A break down on VP Kamala Harris selecting Governor Tim Walz as her running mate

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Lead us on to the field, Becky.

[00:00:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to The Breakdown with Brodkorb and Becky, a weekly podcast that breaks down politics, policy and current affairs.

[00:00:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Becky Scherr.

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Michael Brodkorb.

[00:00:23] [SPEAKER_00]: We are coming to you live on the heels of breaking news.

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Minnesota's own governor, Tim Walz, has been selected as Kamala Harris's running mate and as potentially the next VP for the United States.

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Today, we are pleased to welcome back Will Davis.

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Will is a political consultant with ARC Initiatives and previously served as research director for the Minnesota DFL.

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you for having me.

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: We spoke with Will last week about Walz's chances and why he was on the shortlist, but today it's officially Walz.

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: We will break down how Walz came out on top and what this means for the Democratic ticket.

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_00]: We will also get into the initial reactions within the Democratic Party and from Republican leaders.

[00:01:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for joining us and enjoy the show.

[00:01:05] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'll kick it over to you guys.

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_00]: We got two members of Tim Walz's fan club here.

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_00]: How are you feeling?

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_00]: How's your morning?

[00:01:13] [SPEAKER_00]: How are you celebrating?

[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go to Will first.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_03]: The Tim Walz 4VP launch dropped a lot more seamlessly than the podcast did here, but that's all right.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Come on.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_01]: You want to know something?

[00:01:25] [SPEAKER_01]: It's live.

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Live.

[00:01:27] [SPEAKER_01]: You're getting a platform.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Come on.

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Technology, man.

[00:01:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you so much for having me.

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm glad to be back.

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_03]: I guess my royalties check from the first one hasn't come in the mail yet, but it's not coming to mail yet.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Excited to do it again.

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes.

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_01]: How, as Becky said, get excited.

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Tell us how you're feeling today.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_03]: It's crazy.

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_03]: I woke up to 15 texts.

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_03]: I told them earlier, I had to put my phone on to quiet mode because it's been buzzing all day long from people who are just genuinely excited and fired up for this.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_03]: We're Minnesota.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_03]: We love to talk about ourselves.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_03]: So we love that we're going to be on a national stage.

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think people genuinely believe that Wallz is the right pick here.

[00:02:05] [SPEAKER_03]: The momentum feels like it's going to keep going.

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_03]: I think there was some concern with some of the other potential folks that it might stall momentum with some of the negatives around them.

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_03]: But I, I don't know, I thought it was going to be Wallz the whole time.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_03]: It was my prediction back four weeks ago even.

[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_03]: And I thought he made the most sense.

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And I guess they agreed.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Becky, how are you feeling this morning?

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm ready to poke you guys a little bit.

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_00]: I appreciate your fun and fanfare and obviously exciting that Minnesota is given some, some fame and accolades today.

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: We got some stuff to chat through.

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_01]: We'll get to that.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_01]: We'll get to that.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_01]: But again, how are you feeling today?

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm feeling great.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm feeling great.

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_00]: So kind.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So kind.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_01]: How did you guys hear the news?

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Twitter, of course.

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Your tweet, Michael, you were watching CNN.

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_00]: You saw that they changed the ticker.

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, I get all my news from Michael Brockport.

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_01]: That's great.

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I was, well, were you, where did you get a call directly from Barack Obama, former president of the United States?

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_01]: How did this happen?

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_03]: I heard through the grapevine about a half hour before it happened.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_03]: I think some folks were about 99% sure why.

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_03]: I want to be positive, Michael.

[00:03:21] [SPEAKER_03]: I want to be positive about it before I share a tip.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_03]: But yeah, it was about a half hour where there were just some stuff going on behind the scenes that it was like, okay, this is a little bit different right now.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Things are looking pretty clear.

[00:03:33] [SPEAKER_03]: And yeah.

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_03]: And then CNN dropped it.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's how I found out.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_00]: The 17 black SUVs at Governor Walz's house.

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER_03]: That's the thing.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_03]: He's always, he's the governor of Minnesota.

[00:03:42] [SPEAKER_03]: He's always traveling in black SUVs.

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_03]: But it was.

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_01]: He doesn't have 17 of them.

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_03]: There was.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_03]: No, I ride in one of them.

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_03]: But no, they had some other.

[00:03:51] [SPEAKER_01]: Data requests, data requests, data requests.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Sure.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Yes.

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_03]: They pass that along to me all the time.

[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_03]: No, they had some other vehicles that were unmarked that were also at the residence apparently.

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_03]: So they were trying to disguise it.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_03]: But I think when you have all that, that many people moving around, it's obvious.

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Can I share a little bit of VP Stakes history from my neck of the woods?

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I live in Eagan, Minnesota.

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_01]: I live down the street from Governor Tim Pawlenty.

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_01]: In 2008, Pawlenty was on the list to be McCain's running mate.

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And for a very brief day, it was like mob scene.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_01]: There were helicopters flying over the house, houses.

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_01]: There was black SUVs, cars everywhere, and this huge kind of enthusiasm in the air.

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_01]: I was excited either way, because if he's picked, boy, oh boy, my street's going to get plowed

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_01]: first, which was always one of the benefits of living down the street from the governor.

[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Never had to worry about getting my street plowed.

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I was hopeful just from the standpoint of security and all that type of stuff.

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_01]: It was great, but there was a flood of cars, trucks, and everything.

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And then in a poof, it was gone.

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And I stand by my position that Tim Pawlenty was hands down the better pick than the former

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_01]: governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin.

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_01]: We would be in a much different place at a party.

[00:05:09] [SPEAKER_01]: That's a subject for another show if Pawlenty would have been picked.

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_01]: But it's Walls.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_01]: And boy, oh boy, is this interesting.

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00]: So I want to get into, before we move on solely to focus on Walls, a little bit of what's been

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_00]: going on.

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_00]: There's been obviously a very condensed vetting period.

[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Normally, there's a lot more time that is allowed into this.

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I was reading an article yesterday that the vetting team led by Eric Holder, they were actually

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_00]: asking candidates to turn over their own vetting books, asking other state parties, really

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_00]: trying to bring in as much information that already exists while doing their own, which,

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_00]: hey, use your resources.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_00]: It's really smart.

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_00]: But why do we think it is Walls over Shapiro and Kelly?

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, I'm going to stop making guesses because I was wrong on the Republican side, which we'll

[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_00]: come back to you.

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_00]: I was wrong on this.

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Not only did I think it was Kelly, but Kelly was the first one kind of eliminated from

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_00]: the trio.

[00:06:02] [SPEAKER_00]: It really seemed over the weekend that it was Shapiro and Walls were the final two, although

[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Harris did meet with all three of them on Sunday.

[00:06:10] Okay.

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's chat about this.

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_00]: What do we think were some of those defining moments that were Walls versus Shapiro?

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to get into that.

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_00]: But first, I want to maybe put you guys on the spot a little bit.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe I should have prepped you.

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think it's an important thing.

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I think an elephant in the room and something I've seen in a lot of articles is Judaism and

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Israel.

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Governor Shapiro is a Jewish governor.

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_00]: He has been very steadfast in his support for Israel.

[00:06:38] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that we've seen this in Minnesota.

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_00]: In the presidential primary, 19% of the voters said, we're not voting for Biden because he

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_00]: is supportive of Israel.

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, Governor Walls is also has been supportive.

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_00]: He's condemned Hamas.

[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_00]: He's been supportive of Israel.

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_00]: But is this do either of you think that was a breaking point or for Shapiro?

[00:06:56] [SPEAKER_00]: That was what pushed him off being the pick?

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Or do we think it's more some other things going on?

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Potentially, I've seen some articles about him and his personal aspirations and maybe potentially

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_00]: upstaging Harris.

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_00]: What is your take of why it might have Shapiro?

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_00]: And ultimately, it was they said no.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Do you want to take this first or?

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, for sure.

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm breaking up a little bit.

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Can you all hear me?

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_01]: OK, I can hear you just fine.

[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, great.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_03]: OK.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know that.

[00:07:24] [SPEAKER_03]: I think maybe all of those things play a little bit of a role in the vetting process.

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_03]: But I do think when you look at Josh Shapiro, he's he's going to be on a coast.

[00:07:35] [SPEAKER_03]: He's going to be an attorney.

[00:07:36] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's exactly the same profile that Kamala Harris is.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_03]: And so I think they really need to win Michigan and Wisconsin and they need to win Minnesota.

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think Walls just brought more to the table in terms of balance than Josh Shapiro did.

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_03]: I think Shapiro would have been a fine pick.

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_03]: I think there may have been a bit of a sense of momentum stalling out.

[00:07:58] [SPEAKER_03]: I think maybe there's some thought that he's closer to Wall Street in some ways.

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_03]: He's a great fundraiser.

[00:08:03] [SPEAKER_03]: We all know that.

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think people I think that would have been the more conventional pick.

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think right now with everything going on, unconventional is what people are looking for.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think Tim Walls is that pick, right?

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_03]: He's going to look you in the eye.

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_03]: He's going to be tough.

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_03]: He's going to be a fighter.

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_03]: And people think Democrats are weak, quite frankly, and wimpy and we don't fight back.

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_03]: And we are all like craving someone who will fight back in these moments.

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think they picked the perfect guy for that.

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I would say this.

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_01]: I think the reason why Shapiro fell away from the wayside is because for a couple of reasons.

[00:08:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Number one, I don't think it has anything to do with his the position on Israel.

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I think it came down to the fact is that they could win.

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I think Harris can win Pennsylvania without Shapiro.

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And so if that's the calculation you got, there's a couple points I would make on this.

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_01]: First of all, is how are you picking a VP?

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_01]: I would argue that John McCain picked Sarah Palin for political reasons in terms of court,

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER_01]: in terms of his ability to do some outreach, bake up the ticket a bit more than I think

[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_01]: necessarily an electoral, we need to win a state type strategy.

