Some Harris-Walz Analysis: They Need to Work to Earn the Votes to Win

Surprising to me, I think The Jacobin provides one of the most objective profiles on Tim Walz and, honestly, how well oiled the Minnesota Democratic Farmers Party (which is apparently a very urban-centered these days) is these days. This along with many others tempers my expectations of Walz and emphasizes the importance of having a good Congress with its heart in the right place and the know how to get it done. [Jacobin largely provided a narrative of Walz's political career. My analysis below is mostly my own., I believe.] One of my biggest worries if Harris campaign chose Illinois governor JB Pritzker is that Illinois has had a supermajority Democratic Congress since 2018. I would worry if he and Harris would have the know how to handle the logjammed US Congress effectively. I kind of have a similar feeling about Harris-Walz with the Federal Congress. Yeah, Walz has a 1-seat majority in the MN Senate and a 6-seat majority in the MN House. From the sound of it, the MN Senate also doesn't have a filibuster like the US Senate? Yes, the majorities are small, but the DFL seems well oiled, have had a budget surplus since ARP (COVID) funds allowing them some latitude, SCOTUS judgment re: abortion also seems to have electrified the MN electorate A LOT, and the MN DFL basically approached legislation and politics like they expect to lose their majority the next election (reminds me of when Pelosi made her speech to the Democratic Caucus in the House that she knew they would lose by a lot the next election because of the ACA, but it was for the good of the nation, so they needed to put the nation above the party). Walz didn't reach his accomplishments alone, and he was necessarily the one pushing them forward and energizing the legislation. All that being said, I like Harris and Walz. I want them to get into office. But they also need to have a Democratic Congress that can get behind them with their initiatives. Without that, I expect to have a the same ol' logjammed Congress that we've had since the '90s after New Gingrich's "revolution" and "Contract America" overthrew the Democratic control of the House since World War 2. I personally also think getting Harris and Walz into office will require more work earning the votes of many populations that often don't vote or are willing to vote 3rd party. The Election isn't in the bag, and Harris-Walz and the rest of the Democratic Party needs to earn their offices. The Jacobin: Tim Walz, the Progressive’s Moderate, Is the Obvious VP Choice