Kamala and Tim were never a great match. And now they’re finally telling all.
Because Tim Walz confessed what he did to Kamala that doomed her campaign.
Walz Admits Debate Shortcomings in Wake of Harris’ Critique
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, reflecting on his 2024 vice presidential debate against JD Vance, conceded during a YouTube-posted MinnPost Festival session Tuesday that his approach may have been overly lenient toward his opponent in a contest riddled with Democratic missteps.
The October 1, 2024, encounter unfolded as “largely civil” and infused with “midwestern nice,” though Walz faltered with repeated gaffes. Addressing Saturday’s MinnPost discussion, he acknowledged Vice President Kamala Harris’ pointed assessment of his performance in her recent memoir.
“As far as the book and things like that go, I think she has every right to be critical. I do think I let her down on a couple things,” Walz said. “And I warned them my Minnesota nice thing is if somebody’s being nice to me, I’ll be nice to them … These people have seen me debate. I know my subject. I’m pretty good at it. I don’t think I’m particularly mean.”
Probing the Politeness: Walz Grapples with Perceived Boost to Vance
Moderator Lulu Garcia-Navarro pressed Walz on whether his demeanor allowed Vance to project a “more collegial side,” potentially aiding the Republican’s image. Walz appeared to agree before minimizing the debate’s weight, then retracting the dismissal.
“It did matter though, and I think in the moment we were in, in preparing for that, and quite honestly, we did not prepare for him to be more cordial. The expectation was that he would do the false attacks and do some of that. And they didn’t,” the governor said.
“So, I’ll give them this — they were well prepared. But my goal was to try and find, you know, getting there. And I’m saying, ‘We all want to fix immigration, but you’re doing the ‘dogs and cats’ stuff. What we’re talking about is fixing the system, adjudicating asylum claims faster.’”
“That was viewed as me trying to find common ground. And the teacher in me, and this is a nervous tick or habit that we have when you’re a teacher, when someone else is speaking next to you, you instinctively nod and listen and try and listen,” he added.
“And that was viewed as — and the vice president took it — that I was agreeing on some of the things that were a personal attack on her. And it wasn’t that at all. Because when we’re teachers or in any other one, like, ‘That’s really interesting. It’s dumb as hell but it’s very interesting.’ And I was doing that.”
Harris’ Memoir Highlights Internal Democratic Frustrations
Harris’ “107 Days” levels direct criticism at Walz for “nodding and smiling” during Vance’s remarks, interpreting it as falling for “fake bipartisanship” and a contrived amiability, according to Fox News.
“I told the television screen: ‘You’re not there to make friends with the guy who is attacking your running mate,’” she wrote.
The book further faulted Walz for mishandling a question on a CNN report that exposed his incorrect claim of being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing.
Compounding the scrutiny, an October 2, 2024, MSNBC “Morning Joe” panel voiced dismay at Walz’s inability to counter Vance effectively, particularly his response to the Tiananmen inaccuracy, underscoring broader Democratic concerns over the ticket’s debate readiness.