[00:09:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And so from a policy standpoint, I don't see any distinction between Governor Walls and Governor

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Shapiro.

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Certainly on the state of Israel, I don't think there's any distinction between the two of them.

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I do think that the reason why Tim Walls was picked over Shapiro is for a couple reasons.

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_01]: First of all, it's the strength of the Harris campaign.

[00:09:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Harris can win right as of right now.

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think she's in a position where she the only way that her path to winning,

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_01]: her only path to winning Pennsylvania is because of Shapiro.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I think she could potentially win Pennsylvania independent of Shapiro, independent of Shapiro.

[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_01]: And so if you take that out of the calculation, then it comes down to, I think, who has the

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_01]: best working relationship.

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And I have to say to you something, I think Governor Walls' strength throughout this process,

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_01]: which I want to get to more about why Republicans didn't see this, particularly in Minnesota,

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_01]: is his personality, is his likability, is his ability to just be in the room and work in a

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_01]: collaborative way and be positive.

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's why I think he was picked.

[00:10:23] [SPEAKER_01]: I think the selection process, and I have not spoken to the vice president, so I don't

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_01]: know ultimately, but I think that Tim Walls was someone that she could work with.

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I think she could have worked with Josh Shapiro, but I think the personal chemistry between

[00:10:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Walls and Harris may have been stronger than the personal chemistry between her and Shapiro.

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_01]: That has nothing to do in any way, shape, or form, I think, with Josh Shapiro's position

[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_01]: or his faith.

[00:10:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I think it has everything to do with the Harris campaign can win Pennsylvania without having

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Josh Shapiro.

[00:10:59] [SPEAKER_01]: We better hope so.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_01]: And she's in the position, I think, where she can win and she can make a choice about who

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_01]: she can work best with.

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think Walls won that, hands down.

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's fair.

[00:11:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I just wanted to, I've been seeing a lot about it.

[00:11:15] [SPEAKER_00]: I wanted your guys' take on the matter.

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think it's going to be interesting to see when you were trying to get in there.

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, yeah.

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_03]: I would just say if Pennsylvania is up for grabs without Josh Shapiro, then we're probably

[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_03]: in trouble.

[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_03]: I think it's going to be tough no matter what.

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_03]: But we need to count on winning all those other states in addition to Pennsylvania.

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_03]: So while he may help deliver it, there's a lot of other states to worry about as well.

[00:11:41] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think we are just further out ahead than that right now.

[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_03]: And I will also say Tim Walls has been doing this for a long time now.

[00:11:48] [SPEAKER_03]: He's been, he was a, what, three-term congressman in CD1, maybe more than that.

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_03]: And he's never lost an election.

[00:11:55] [SPEAKER_03]: That's a pretty good bio as well, I would say.

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_03]: And pretty appealing for the top of the ticket.

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_01]: I would also say something that happened.

[00:12:02] [SPEAKER_01]: If you watch the nominee, if you watch this VP selection process, the Democrats in Minnesota

[00:12:08] [SPEAKER_01]: were unified around the fact that they wanted it to be Tim Walls.

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER_01]: They were enthusiastically supportive of Tim Walls.

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And what happened, I think a little bit in, there were some stories about Democrats in

[00:12:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Pennsylvania raising some concerns.

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Fetterman, for instance, there is a political.

[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know to what degree those stories are completely accurate.

[00:12:32] [SPEAKER_01]: But what I do know is that if you were looking at from the time that Harris became the presumptive

[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_01]: nominee over this entire selection process, there was not one negative story that was put out

[00:12:45] [SPEAKER_01]: from, that was sourced by Democrats with Democrats speaking on or off the record in Minnesota,

[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_01]: expressing any hesitation about Walls being the pick.

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And so from the standpoint of unifying the state and Democrats, I would say to you that Democrats

[00:13:00] [SPEAKER_01]: in Minnesota were more united around Walls being the pick than Shapiro was, than Democrats

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_01]: were around Shapiro in Pennsylvania.

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And none of that has to do with, I think, the policy positions of Shapiro versus Walls,

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_01]: because on Israel, they're both the same.

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Almost unanimously across the board, people who campaigned against him in a really personal

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_03]: and tough 2018 primary, they're all celebrating right now.

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER_03]: People are happy.

[00:13:31] [SPEAKER_03]: People, this is a really good thing.

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Whether you have been a longtime Walls staffer or you worked for him before or you were his

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_03]: opponent, people are excited.

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_03]: And it's a good thing for the state of Minnesota.

[00:13:41] [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's something that we've often seen, and obviously the conversation we've had and

[00:13:47] [SPEAKER_00]: will continue to have is the Democrats in Minnesota being able to coalesce.

[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_00]: We've seen that at leadership battles up at the Capitol.

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_00]: They stick behind, they find their person, they unify behind, and they go out with a united

[00:13:58] [SPEAKER_00]: front.

[00:13:59] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's clearly the case here.

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to get into some of these battleground states that we've all been talking about.

[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Pennsylvania, we know that there's a nationwide tour that these two are going to go on starting

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_00]: today in Pennsylvania, then they're hitting Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Detroit, Michigan,

[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, all key states to this.

[00:14:18] [SPEAKER_00]: But I'm curious about, I want to hear from you guys where you think that Walls makes some

[00:14:22] [SPEAKER_00]: inroads.

[00:14:23] [SPEAKER_00]: I was listening back to our last show and we talked about how VPs, most people don't vote

[00:14:27] [SPEAKER_00]: for a ticket because of the VP, but it certainly can help solidify some people's support for

[00:14:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Kamala Harris.

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Steve Karnacki tweeted that it was analyzing some of the Walls numbers over the last few elections

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_00]: in Minnesota and said, the results of Walls' 22 governor's race in Minnesota don't suggest

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_00]: he provides an obvious boost with the blue-collar voters Democrats have been shedding in Wisconsin,

[00:14:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Michigan, Pennsylvania.

[00:14:49] [SPEAKER_00]: These are their first three stops this week, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

[00:14:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Talk to me about how you think that they're going to try to play and really bring in those

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_00]: blue-collar workers, bring in the blue wall here, and how the Walls will help Harris be

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER_00]: successful up here in the Midwest state, even if Minnesota doesn't come with the massive

[00:15:07] [SPEAKER_00]: electoral votes of some of the other states.

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_03]: You want to go, Michael?

[00:15:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Go right ahead.

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_03]: I think he's popular in greater Minnesota.

[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's one thing we can look at.

[00:15:17] [SPEAKER_03]: We can look at polling and his election results.

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_03]: I think he knows how to talk to labor.

[00:15:22] [SPEAKER_03]: He knows how to talk to farmers.

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_03]: He represented them for many years in CD1.

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_03]: I think he has the Midwest charm, quite frankly.

[00:15:30] [SPEAKER_03]: People make fun of us a lot.

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_03]: We talk about how much we love ourselves, including myself.

[00:15:34] [SPEAKER_03]: But I think it's real and true.

[00:15:37] [SPEAKER_03]: And he will look you in the eye and he'll shake your hand and he'll talk to you like

[00:15:40] [SPEAKER_03]: you are a normal person and not that he's above you.

[00:15:43] [SPEAKER_03]: And I just think that stuff works.

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think that those people that he is going to help the Harris campaign peel off are the

[00:15:50] [SPEAKER_03]: people who are in between but just don't want to see Donald Trump be president.

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think there's a lot of those people.

[00:15:57] [SPEAKER_03]: And I really think Republicans who are all in on the Trump thing really underestimate

[00:16:01] [SPEAKER_03]: how much people don't like Donald Trump.

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes.

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And if I could piggyback on that a bit, I think Walls will be successful anywhere he goes

[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_01]: because he has that ability.

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_01]: He has that comfort level.

[00:16:13] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that you can dispatch him in anywhere.

[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I listened to Will talk about on our last episode about that blue wall.

[00:16:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think Walls going over to Wisconsin and going over to Michigan and going over and

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_01]: into Pennsylvania.

[00:16:26] [SPEAKER_01]: I think he's going to be very value added to the ticket because of the conversations he's

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_01]: going to be able to have.

[00:16:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's what I think is important.

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_01]: This is Walls is in.

[00:16:37] [SPEAKER_01]: And this is what I would say.

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_01]: How did Walls win in 06?

[00:16:40] [SPEAKER_01]: He won in.

[00:16:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go back to 06.

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER_01]: He won in.

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER_01]: He knocked off Gil Gutnick in a good year for Democrats.

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_01]: But it's not just the fact that he won in 06.

[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_01]: It's that he won in 08.

[00:16:52] [SPEAKER_01]: He won in 10.

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_01]: He won in 12.

[00:16:54] [SPEAKER_01]: He won in 14.

[00:16:55] [SPEAKER_01]: He won in 16.

[00:16:56] [SPEAKER_01]: And he was able to win those races where the district got, in some ways, they were progressively

[00:17:03] [SPEAKER_01]: more conservative.

[00:17:04] [SPEAKER_01]: It got more conservative.

[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_01]: And he was able to win.

[00:17:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think he was able to win because Walls is able to communicate on a variety of issues

[00:17:13] [SPEAKER_01]: in a very effective way.

[00:17:15] [SPEAKER_01]: And Becky, we've talked about that before.

[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_01]: We talked about his comments on abortion that he made to Caitlin Collins earlier this year

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_01]: about how he said that.

[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Governor Walls is an effective communicator.

[00:17:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And one-on-one, he is able to win people over.

[00:17:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And I just will say to you, if there's an election for the Veep, he won that too.

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_01]: And we have to, I think we have to figure out and recognize that.

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I think one of the challenges, one of the blind spots I think Republicans have about Governor

[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Walls, particularly some Republicans in Minnesota, is they have just a raw frustration

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_01]: with him.

