Common Dreams: Kamala Harris Picks Progressive Favorite Tim Walz for VP.
The Conversation: Walz pick turns focus on what a VP brings to White House – 3 essential reads.
Politics and old white men, name a better combination
It is obviously a cycle we need to break. That said, a campaign has to make choices that lead to victory. Kamala is already a person of color and a woman. If she wins, it would be only the second time to have a non-white President and the first woman.
The fact is that while many us are hungry for change to the old norms, many will be more conservative to change (and I don’t mean in the crazy MAGA way). Having an old white guy on the ticket acts as an anchor for those who are too scared to fully jump into all out change, ensuring that those votes aren’t lost to the other side.
Having an old white guy
He was born 4 months before Kamala Harris, if he is “old” then so is she. Are you saying that Kamala is old?
As for a “white guy”, well, the majority of the United States is white and roughly half of it is male. If race and gender matter for representation, as you seem to be claiming, then it’s entirely reasonable for one of the two positions to be a white male while the other is a PoC female.
Old, yes, they are both old. Not elderly, but old. The minimum age for a present is 35. I would very much like to start seeing younger presidents that will be more in touch with what current issues really are and can energize a younger generation of voters.
And yes that was exactly my point on having a white man as an anchor.
Old, yes, they are both old.
I don’t feel that 59/60 is “old”, especially not for people who take care of themselves.
I would very much like to start seeing younger presidents that will be more in touch with what current issues really are…
In general I agree with you but there’s a solid argument that POTUS / VPOTUS should be more experienced and that comes with age.
And yes that was exactly my point on having a white man as an anchor.
I apologize if I misunderstood your comment but you started with “It is obviously a cycle we need to break.” and I disagree with that. There’s no “need” to break a cycle of proportional representation (assuming we can actually get one). There’s nothing inherently noble or superior about having both the POTUS and VPOTUS both being non-white and non-male simultaneously. It should not be prevented but it’s also not some kind of achievement that needs to be unlocked.
Walz was a good choice and not just as an “old white guy anchor” but also because his politics and beliefs are in line with many Americans. He’s an electable person regardless of his skin color and gender.
IMO 59/60 should be about the max for a first term president. That would put them at retirement age if they serve two terms. I think Walz is a great choice to make the whole thing more palatable to progressives like me (who feel that now for a third time in a row we’ve been deprived of a fair primary). I do wish the VP were a little younger than the president to set them up for a run of their own afterwards. Not sure if Walz has any intention of running afterwards, but we’d be right back to a retirement age candidate if Kamala serves two terms.
Personally, I’d like to see more presidents in their 40s or early 50s. That’s plenty of time to get “experience” while still in principle being able to understand the needs of the majority of people. Plus it helps that they’ll still live for a while in the world they shape after their term.
Thank you for being more articulate in your explanation of the age issue than I was. I agree whole heartedly. 64-65 is retirement age, I like to see presidents that are experienced but not at what would normally be the end of their working years.
Personally, I’d like to see a max cap for ALL elected officials at 70.
