism?

[Nanjeanne]

93. All Harris/Walz have to say is We give 4th graders free lunch -- They force 4th graders to give birth.

[GoreWon2000]

94. Typical pro repug media!

[GP6971]

96. Hi. Plan on staying long? I wouldn't.

[ismnotwasm]

97. lol.

[irisblue]

98. Pete Multon, what kinda pizza you like?

[Torchlight]

99. Sounds serious. Empty assertions require citation.

Good luck!

[irisblue]

100. from under a bridge?

🧌

[Torchlight]

107. The amount of things I don't realize until after the fact is absurdly high

I'd bet a buck I'm better off that way.

[getagrip_already]

101. Well, as long as WE are in the headlines, and not some piece of trash, we are winning.......

Shift to the left, not a terrible message. Could be more accurate, but at least the orange turd stain isn't getting the headlines.

[Raven123]

102. Oh heck, they were going to say that about whoever was selected

[Klarkashton]

103. They don't know what to do.

It wouldn't matter who was picked. They have to ignore all the baggage that trump is carrying somehow.

[spooky3]

104. If you've ever heard Warren Buffett speak, he and Tim Walz have

Similar “Dad” charm. Maybe it’s the Nebraska roots. I think Walz will be great for the campaign and a fine VP once elected.

[pat_k]

105. "When did. . .

. . . a woman's right to choose, education, healthcare, etc. become "leftwing"?" you ask?

Over the last three decades, as Republicans moved further and further into right-wingnut territory and Democrats kept tacking right to appeal to the so-called center (read right-wing), the REAL center of the country was increasingly characterized as "too far left" to be "appealing."

It's about time that Democrats planted our flag back in the real center. I think we'll be surprised to see how many voters it activates -- people who have opted out, having given up hope for anything getting done that could make us truly proud of our choices as a nation.

[ms liberty]

106. I think he's going to blow that out of the water once he's asked.

Reference his remark about oh no, feeding kids so they can learn comment and his comment that he grew up in a small town where everyone knew to mind their own damn business. He instinctively knows how to stick a pin in their arguments and deflate their balloons. It's a real gift and I love it.
I really believe Walz will bring excitement to rural voters - I live in a tiny county in NC and he's already speaking a language they understand.

[Attilatheblond]

109. Basic physics. Eventually a pendulam has to swing the other way

And in this country, the Right (AKA: THE WRONG) just won't grasp that basic science. They think you can keep taking from the goose (Labor and Consumer) without interrupting the flow of golden eggs the Owner class gobbles up.