[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And that frustration creates a blind spot, I think.

[00:17:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And it creates an inability to understand what's going on.

[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And Walls has an ability to win people over and not be everything to everyone, but win

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_01]: people over.

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And so that's the success that he has.

[00:18:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, 06 was a great year for Democrats.

[00:18:13] [SPEAKER_01]: I worked on Kennedy's race in 06.

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_01]: We ran up against, we ran against Senator Klobuchar, then Hennepin County attorney.

[00:18:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I worked on Congressman Mark Kennedy's campaign.

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_01]: We got beat like a drum in that race.

[00:18:25] [SPEAKER_01]: But Tim Pawlenty won in this state and he barely snuck by.

[00:18:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's the last year Republicans won statewide.

[00:18:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think the Walls win, you can, and let me, I'm not trying to take anything away from

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_01]: him, but elections swing seats, they swing and go.

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_01]: But the first district went from a swing district.

[00:18:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Walls won it and kept it again in eight, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18.

[00:18:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Now he steps away in 18, but he challenges the Democratic endorsement for governor in

[00:18:55] [SPEAKER_01]: the primary and he wins in 18 and he wins in 22.

[00:18:58] [SPEAKER_01]: We have this deep stakes and he wins again.

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_01]: At some point, I think Republicans need to stop being, need to just try to learn a bit

[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_01]: and maybe listen a bit more as to why Tim Walls is so successful.

[00:19:11] [SPEAKER_01]: He's successful because he's likable.

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I just want to note that he also ran for chair of the Democratic Governors Association and

[00:19:20] [SPEAKER_03]: he won that too.

[00:19:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I forgot that, yeah.

[00:19:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Looks like Josh Piro voted for him as the president of that organization.

[00:19:25] [SPEAKER_03]: And so I think he-

[00:19:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Trust him when they talk to him.

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I think he just brings trust and that he, they believe that he will work in their best

[00:19:32] [SPEAKER_03]: interests.

[00:19:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And when it comes to retail politics, I think he's good.

[00:19:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's where I think this, I don't know how, I can just see from a distance how I

[00:19:41] [SPEAKER_01]: think he won this, is he was on the national stage.

[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_01]: He was, he came up with, I think a really good talking point on Republicans and it's

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER_01]: stuck and he's continued and he won this process over with.

[00:19:55] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think it's really interesting.

[00:19:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think it's an observation that I think is going to have to continue to be made as,

[00:20:01] [SPEAKER_01]: but Walls' story, I don't think it's just the 06 race.

[00:20:05] [SPEAKER_01]: It's that he won it consistently and that he was able to, and that takes skill.

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER_01]: It ultimately, it takes skill.

[00:20:12] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll agree and disagree on a variety of these topics here.

[00:20:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, you had to bring up the Caitlin Collins interview, which I believe I texted

[00:20:19] [SPEAKER_00]: you after and said, Governor Walls may have just gained another supporter because it was

[00:20:24] [SPEAKER_00]: just flawless.

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_00]: He is a very effective messenger.

[00:20:28] [SPEAKER_00]: I agree on that.

[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_00]: I think he is likable.

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's somebody you watch.

[00:20:32] [SPEAKER_00]: He's a teacher.

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_00]: He's a coach.

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_00]: He's a veteran.

[00:20:34] [SPEAKER_00]: He's somebody you want to have a beer with.

[00:20:36] [SPEAKER_00]: When we're looking, which we just had big rants last week talking about the Republican

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER_00]: side of the ticket and the personality side that we have to look at.

[00:20:43] [SPEAKER_00]: When we take out policies and look at personalities of the left and the right tickets here, they

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_00]: could not be more different, right?

[00:20:49] [SPEAKER_00]: You have the Harris-Walls ticket, which even CNN this morning I saw already called Walls

[00:20:55] [SPEAKER_00]: cuddly or that sort, huggable.

[00:20:57] [SPEAKER_00]: I agree.

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that the, yes, and he keeps winning, but I would argue that he keeps winning because

[00:21:04] [SPEAKER_00]: he's a chameleon, right?

[00:21:05] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that the governor or the congressman Walls that ran down in southern Minnesota,

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_00]: and we've had this debate time and time again, was very different than the governor Wall or

[00:21:14] [SPEAKER_00]: the walls we saw on the campaign trail for governor, which was different than the governor

[00:21:18] [SPEAKER_00]: that we got for first term, which was different than the governor we had for our second term.

[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_00]: And I am very curious of what walls we're going to see on the campaign trail as vice

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_00]: president.

[00:21:28] [SPEAKER_00]: I think we've seen an evolution, whether it's in just the way he communicates, which

[00:21:32] [SPEAKER_00]: we have argued for Republicans that they need to work on communicating to the base of voters

[00:21:39] [SPEAKER_00]: that they're talking them to.

[00:21:40] [SPEAKER_00]: So we can commend Walls for doing that, right?

[00:21:43] [SPEAKER_00]: You're obviously going to be talking differently when you're working or running for Congress

[00:21:47] [SPEAKER_00]: in the first congressional district than a statewide campaign.

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_00]: I understand that.

[00:21:51] [SPEAKER_00]: But I would argue that he has become more and more progressive and further left as time

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_00]: has gone on over the last six, eight years.

[00:21:59] [SPEAKER_00]: And so I think we would be remiss if we don't just look at his personality and how wonderful

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_00]: he is and how effective as a communicator.

[00:22:07] [SPEAKER_00]: But if we look at the policies side of Bernie Sanders, God has got this is Bernie Sanders

[00:22:11] [SPEAKER_00]: VP pick.

[00:22:12] [SPEAKER_00]: So I think that we do.

[00:22:14] [SPEAKER_00]: While Republicans are on board, we need to look at this man keeps winning and there's

[00:22:19] [SPEAKER_00]: something to that.

[00:22:19] [SPEAKER_00]: We should obviously try to replicate that on the Republican side.

[00:22:23] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think Walls is a bit of chameleon.

[00:22:24] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm very interested to see how what evolution of Tim Walls we see for the next four months,

[00:22:31] [SPEAKER_00]: less than 100 days leading up to the election.

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I would say to you that politicians very frequently change their position in the course of doing

[00:22:39] [SPEAKER_01]: some thinking of the possibility of Shapiro.

[00:22:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I was reminded of Reagan 76 campaign.

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Reagan ran for president in 76 and he progressed.

[00:22:47] [SPEAKER_01]: He picked what I would consider to be a moderate, if not somewhat left leaning Republican from

[00:22:53] [SPEAKER_01]: the United from the state of Pennsylvania to be his running mate.

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER_01]: And people look at wall at Reagan as being some gold standard for Republican conservatism.

[00:23:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Reagan changed his position multiple times.

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Successful politicians can evolve and change based on where the, and evolve into things.

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's my argument is that's a successful politician.

[00:23:18] [SPEAKER_01]: That's someone who is successful and can win.

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_01]: The challenge is that how to, can Republicans change it?

[00:23:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Ultimately, I think they need to, but Walls again has been successful in this state because

[00:23:29] [SPEAKER_01]: of that type of Republican framing.

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And politicians change their position.

[00:23:35] [SPEAKER_01]: You will see, you will.

[00:23:37] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think the laundry list of policy positions where Donald Trump has changed, has flipped himself

[00:23:41] [SPEAKER_01]: on is certainly out seat.

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_01]: If this is an election about who's changed their position, I don't know that the Trump

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_01]: campaign is going to want that.

[00:23:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Particularly when the first question I would say, if Walls changed his position, particularly

[00:23:55] [SPEAKER_01]: in a debate with J.D. Vance.

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's just remember Senator Vance.

[00:23:58] [SPEAKER_01]: You called him America's Hitler.

[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_01]: And now you're running with him.

[00:24:01] [SPEAKER_01]: That's a hell of a policy change.

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_01]: And so the, there's, I think there's a difference between Walls's position evolving and J.D.

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Vance going back and forth.

[00:24:11] [SPEAKER_01]: One thing I will also say to you on this subject is Walls, I think was smart in knowing that

[00:24:18] [SPEAKER_01]: this was a vulnerability in his past, in that he's evolved and stuff.

[00:24:22] [SPEAKER_01]: This is a guy who went in his state of the state address and said, I used to get A's from

[00:24:27] [SPEAKER_01]: the NRA and now I get F's.

[00:24:29] [SPEAKER_01]: He's happy with that.

[00:24:30] [SPEAKER_01]: I think a discussion about Walls, how his position had evolved on matters related to gun rights,

[00:24:38] [SPEAKER_01]: on matters related to abortion and other things.

[00:24:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I think he would welcome that discussion because what it shows is that his position has evolved

[00:24:47] [SPEAKER_01]: based on where society is moving, not just because of political expediency.

[00:24:52] [SPEAKER_03]: I would say the entire Republican Party has moved on firearms.

[00:24:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Richard Nixon pushed for an entire handgun band and Ronald Reagan was pushing for heavy

[00:25:03] [SPEAKER_03]: gun control measures as well in the eighties.

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_03]: And things change as society moves.

[00:25:07] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think people change their mind.

[00:25:09] [SPEAKER_03]: I brought up last time how Obama, when he came into office in 08, he didn't support gay

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER_03]: marriage.

[00:25:14] [SPEAKER_03]: People evolve depending on who is around them on a regular basis.

[00:25:18] [SPEAKER_03]: And that, I don't think that's chameleon.

[00:25:20] [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's learning and getting more perspectives in, and that can influence your opinion.

[00:25:24] [SPEAKER_03]: That's just evolution, I think.

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think he was a congressman in CD1, but he was down in CD1.

[00:25:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Then he goes to St. Paul.

[00:25:31] [SPEAKER_03]: He spends a lot more time with people in Minneapolis and in St. Paul and more suburban

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER_03]: areas and listen to their perspectives on these things.

