Analyst thinks Harris missed a ‘big opportunity’ by not choosing Shapiro as running mate

Running mates can make or break a presidential ticket, and some think Harris has made a terrible call in choosing hers.

Walz was not well known nationally before he was plucked from his obscurity and pushed onto the national stage with Vice President and unelected Democrat nominee Kamala Harris

According to pollster Nate Silver, Harris squandered a significant opportunity to win over supporters in the center of the field by not choosing the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, as her running mate.

Harris “blew one big opportunity to tack to the center with her selection of [Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D)] rather than Josh Shapiro: that a tiny minority of progressives objected to Shapiro was an argument in Shapiro’s favor, if anything,” Silver wrote in a post on his website.

The Comparison

Shapiro and Walz, along with Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (D), ascended to the forefront of the "veepstakes" as Harris deliberated on whom to enlist in her expedited campaign following President Biden's withdrawal from the race.

Walz, who captured viral videos that characterized Republican opponents as "weird," has been perceived as a positive influence on Harris's ability to connect with the middle class and the Midwest. Progressives have also been invigorated by the selection, as Walz transitioned to the left during his governorship.

However, Silver contended that Shapiro, who has been subjected to criticism from progressives, could have been of assistance to Harris, who the pollster argued is “limited by her own past progressive policy positions.”

Harris appeared to be "too liberal/progressive," according to nearly half of voters in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, he said.

The Choice

Vice President Walz's appointment revealed her "counterproductive tendency toward risk aversion," according to Silver.

“I think Walz was a decent enough pick on his own merits, but given an opportunity to offer a tangible signal of the direction her presidency was headed, she reverted to 2019 mode,” he said, referring to Harris’s campaign in the 2020 cycle, during which she notably backed several progressive policies.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stated over the weekend that he continues to regard Harris as a progressive, despite her decision to shift toward the center on certain issues.

He contended that they continue to share the same objectives, including the pursuit of universal health care and the mitigation of climate change.