Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has formally accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination to be Kamala Harris’s vice president, giving the keynote speech on the third night of the party’s national convention.
Standing on the stage in Chicago, he spoke to party leaders and voters while his family cried and his son Gus shouting “That’s my dad!” as the nominee came on stage.
Tim Walz’s kids tear up: “That’s my dad!” pic.twitter.com/xfw3C2aI9N
— Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) August 22, 2024
Walz’s speech was a familiar one, hitting many of the same notes he has been hitting since he was selected by Harris to be her running mate in this truncated campaign season. He spoke about their party’s policies being “neighborly” – caring for each other, helping folks out, etc. – and criticized his opponents.
But the speech was also notable in that it kept up with the party’s talking point of the night.
Walz and several of the other speakers of the night emphasized the idea of hope, joy, happiness, and other positive feelings – what younger voters (and media figures trying to stay cool) call “the vibes” – in their campaign and their party.
Walz even recalled his time spent as an assistant coach, calling the race the “fourth quarter,” noting the Democrats had been down but now have the ball.
Tim Walz channels his past a high school football coach to give a “pep talk” at the DNC:
“It’s the fourth quarter, we’re down a field goal. But we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball. We’re driving down the field. And boy, do we have the right team.” pic.twitter.com/uX1BIHg3V2
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 22, 2024
Walz has relied on his military record, time as an assistant coach, and his years as a teacher to help build his persona, and he drew from all of it in the speech Wednesday night.
But he will still be facing several challenges in the coming days. He will face Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, in a debate, and Vance has focused on Walz’s political record and his record of lying about his service, both of which will fall under more scrutiny when the two meet.
STOLEN VALOR: During DNC intro video, Tim Walz’s fake rank exploited yet again. He never completed the requirements for Command Sergeant Major, he abandoned his unit before they deployed to Iraq and was demoted. pic.twitter.com/Z88aBAGhFN
— Storm Paglia 🇺🇸 (@storm_paglia) August 22, 2024
Walz’s speech capped off the penultimate night of the DNC, with Thursday being the biggest night yet. Walz’s running mate, Harris, will accept her party’s nomination tomorrow.