[00:25:40] [SPEAKER_03]: And you're surrounded by it every single day.

[00:25:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Your staff starts becoming those folks as well.

[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_03]: And your mind can change.

[00:25:47] [SPEAKER_03]: And I don't think that's, I don't know, I don't find it egregious at all.

[00:25:50] [SPEAKER_03]: And like Michael said, if you want to compare like changing stances, I think we have the

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_03]: benefit on that one.

[00:25:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Vice President Dick Cheney supported gay marriage before Barack Obama did.

[00:26:00] [SPEAKER_01]: That's one of my, it's absolutely true.

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_01]: And so politicians' positions evolve and change over time.

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I think what is fair is, and I think it's fair is the flip-flop.

[00:26:12] [SPEAKER_01]: I think having to have those discussions, I would say to you, Becky, I don't think the

[00:26:17] [SPEAKER_01]: discussion, I don't think it's off limits to discuss how Walls' positions has evolved.

[00:26:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I just don't think it's as clean of a flip-flop as we've seen before on stuff.

[00:26:30] [SPEAKER_01]: I think politicians are allowed to change their mind.

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm glad they do, quite frankly.

[00:26:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think that's a discussion that I think he would be comfortable with.

[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_01]: That's, I want to set that aside a little bit from just absolute flip-flopping.

[00:26:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Now, J.D. Vance, for instance, he has an explanation as to why he went from calling Donald Trump

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_01]: America's Hitler to running as his vice president.

[00:26:52] [SPEAKER_01]: He has to explain that.

[00:26:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Walls will have to explain his position.

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER_01]: But I think, I think that J.D. Vance's move from American Hitler to being his running

[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_01]: mate is a tougher sell than the position that Tim Walls' journey through life as a politician,

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_01]: how he's evolved.

[00:27:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that story may resonate a lot more than going from America's Hitler to, I think

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_01]: you're the best thing since sliced bread.

[00:27:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to continue to push a little bit on how Republicans are going to be framing up Governor

[00:27:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Walls and what we've already seen.

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_00]: So bear with me.

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to read you a couple tweets from that we've seen over the last few hours here.

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER_00]: It appears Republicans are certainly going to be pushing that Walls is no cushy little

[00:27:34] [SPEAKER_00]: snuggly moderate here from Minnesota.

[00:27:36] [SPEAKER_00]: But he's actually a very progressive governor who's done, pushed and signed a lot of progressive

[00:27:42] [SPEAKER_00]: policies into law.

[00:27:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Tom Emmer tweeted, it's not surprising Kamala Harris picked Tim Walls to be her running mate.

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_00]: He embodies the same disastrous economic open borders and softened crime policies.

[00:27:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Harris has inflicted on our country over the last few years that goes on.

[00:27:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Leader Dameth has said Kamala Harris and Tim Walls are the most extreme ticket in recent

[00:28:00] [SPEAKER_00]: presidential history.

[00:28:02] [SPEAKER_00]: They want to decriminalize illegal immigration and private health insurance, reduce sentences

[00:28:06] [SPEAKER_00]: for violent criminals, and make your energy bills more expensive.

[00:28:09] [SPEAKER_00]: And then Meghan McCain chimed in.

[00:28:11] [SPEAKER_00]: I knew next to nothing about Tim Walls before this week and listened to several interviews,

[00:28:15] [SPEAKER_00]: podcasted, research.

[00:28:16] [SPEAKER_00]: He is no moderate and no uniter.

[00:28:17] [SPEAKER_00]: In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a more extreme progressive running mate.

[00:28:21] [SPEAKER_00]: He is a Trojan horse with a red state accent.

[00:28:24] [SPEAKER_00]: I, when we were looking at a whole lot, when we were looking at vice presidential candidates

[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_00]: on the right, I mentioned to both of you that I was hoping for a Rubio or a Haley, somebody

[00:28:36] [SPEAKER_00]: that was a little bit more moderate that could maybe unify and bring in some of those double

[00:28:40] [SPEAKER_00]: haters, bring some of those swing voters back over to the right, myself included.

[00:28:45] [SPEAKER_00]: We did not get that.

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Some would argue, and some would I, my Twitter feed is filled with folks who would argue that

[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_00]: the kind of the same is on the left, that Tim Walls is a progressive.

[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_00]: He is matching Kamala Harris on the left.

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_00]: He's not a moderate Democrat.

[00:29:00] [SPEAKER_00]: What do you guys say to folks?

[00:29:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Are there is there disappointment among some moderate Democrats or independent voters that

[00:29:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Tim Walls is the choice or how are the walls?

[00:29:09] [SPEAKER_00]: How is the walls Harris ticket going to remedy that and making sure that they're getting Democrats

[00:29:15] [SPEAKER_00]: from left and center both out to the polls and to support them?

[00:29:20] [SPEAKER_03]: I would say Tim Walls is such a scary leftist progressive that he was elected, reelected with

[00:29:27] [SPEAKER_03]: huge margins and given a trifecta after with it so that he could do more work.

[00:29:32] [SPEAKER_03]: I think if you're talking progressivism in Minnesota, you're talking about paid family

[00:29:36] [SPEAKER_03]: leave and school meals for every child in the state.

[00:29:40] [SPEAKER_03]: And you're talking about firearm legislation.

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER_03]: I think very practical firearm legislation.

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_03]: There's a lot of things.

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER_03]: And one by one, I think I mentioned this a bunch last time.

[00:29:49] [SPEAKER_03]: One by one, all of those issues are positive.

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Those are things people actually want, I think, by and large across this country.

[00:29:56] [SPEAKER_03]: It would make a lot of people's lives a lot better.

[00:29:58] [SPEAKER_03]: And they're totally fine backing up that defending that history, defending that record.

[00:30:04] [SPEAKER_03]: They're going to be excited.

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_03]: They're going to not only are they not going to be on defense on that, but they are going

[00:30:09] [SPEAKER_03]: to use that as a hammer in every state and say, look what we do when you give us the

[00:30:17] [SPEAKER_03]: power to do that.

[00:30:18] [SPEAKER_03]: And we are going to go around.

[00:30:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Look what Donald Trump did.

[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_03]: He made live.

[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_03]: He made your lives worse.

[00:30:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Undeniably.

[00:30:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Tim Walls is making people help make people's lives better in Minnesota.

[00:30:28] [SPEAKER_03]: And it's undeniable.

[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_03]: They're going to turn that around.

[00:30:30] [SPEAKER_03]: That's that can't be a hit.

[00:30:32] [SPEAKER_03]: That's going to be one of his biggest benefits, in my opinion, on the campaign trail.

[00:30:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Let me just say about the school lunches, Becky, we did an entire episode talking about

[00:30:39] [SPEAKER_01]: the messaging around school lunches.

[00:30:40] [SPEAKER_01]: I cannot begin to tell you how stupid of an idea it would be for national Republicans to

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_01]: start attacking Governor Walls for having there be school lunches during the day for

[00:30:52] [SPEAKER_01]: and having free school lunches for kids.

[00:30:55] [SPEAKER_01]: If that's where this is going to go, I think it's I think it's tough.

[00:30:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I would also say to you that I think that I don't know that Walls, I would say to you

[00:31:04] [SPEAKER_01]: that I think one of the reasons why I think Walls was successful in this pick and why I

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER_01]: think when I go back to our episode last March, we were discussing this.

[00:31:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Walls, I would consider to be, I think, accurately so somewhat of a moderate, somewhat of a centrist.

[00:31:19] [SPEAKER_01]: But the question is, ultimately, when he was governor, did he do anything to curtail or

[00:31:25] [SPEAKER_01]: stop the progressive agenda of Democrats in this state?

[00:31:29] [SPEAKER_01]: He didn't do anything to stop it.

[00:31:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And so he does get tagged with that stuff.

[00:31:33] [SPEAKER_01]: But I think he can credibly articulate that he has a foothold in bulk.

[00:31:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's the advantage that he had.

[00:31:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that by selecting Walls, I think it's going to be very, I think it's going to be

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_01]: very, I'm going to be very curious to see how J.D.

[00:31:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Vance, if there is, there's a, if there's a middle that needs to be won over in this race,

[00:31:54] [SPEAKER_01]: and let's say that's an assignment that's given to the VP picks.

[00:31:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to be very curious how J.D.

[00:32:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Vance, and if Tim Walls and J.D.

[00:32:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Vance are both competing for moderates, if they're both competing for a centrist in this

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_01]: race, who do you think is going to be a more effective messenger of that?

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Who do you think is going to be a better messenger of fighting for that type?

[00:32:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And that contest, I think the debates between J.D.

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Vance and Walls are going to be incredibly significant because I think it's going to

[00:32:29] [SPEAKER_01]: be like Tyson fighting an infant right now is where I would put the race.

[00:32:32] [SPEAKER_01]: It would be like Tyson fighting an infant.

[00:32:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's where I think this could be.

[00:32:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's the challenge here.

[00:32:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, that's the struggle.

[00:32:40] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's the struggle.

[00:32:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I will say, I do want to ask both of you this, and I'm curious about this, is one of

[00:32:47] [SPEAKER_01]: the concerns that we discussed on a preview show and I've discussed is the number of uncommitted

[00:32:51] [SPEAKER_01]: delegates there are to the Democratic National Convention.

[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I am curious what, if any, impact this pick has on the uncommitted movement as we go towards

[00:33:02] [SPEAKER_01]: the Democratic Convention.

[00:33:03] [SPEAKER_01]: I remain convinced that there is still that issue kind of brewing inside the Democratic Party.

[00:33:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm curious what the Democratic National Convention is going to be like.

[00:33:13] [SPEAKER_01]: But I think uncommitted, Minnesota had a high, had a high, the second, I think Minnesota had

[00:33:17] [SPEAKER_01]: a very high volume of uncommitted delegates.

[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_01]: In terms of raw percentage, I think it was only second only to Hawaii.

[00:33:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And so there's going to be a lot of uncommitted delegates going to the Democratic National

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Convention in Chicago.

[00:33:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And does this pick help alleviate some of the concerns or sways that some of those delegates

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_01]: have?

[00:33:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Will, what's your take?

[00:33:39] [SPEAKER_03]: I think those, a lot of those concerns were alleviated when Kamala Harris became the candidate.

[00:33:45] [SPEAKER_03]: I think that was the big thing for folks.

[00:33:47] [SPEAKER_03]: I think rightly or wrongly, a lot of what is going on over there was put on Joe Biden.

[00:33:53] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think it mixed with the frustration that people expected Joe Biden to lose to Donald

[00:33:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Trump and make things worse.

[00:34:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think it was a protest vote on Joe Biden.

[00:34:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Rightly or wrongly, I don't want to make any judgment on that.

[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_03]: But I can tell you, I know a lot of those uncommitted people.

[00:34:10] [SPEAKER_03]: And I can tell you they are going to be supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walls.

[00:34:15] [SPEAKER_03]: And I will say as well, like the onus is on those two to keep those folks.

[00:34:20] [SPEAKER_03]: They have to make the right moves and say the right things and believe the right things

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_03]: as well.

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_03]: And they have to keep them.

[00:34:25] [SPEAKER_03]: That's going to be a challenge for them.

[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_03]: But I think right now, the uncommitted stuff, I don't even, I don't think that's going to

[00:34:32] [SPEAKER_03]: play a role at all.

[00:34:33] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to be at the DNC too.

[00:34:34] [SPEAKER_03]: So I'll report back.

[00:34:35] [SPEAKER_03]: But I really don't expect that to be an issue.

[00:34:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And explain why, because explain why it just goes away.

[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Help our listeners understand why, from your perspective, that just...

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_01]: It's new leadership.

[00:34:48] [SPEAKER_01]: New leadership.

[00:34:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay.

[00:34:49] [SPEAKER_03]: It's new leadership.

[00:34:50] [SPEAKER_03]: They're going to give them the benefit of the doubt that things will change on that

[00:34:56] [SPEAKER_03]: front.

[00:34:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Whether it will or not, there's a lot to be seen there.

[00:34:59] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know.

[00:35:00] [SPEAKER_03]: But I think people are going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[00:35:03] [SPEAKER_03]: It is a fresh new ticket, right?

[00:35:06] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll say what you will.

[00:35:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Joe Biden did a great job in his four years, but he has been around a long time.

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Previous to that, it was Hillary Clinton.

[00:35:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Previous to that, it was a second term of Obama.

[00:35:15] [SPEAKER_03]: And it just felt like we were getting a lot of the same old candidates and same old people.

[00:35:20] [SPEAKER_03]: And both of these two are fresh and new on the scene.

[00:35:23] [SPEAKER_03]: And people are going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[00:35:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Because one big reason is the alternative is Donald Trump.

[00:35:29] [SPEAKER_03]: And so not only do they want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I think they have

[00:35:33] [SPEAKER_03]: earned that as well.

[00:35:35] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think a lot of people agree with me.

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_03]: I have a question.

[00:35:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Becky, go ahead.

[00:35:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, I just was going to dovetail off that because I am curious.

[00:35:42] [SPEAKER_00]: We talked a little bit about prior to Biden getting out, what if people would hold that

[00:35:48] [SPEAKER_00]: against Kamala Harris at all, that she was supporting him, saying he was great, he should

[00:35:53] [SPEAKER_00]: continue on until she wasn't.

[00:35:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Governor Walz, similarly here, led the charge, brought the governors out to the White House

[00:36:00] [SPEAKER_00]: for their meeting, came out and said, friend's great, we support him.

[00:36:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Do we think there's going to be anybody that kind of feels as though Walz, Harris, these

[00:36:10] [SPEAKER_00]: fellow Democrats are implicated on letting Biden be the nominee?

[00:36:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Or are we just going to be, we're done, we're over, we're moved on, this is our ticket.

[00:36:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks, Biden, but we're over you.

[00:36:21] [SPEAKER_03]: We've all been doing this a long time.

[00:36:23] [SPEAKER_03]: If Joe Biden isn't 100% and the people around him aren't 100%, then he's done before we even

[00:36:29] [SPEAKER_03]: start.

[00:36:30] [SPEAKER_03]: If there is a shred of doubt coming from Joe Biden or Kamala Harris or anyone in his

[00:36:34] [SPEAKER_03]: administration, then he's done before it starts.

[00:36:38] [SPEAKER_03]: There was, there would have been no conversation.

[00:36:40] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm, that is just part of what we do that you have to be 100% until you're not 100%.

[00:36:46] [SPEAKER_01]: That's a great line.

[00:36:47] [SPEAKER_01]: You have to be 100% until you're not 100%.

[00:36:49] [SPEAKER_00]: You're not first, you're last, baby.

[00:36:51] [SPEAKER_01]: You're not first, you're last.

[00:36:52] [SPEAKER_01]: I'd like to talk for a second about what this means for Minnesota, because I think this

[00:36:56] [SPEAKER_01]: is the interesting dynamic we're going to have now.

[00:36:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And let me just set the table on this.

[00:37:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Donald Trump was recently in the state of Minnesota.

[00:37:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Minnesota polling showed prior to his arrival that it was a close race neck and neck.

[00:37:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I think KSTP had a number of polls would showed it somewhat in the margin of error right before

[00:37:14] [SPEAKER_01]: he comes to Minnesota, their new poll comes out.

[00:37:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Harris has a lead.

[00:37:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Here's the trouble now that I think are going to happen is Donald Trump.

[00:37:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if he comes back to Minnesota.

[00:37:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Honestly, I don't know if he comes back.

[00:37:26] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what this does to the operation of Minnesota, but here's what Donald Trump's

[00:37:30] [SPEAKER_01]: going to now have to do.

[00:37:31] [SPEAKER_01]: He's going to now have to go out and pull coals in everything that's going on in Minnesota

[00:37:37] [SPEAKER_01]: because he now has to attack Tim Walz.

[00:37:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And I don't know how that's going to go over.

[00:37:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I wasn't active in politics when Walter Mondale was picked to be Jimmy Carter's running mate.

[00:37:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know how that, but it's going to be very curious to see how this impacts the

[00:37:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Trump campaign because in order for Trump to succeed in Minnesota, he has to go out and

[00:38:00] [SPEAKER_01]: to succeed nationally.

[00:38:02] [SPEAKER_01]: He now has to put, he has to go out now in bad mouth, Minnesota.

[00:38:06] [SPEAKER_01]: He has to go out and say that their things are failing in Minnesota.

[00:38:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know how that helps him win the state when I would think that I don't know if most

[00:38:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Minnesotans would feel that way.

[00:38:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think it's going to be a challenge for Minnesota.

[00:38:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's possible that Minnesota is off the map.

[00:38:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if Minnesota will be targeted now in any way, but I have a very difficult

[00:38:26] [SPEAKER_01]: time seeing both from a messaging standpoint, how Trump succeeds in Minnesota, but also

[00:38:31] [SPEAKER_01]: what are the down ballot implications of Trump Vance versus Harris walls in the state of Minnesota?

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll start.

[00:38:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not a huge Trump supporter by any means.

[00:38:43] [SPEAKER_00]: And, but I think there's a lot of opportunities here.

[00:38:47] [SPEAKER_00]: I think if we look at, if we look on the crime, soft on crime border issues, we can point

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_00]: to a lot of walls is policies that have maybe been soft on crime.

[00:38:58] [SPEAKER_00]: We've had the different issues with the policies that walls and Democrats have supported when

[00:39:04] [SPEAKER_00]: it comes to illegal immigrants and driver's license and things of the light, things that

[00:39:07] [SPEAKER_00]: the Democrats will proudly stand on.

[00:39:09] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think things that the Republicans have the opportunity to hammer on if they're looking

[00:39:14] [SPEAKER_00]: at public safety and then the economy, I think we can point to governor walls, just helping

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_00]: in the Democrats spending.

[00:39:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I was trying to find a eloquent way of saying spending all of the $18 billion surplus and

[00:39:25] [SPEAKER_00]: increasing taxes and things getting more expensive and all of these pet projects that again, Democrats

[00:39:30] [SPEAKER_00]: are proud to stand on the policies that they have pushed.

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think that there is a lot of Republican or opportunity for Republicans to point to the

[00:39:38] [SPEAKER_00]: spending and the taxes.

[00:39:39] [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of policies that I think that the Democrats and governor walls and Harris are

[00:39:42] [SPEAKER_00]: largely a lot of Minnesota voters and ripple effect around the nation.

[00:39:47] [SPEAKER_00]: When we talk about those kitchen table policies that a lot of, I think, again, the suburban moms,

[00:39:51] [SPEAKER_00]: the suburban parents, and some of these folks are really concerned about if Republicans are

[00:39:55] [SPEAKER_00]: successful in pointing walls as the leader on some of that, I think that could be successful.

[00:40:01] [SPEAKER_00]: However, as I've said a couple of times, just in this little rant, I think those are things

[00:40:06] [SPEAKER_00]: that the Democrats and governor walls and Harris are going to be proud to stand on.

[00:40:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And so it's just going to be, I think a really a matter of messaging and how they hit those

[00:40:13] [SPEAKER_00]: home, because I think there are the opportunities.

[00:40:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, I think one thing that we've already seen from Republicans with a Trump campaign

[00:40:20] [SPEAKER_00]: playing and some ads here in Minnesota is the George Floyd riots and the city's burning

[00:40:24] [SPEAKER_00]: and walls is failure there.

[00:40:26] [SPEAKER_00]: So I think there are a lot of opportunities.

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Will Minnesota still be in play?

[00:40:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think so.

[00:40:31] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think there are opportunities of Minnesota policies under Governor Walz that President

[00:40:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Trump and the Republicans are certainly going to pounce on.

[00:40:42] [SPEAKER_00]: You got a good smirk.

[00:40:43] [SPEAKER_00]: I know you got something for me.

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_03]: I could not disagree.

[00:40:46] [SPEAKER_03]: I think we've all been around state parties here for a long time.

[00:40:50] [SPEAKER_03]: I think David Hand is going to have a real tough time getting calls back.

[00:40:54] [SPEAKER_03]: I think he's going to be sent a voicemail a lot in the next few months till Election Day.

[00:40:58] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think the Trump campaign is going to be done in Minnesota.

[00:41:02] [SPEAKER_03]: I can't imagine them pumping money into the operation here now that Tim Walz is going to

[00:41:08] [SPEAKER_03]: be the VP.

[00:41:09] [SPEAKER_03]: It was already looking pretty bad post Biden stepping down as the nominee.

[00:41:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I think the state party might be working on that free McDonald's Wi-Fi again.

[00:41:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Honestly, I just I don't know what they have.

[00:41:22] [SPEAKER_03]: What are they offering now?

[00:41:23] [SPEAKER_03]: The top of the ticket is Donald Trump and Royce White.

[00:41:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I just I don't think down the ticket is going to be I don't think it's going to benefit

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_03]: from anything that is happening right now.

[00:41:34] [SPEAKER_03]: I can't imagine it.

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_03]: There's just nothing there.

[00:41:36] [SPEAKER_03]: All of those things that you mentioned, Becky, with all due respect, has already been litigated.

[00:41:40] [SPEAKER_03]: He won reelection in 22.

[00:41:42] [SPEAKER_03]: And on top of that, we got a we got the House, state House and the state Senate on top of

[00:41:46] [SPEAKER_03]: it.

[00:41:46] [SPEAKER_03]: I just think those things people do not put that stuff on the shoulders of just Tim

[00:41:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Walz or anybody or the Democrats here in Minnesota at all.

[00:41:55] [SPEAKER_03]: And I just think that stuff has been litigated.

[00:41:58] [SPEAKER_03]: We've already won since then.

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And I don't know what they have here.

[00:42:02] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know what the Minnesota Republicans are offering at this point.

[00:42:05] [SPEAKER_03]: I just it's it doesn't look good from my perspective.

[00:42:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Just seeing it.

[00:42:10] [SPEAKER_00]: But already been litigated.

[00:42:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.

[00:42:12] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think it will continue to be talked about.

[00:42:14] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think especially with when we're looking here at the state legislature being won by

[00:42:20] [SPEAKER_00]: 10 votes in a district, I think there's a lot of opportunity, whether I know whether

[00:42:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm super confident that Republicans will get us over the finish line.

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, my confidence level is not super high, but I think the opportunity exists.

[00:42:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that if they hammer on the right issues and hit public safety, border control

[00:42:38] [SPEAKER_00]: and the economy, if they hit those hard and really bring them home of how they're impacting

[00:42:44] [SPEAKER_00]: our state and country, I think Republicans could pick up the seats to take back the House

[00:42:49] [SPEAKER_00]: and put a kibosh to the trifecta up there.

[00:42:51] [SPEAKER_00]: But again, voters have a short memory.

[00:42:54] [SPEAKER_00]: There's going to be a lot of work that is necessary to remind voters of this.

[00:42:58] [SPEAKER_00]: And do we have the money and resources on the Republican side to do that?

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_03]: And the candidates, which I am firmly convinced that the candidates are not there to take the

[00:43:07] [SPEAKER_03]: House back either.

[00:43:08] [SPEAKER_01]: So here's something that I can lead into as always being the internal optimist is the

[00:43:14] [SPEAKER_01]: scenario that this might present is that I have it is something, Becky, that we've discussed

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_01]: and I've somewhat struggled with.

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_01]: The answer is, again, I'm not someone who voted for Trump.

[00:43:24] [SPEAKER_01]: In 2016-20, I voted for Nikki Haley earlier this year.

[00:43:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not voting for Donald Trump in November.

[00:43:30] [SPEAKER_01]: The question I always had is, could he be value added to the ticket?

[00:43:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Could he be value added?

[00:43:35] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think there was an opportunity and a possibility.

[00:43:39] [SPEAKER_01]: We had a great discussion with John Rolland, Kirk Kirsten, and Becky, you were part of that

[00:43:42] [SPEAKER_01]: too, where we discussed the value addedness of that.

[00:43:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I think the introduction of Rice-White to that dynamic changes it in terms of the top of the

[00:43:50] [SPEAKER_01]: ticket.

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_01]: What I do think could potentially be a possibility here is that if Trump just leaves, if the Trump

[00:43:58] [SPEAKER_01]: operation just leaves, and he just abandons Minnesota, does that give Republicans an opportunity

[00:44:05] [SPEAKER_01]: to message in his absence?

[00:44:07] [SPEAKER_01]: The problem is that I might be trying to be overly optimistic and positive because I think

[00:44:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Trump is going to tear down Minnesota nationally from wherever he is, and he might not ever come

[00:44:20] [SPEAKER_01]: back and might close up operation here.

[00:44:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I struggle to think of a scenario where the selection of Walls as VP helps Republicans both nationally, but particularly

[00:44:36] [SPEAKER_01]: in Minnesota in terms of the contrast that's on the race.

[00:44:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Again, elections aren't held in a vacuum, and the choice is Kamala Harris, Tim Walls versus

[00:44:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Trump and J.D. Vance.

[00:44:46] [SPEAKER_01]: I think the challenge is, and I'm going to rely on, I've been redoing my office for the podcast,

[00:44:51] [SPEAKER_01]: but I got a piece of iconic Minnesota political history recently in the mail.

[00:44:56] [SPEAKER_01]: It's going up in my wall soon, and it's Wendy Anderson, The Good Life in Minnesota.

[00:45:01] [SPEAKER_01]: It's an original copy of Wendy Anderson on the front page of Time Magazine.

[00:45:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Just came a couple days ago, The Good Life in Minnesota.

[00:45:08] [SPEAKER_01]: And Wendy Anderson was governor at the time of the state governor at that point.

[00:45:12] [SPEAKER_01]: He was on the cover of Time Magazine in this classic iconic picture.

[00:45:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And what I think is going to be litigated in the next 90 days, are we hit the 90 mark yet?

[00:45:23] [SPEAKER_01]: I think we're down to 90 days.

[00:45:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I think we're passing.

[00:45:26] [SPEAKER_01]: We're right around 90 days.

[00:45:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Walls is what you're going to hear, is in order for Trump to succeed, he now has to go through

[00:45:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Minnesota and run Minnesota through the ringer in order to succeed because he has to make

[00:45:39] [SPEAKER_01]: the case that the vice president in her role as part of the Biden administration was disastrous.

[00:45:46] [SPEAKER_01]: But look at who she's picked for.

[00:45:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Look who may be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

[00:45:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And that puts Minnesota in a real tough spot, puts Minnesota Republicans in a tough spot.

[00:45:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Because the only way that Trump can succeed now is on the backs of Minnesota Republicans.

[00:46:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And by saying that Minnesota is terrible in so many ways.

[00:46:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And I don't know if that's going to be successful.

[00:46:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't see how that helps him.

[00:46:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't see how that helps Trump win the state of Minnesota.

[00:46:15] [SPEAKER_01]: It may help it nationally, but I don't know how it helps Republicans in Minnesota win the

[00:46:20] [SPEAKER_01]: front win that when the Republican nominee is just pistol whipping the state every opportunity

[00:46:26] [SPEAKER_01]: that he gets.

[00:46:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And let's not forget, if he's leaning on those Republicans, they haven't won statewide since

[00:46:31] [SPEAKER_03]: 2006.

[00:46:32] [SPEAKER_03]: So I don't know.

[00:46:33] [SPEAKER_03]: There's not a whole lot of strong infrastructure, from my perspective, for them to lean on,

[00:46:38] [SPEAKER_03]: quite frankly.

[00:46:38] [SPEAKER_03]: And who are the messengers in the Minnesota Republican Party at this point?

[00:46:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Who are the most visible?

[00:46:43] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know who the leaders are right now.

[00:46:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Honestly, it might be Walter Hudson, who, if that's what you want to go as your best messenger,

[00:46:51] [SPEAKER_03]: by all means, I don't think anybody here is going to cry about it.

[00:46:55] [SPEAKER_03]: I just don't think there's that infrastructure for the Republicans here.

[00:46:59] [SPEAKER_03]: And I should also say, if Donald Trump pulls out of Minnesota, that's not just money.

[00:47:04] [SPEAKER_03]: That is election infrastructure, right?

[00:47:07] [SPEAKER_03]: As the DFL is being overwhelmed by volunteer signups, by donations, that is happening.

[00:47:14] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm not exaggerating at all.

[00:47:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, they're breaking records every day.

[00:47:17] [SPEAKER_03]: We're being overwhelmed by people who are motivated and want to go out and knock doors

[00:47:21] [SPEAKER_03]: and talk to their neighbors and do all those things.

[00:47:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And the staff here went from not having a whole lot to do to just being swamped and were

[00:47:29] [SPEAKER_03]: feverishly hiring up, trying to handle the capacity to Republican.

[00:47:34] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't even know if there's a door knocking operation happening right now, any sort of official

[00:47:37] [SPEAKER_03]: one.

[00:47:37] [SPEAKER_03]: And if that's going to get worse, I don't know.

[00:47:40] [SPEAKER_03]: That's a tough thing to overcome, I would think.

[00:47:43] [SPEAKER_00]: I think we chatted a little bit about the pick down ballot when we look at policy of Governor

[00:47:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Walls.

[00:47:50] [SPEAKER_00]: But we chatted a little bit about this last week, the enthusiasm gap and what we've seen

[00:47:54] [SPEAKER_00]: the bounce from Harris after becoming, after Biden dropping out and becoming Harris, subsequent

[00:48:00] [SPEAKER_00]: bounce in the veep stakes, and now we're going to get another one.

[00:48:03] [SPEAKER_00]: And then they go into the DNC convention.

[00:48:05] [SPEAKER_00]: So we're talking almost a month of enthusiasm here.

[00:48:08] [SPEAKER_00]: But do we think that Republicans and some on the right are also going to be motivated

[00:48:14] [SPEAKER_00]: because of Governor Walls?

[00:48:16] [SPEAKER_00]: They're so frustrated.

[00:48:17] [SPEAKER_00]: They were already frustrated with Governor Walls here in the state.

[00:48:19] [SPEAKER_00]: In the far left, progressive, single party rule up at the Capitol.

[00:48:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Are we going to see a surge?

[00:48:26] [SPEAKER_00]: I would argue, yes, on the Republican side from voters saying, we hated him as governor.

[00:48:31] [SPEAKER_00]: We cannot let them become VP.

[00:48:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And then the new president, I'm going to go out and hit the doors.

[00:48:37] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to think optimistically here.

[00:48:40] [SPEAKER_00]: But I do feel like that we have the potential to see a little bit of that, at least enough to

[00:48:46] [SPEAKER_00]: influence the down ballot tickets.

[00:48:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Not saying that it's going to make Trump come out and turn Minnesota red.

[00:48:52] [SPEAKER_00]: But I do think it has enough of that potential to get folks out to take back that house.

[00:48:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that you've laid out a scenario that may be the best outcome that could have.

[00:49:04] [SPEAKER_01]: This may galvanize Republicans, the Republicans who are opposed to Walls, who are angry with

[00:49:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Walls and who are frustrated with them.

[00:49:11] [SPEAKER_01]: This might give them a slice.

[00:49:13] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know how successful that would be.

[00:49:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if the numbers are there, but we'll see.

[00:49:18] [SPEAKER_01]: That might be an opportunity that Republicans might have, that they can show their frustration

[00:49:24] [SPEAKER_01]: for this ticket by being motivated.

[00:49:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Again, I think people, anger and frustration is a powerful emotion.

[00:49:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think this, one of the things that I've consistently said is Donald Trump is a great

[00:49:36] [SPEAKER_01]: guy out to vote because really helpful with get out the vote.

[00:49:40] [SPEAKER_01]: He helps Democrats get out the vote and he helps Republicans get out the vote.

[00:49:43] [SPEAKER_01]: The question is on this Walls pick, Becky, your point is well taken that I think that there's

[00:49:48] [SPEAKER_01]: a possibility that he being on the ticket will help galvanize Republicans in this state to

[00:49:55] [SPEAKER_01]: be out there working.

[00:49:56] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's something to look forward.

[00:49:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Will, your take.

[00:49:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Weren't Republicans galvanized and fired up in 22?

[00:50:02] [SPEAKER_03]: What happened there?

[00:50:03] [SPEAKER_03]: The best they could come up with is Walls fails bumper stickers and an airplane banner.

[00:50:07] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think Minnesota will come and go with how motivated the Republican base is,

[00:50:15] [SPEAKER_03]: quite frankly.

[00:50:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I just don't think the numbers are there.

[00:50:17] [SPEAKER_03]: I think Minnesota comes and goes based on how motivated the DFL voters are.

[00:50:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think in 2016, we got a really good look at that firsthand.

[00:50:26] [SPEAKER_03]: I remember that election night party here at the DFL.

[00:50:29] [SPEAKER_03]: It was miserable and people were not motivated to go out and vote for DFL candidates that cycle.

[00:50:35] [SPEAKER_03]: And we got our butts kicked almost across the board.

[00:50:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Other than Tim Walls and maybe a couple other people, it was thrashing.

[00:50:41] [SPEAKER_03]: It's because it was like, and it felt like that earlier this year.

[00:50:45] [SPEAKER_03]: People were not motivated.

[00:50:46] [SPEAKER_03]: They didn't think it, the top of the ticket represented what they wanted.

[00:50:50] [SPEAKER_03]: We got our butts kicked.

[00:50:51] [SPEAKER_03]: I think every election cycle subsequently, and Donald Trump is a huge motivating factor for that.

[00:50:57] [SPEAKER_03]: I think if we fire them up properly, that is all we need to win the state.

[00:51:02] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think that's going to happen again.

[00:51:04] [SPEAKER_03]: I have never seen them fired up like they are right now.

[00:51:07] [SPEAKER_03]: This is in eight years.

[00:51:08] [SPEAKER_03]: This is the most.

[00:51:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Becky, we're live on a podcast right now.

[00:51:12] [SPEAKER_01]: We're live on a live stream.

[00:51:13] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm making a lot of runs together.

[00:51:15] [SPEAKER_01]: We're great.

[00:51:16] [SPEAKER_01]: We're getting great viewers here right now.

[00:51:18] [SPEAKER_01]: You have an opportunity right now on this podcast to message to national Republicans about what they should say about walls.

[00:51:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Putting you as much on the spot as I ever had before.

[00:51:30] [SPEAKER_01]: What would be your message to national Republicans about how they should message against Governor Walz?

[00:51:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Listen, I think you really have to point to how he's done in the state that he's been one Minnesota, but it's not been one Minnesota, right?

[00:51:47] [SPEAKER_00]: He represents Minneapolis and St. Paul.

[00:51:49] [SPEAKER_00]: He does not represent rural voters, rocks and cows.

[00:51:52] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what he thinks about any place outside of the Twin Cities metro.

[00:51:56] [SPEAKER_00]: We look at some of his policies that he has passed, the things that he has stand for, his failures on the George Floyd riots to protect our cities,

[00:52:05] [SPEAKER_00]: the different tax dollars that he is spending on progressive policies up and down.

[00:52:11] [SPEAKER_00]: We're talking about, again, the license for illegal immigrants.

[00:52:14] [SPEAKER_00]: We're talking about the free lunches.

[00:52:16] [SPEAKER_00]: We're talking about all sorts of different things that Governor Walz and the Democrats here in Minnesota have spent away $18 billion and raised taxes on top of that.

[00:52:25] [SPEAKER_00]: We're already in a financial crisis here in this country, and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are going to make that worse.

[00:52:33] [SPEAKER_00]: We're paying more for eggs.

[00:52:34] [SPEAKER_00]: We're paying more for gas.

[00:52:36] [SPEAKER_00]: We're paying more for rent.

[00:52:37] [SPEAKER_00]: That is not going to be the ticket to get you any sort of financial stability and financial relief.

[00:52:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Those are the things that I think that Governor Walz, sanctuary cities, I think is going to be a big thing protecting the border.

[00:52:48] [SPEAKER_00]: We already can hammer Tsar Harris on her failures at the border.

[00:52:53] [SPEAKER_00]: We can implicate Tim Walz on that and his willingness to fight for open borders and immigration.

[00:52:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that there are a lot of things that Republicans nationally can point to.

[00:53:02] [SPEAKER_00]: I think the economy is a winning issue here.

[00:53:05] [SPEAKER_00]: It's not fixed under Biden, and if that's one thing that I think people are really feeling, and if we're going to go to something to pull at heartstrings, that's what I feel like Republicans need to do.

[00:53:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, I know Democrats are ready.

[00:53:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Again, I love when we have the video because this has been your job for the last decade.

[00:53:21] [SPEAKER_00]: I know you're ready for answers on everything that I just laid out, but I think that is what Republicans are going to do.

[00:53:27] [SPEAKER_00]: They're going to point to public safety, open borders, and the economy.

[00:53:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that if they do so successfully, I don't know that it's going to be – I don't know what the election is going to turn out to be.

[00:53:37] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll chat a little bit further of the race, state of the race, and how things come out.

[00:53:41] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think those are what they need to hammer.

[00:53:43] [SPEAKER_00]: They need to hit them hard, and they can tie both of them together.

[00:53:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Governor Walz is no moderate, and I think that's one thing that national Republicans really need to remember.

[00:53:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Now, let me just say before Will chimes in, if national Republicans could stick to that, that message may work.

[00:54:01] [SPEAKER_01]: The issue that I have is that – and why I wanted you to answer is because I think you're great at messaging.

[00:54:06] [SPEAKER_01]: I think you're great at offering up that message.

[00:54:09] [SPEAKER_01]: The challenge I have is we just saw the former president in the state of Georgia, and he's attacking the Republican governor of Georgia.

[00:54:17] [SPEAKER_01]: The challenge right now, I think for the – and I'd love to get Will's take on this – I think the challenge right now for the Trump campaign is that they have two messages.

[00:54:24] [SPEAKER_01]: That they have – you see this online in some ways, not on true social, but you have this kind of online message and this kind of narrative that they're running against that's more polished.

[00:54:33] [SPEAKER_01]: But then the former president goes off script, off the cuff, and it totally changes the message, and we've seen that.

[00:54:41] [SPEAKER_01]: We've seen that lack of message discipline.

[00:54:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And one of the things that I know that I think is a frustration that Republicans have is that the vice president has not been out and doing a Q&A.

[00:54:52] [SPEAKER_01]: She's not done a full sit-down press conference yet.

[00:54:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I do think that is a valid criticism.

[00:54:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I do think she needs to be out there more, and she needs to be answering some questions.

[00:55:00] [SPEAKER_01]: But one thing when it comes to message discipline is her events have been shorter, tighter, and I think she's – they've not been prone to the long-winded, unscripted opportunities that the Trump campaign has.

[00:55:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And so, Will, your perspective.

[00:55:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:55:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I think if you're relying on national Republicans to stay on message, you might be in big trouble.

[00:55:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Donald Trump himself can't do it.

[00:55:26] [SPEAKER_03]: You were talking about in the state of Georgia, he also went to the National Black Journalists Association and spent half the time questioning how black Kamala Harris is.

[00:55:36] [SPEAKER_03]: He is fundamentally incapable of staying on message, and that is actually some of the appeal for Republicans.

[00:55:43] [SPEAKER_03]: I think they like how he goes off the cuff, but I just – that's not even a possibility, I don't think.

[00:55:49] [SPEAKER_03]: I would love to roll the dice if that's what we're up against.

[00:55:53] [SPEAKER_03]: I think we're probably okay with that.

[00:55:55] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think message discipline is necessarily the strong suit of the national Republicans, certainly.

[00:56:01] [SPEAKER_01]: And Becky, what would you – what would be your suggestion on how to get them to message more in the disciplined way that you've talked about?

[00:56:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Have a different candidate as a presidential nominee.

[00:56:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know that there's any –

[00:56:16] [SPEAKER_01]: We're live, don't you?

[00:56:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I just don't know that there's any – Trump is not one to be taught and wrangled in.

[00:56:24] [SPEAKER_00]: If there's anything that we've known over the last eight years, that's for sure.

[00:56:27] [SPEAKER_00]: I do think that's where some of the vulnerabilities are on the Republican side when it comes to Walls,

[00:56:33] [SPEAKER_00]: because I think that there are some policies that Walls has advocated for, have been passed into law here in Minnesota,

[00:56:41] [SPEAKER_00]: that Republicans, Trump and here in the state, like to hammer on,

[00:56:46] [SPEAKER_00]: that I think get them into some really sticky, troublesome situations that could really cause a lot of trouble.

[00:56:54] [SPEAKER_00]: The free lunches is one of them, right?

[00:56:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Arguing against children having access to lunch is just really not a really winnable issue,

[00:57:04] [SPEAKER_00]: especially because I think there's just so many different ways to talk about it that can get you in trouble,

[00:57:09] [SPEAKER_00]: and it's just really tough.

[00:57:12] [SPEAKER_00]: That one in particular, gender-affirming care, I think is another one that I see Trump and some of the Trump and Vance jumping on.

[00:57:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Again, I think that's a really easy one to get into and get yourself into a lot of trouble by saying things that are just not okay when talking about that.

[00:57:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I think that Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are—they get in their own way,

[00:57:36] [SPEAKER_00]: and I think that's really going to be a big issue that we have on the Republican side of the ticket.

[00:57:41] [SPEAKER_00]: And again, based on recent episodes, you can tell that I still am not there of being able to support them

[00:57:47] [SPEAKER_00]: and that because of the personal attacks and the personal side of things and how they look at women and mothers or childless women

[00:57:56] [SPEAKER_00]: and different groups of our society.

[00:58:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that there are so many different landmines out there that can really get them in trouble.

[00:58:06] [SPEAKER_00]: I would like to just stay focused on these three issues, and I feel like we could be successful in November.

[00:58:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I know better to think that Donald Trump and, of course, now J.D. Vance are able to just stick on a message and not get in their own way.

[00:58:20] [SPEAKER_00]: So I am concerned about that for sure.

[00:58:24] [SPEAKER_03]: I will just say I'm glad that you two are doing the podcast and not running any of these campaigns

[00:58:29] [SPEAKER_03]: because I would—I think the calculation would be very different,

[00:58:32] [SPEAKER_03]: but that's just not who's on the ground for Republicans here in Minnesota and even nationally.

[00:58:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I would say to you, yes, and I think Becky's analysis on this is spot on.

[00:58:43] [SPEAKER_01]: That type of message discipline would be a much different operation.

[00:58:46] [SPEAKER_01]: What I would say to you, and we're going to go for a few more minutes here,

[00:58:49] [SPEAKER_01]: what I want to ask you here before we end this at around 1230 is what do you foresee?

[00:58:55] [SPEAKER_01]: What do you foresee the next—the lead-up to the nomination being to the Democratic National Convention?

[00:59:01] [SPEAKER_01]: How do you think Walls and Harris are going to divide and conquer,

[00:59:06] [SPEAKER_01]: and what's going to be the lead-up to the Democratic National Convention?

[00:59:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Now that there is a completed ticket on the Republican side and on the Democratic side,

[00:59:16] [SPEAKER_01]: what do you think the strategy is going to be for how the Harris campaign utilizes Governor Walls?

[00:59:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I think what we're going to see, it's just, what, a couple weeks away, week and a half away now.

[00:59:26] [SPEAKER_03]: I think they're going to not rock the boat, obviously.

[00:59:28] [SPEAKER_03]: I think they're going to just try to keep the momentum.

[00:59:30] [SPEAKER_03]: I think they're going to do some rallies and keep the motivation high,

[00:59:34] [SPEAKER_03]: and then get in to spend time together so they get to know each other a little bit more

[00:59:38] [SPEAKER_03]: and get past the convention.

[00:59:40] [SPEAKER_03]: And the hard work probably begins then, I would think.

[00:59:43] [SPEAKER_03]: I think right now, it's just all positivity,

[00:59:45] [SPEAKER_03]: and they're going to bask in it for a couple weeks until the convention.

[00:59:48] [SPEAKER_03]: And then after that, the hard work comes on what is the message of discipline?

[00:59:53] [SPEAKER_03]: How do we split all this up?

[00:59:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And I think right now, it's going to be good feelings up until Chicago.

[00:59:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Becky, your take.

[01:00:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I tend to agree.

[01:00:02] [SPEAKER_00]: I think there's going to be a lot of work they have to do behind the scenes on messaging and

[01:00:06] [SPEAKER_00]: getting both of the two up on knowledge on each other and policies.

[01:00:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm sure there's just, between campaign rallies, they're just going to be studying and having

[01:00:16] [SPEAKER_00]: experts and doing all of that.

[01:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: But I do also think because Governor Walls is such a good messenger, I would expect nothing less than a

[01:00:23] [SPEAKER_00]: huge slate of media interviews that he's doing over the next two weeks.

[01:00:27] [SPEAKER_00]: I believe that we'll see him a whole lot more than Harris on our TV screen.

[01:00:32] [SPEAKER_00]: I would expect that we would have to see Harris soon because people are really starting to poke that,

[01:00:38] [SPEAKER_00]: that we are going on beyond two weeks.

[01:00:40] [SPEAKER_00]: And again, we had these concerns with Joe Biden and not seeing him.

[01:00:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, it's a different situation with Harris.

[01:00:46] [SPEAKER_00]: But where is she?

[01:00:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Why haven't we seen her?

[01:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's hear a little bit more from her.

[01:00:49] [SPEAKER_00]: But I don't necessarily know that we're going to see a whole lot other than campaign rallies

[01:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: leading up to the convention and then get out.

[01:00:56] [SPEAKER_00]: And hopefully we'll have some really fun debates, which are going to be wild.

[01:01:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, last question.

[01:01:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Debates.

[01:01:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Do we have an answer on that debate question?

[01:01:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Do we think there's going to be debates?

[01:01:07] [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like there's got to be.

[01:01:08] [SPEAKER_01]: There's got to be.

[01:01:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Trump, they'll make Trump look like such a wimp if he refuses to debate it and he can't

[01:01:15] [SPEAKER_03]: handle that.

[01:01:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Let me just also say this.

[01:01:17] [SPEAKER_01]: By the way, I do consider myself a subject matter expert on whether someone has skipped a

[01:01:22] [SPEAKER_01]: debate because I wore a chicken suit once outside of Skip Humphrey and whether they skipped

[01:01:26] [SPEAKER_01]: a debate.

[01:01:26] [SPEAKER_01]: I got to say to you, I understand the framing that Trump may have.

[01:01:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Been skipping a debate.

[01:01:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I do think that the fact that he made the commitment with Biden and then Biden dropped

[01:01:36] [SPEAKER_01]: out, I do think that negates some of the debate.

[01:01:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I do think there should be a move to reevaluate them.

[01:01:41] [SPEAKER_01]: So I think, I think there's going to be a debate about the debates.

[01:01:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I absolutely expect there to be a debates.

[01:01:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I think the dynamic of them have shifted immensely.

[01:01:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that the VP debate is the one.

[01:01:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh boy.

[01:01:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh boy.

[01:01:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Am I excited for this debate?

[01:01:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Because I think that's going to be great.

[01:02:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Becky and Will.

[01:02:01] [SPEAKER_01]: First of all, Becky, thank you so much for doing this today.

[01:02:03] [SPEAKER_01]: You were so accommodating with your schedule.

[01:02:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Your analysis is spot on.

[01:02:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Your perspective is spot on.

[01:02:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And I really appreciate you doing this.

[01:02:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for doing this too.

[01:02:12] [SPEAKER_01]: You're going to be at the Democrat National Convention.

[01:02:14] [SPEAKER_01]: And we're going to do these more.

[01:02:16] [SPEAKER_01]: The Breakdown with Broadcore and Becky is going to start doing more live events.

[01:02:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And this was a test in this.

[01:02:20] [SPEAKER_01]: We hope you'll come back and give us some analysis.

[01:02:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I have a feeling there might be a bonus episode in the next couple of days.

[01:02:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And based on the viewership today, I think the live way in which to do this on some live video

[01:02:30] [SPEAKER_01]: is really engaging and a fun way to do it.

[01:02:32] [SPEAKER_01]: So I want to thank you guys, everyone, for listening to The Breakdown with Broadcore and Becky.

[01:02:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Before we go, show some love for your favorite podcast by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts

[01:02:40] [SPEAKER_01]: or wherever you watch and stream this podcast episode.

[01:02:44] [SPEAKER_01]: The Breakdown with Broadcore and Becky will likely, very likely, be back again later this week

[01:02:49] [SPEAKER_01]: with more developments on the race for president.

[01:02:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for joining us.