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[Global Times Special Correspondent in the United States Xiao Da Global Times Special Correspondent Yu Wen] On August 5, local time, US Vice President Harris officially won the Democratic presidential candidate nomination, becoming the first woman of color to lead a major political party in the US presidential election. Early in the morning of the 6th, CNN and other media said that after an interview, Harris finally chose Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz as her running mate, and he will become the Democratic vice presidential candidate. Harris later confirmed the news on the social platform, and Waltz also expressed his acceptance of the nomination. The New York Times commented on Waltz, saying: "A person who was not even involved in the vice presidential campaign conversation three weeks ago, with his personal charm and perfect timing, surpassed some of the Democratic Party's big stars and made it to the candidate list." Agence France-Presse believes that Harris's identity as a woman of color needs to be balanced by choosing a white male partner to help counter Republicans' attacks on her for being too left-leaning, and Waltz's background will also help the Democratic Party consolidate the support of rural voters. CNN said that Harris's choice of Waltz showed the power of social media. Harris has caused a stir online because of his "happy" Midwestern attitude and his recent interview in which he called Republican presidential candidate Trump and his running mate Vance "weirdos." According to the schedule, Harris will make her first public appearance in Philadelphia with Waltz on the evening of the 6th local time and launch her campaign itinerary in six swing states.

US Vice President Harris officially won the Democratic presidential nomination on the 5th. (Oriental IC)

“The decision was made on the morning of the 6th.”

The New York Times said that Harris won the online voting of Democratic delegates that ended on the 5th and became the Democratic presidential candidate for the 2024 presidential election. In a statement issued that evening, the Democratic National Committee said that the 59-year-old Harris received 99% support from 4,567 voting delegates. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to be held in Chicago from August 19 to 22, and the presidential candidate will be formally nominated at the convention. The early online voting is to determine the party’s presidential candidate as soon as possible to avoid legal trouble.

On July 21, US President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential election, and Harris took over. According to CNN, Harris recently interviewed several potential candidates and consulted party leaders, such as former President Obama, and finally narrowed the candidates to two people - Minnesota Governor Waltz and Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro. A person familiar with the matter told CNN that Harris had not made a decision when she went to bed on the 5th. She chose to sleep for a night and then consider the most important decision in her political career. The report said that this means Harris can only inform the campaign team of her choice sometime in the morning of the 6th. Sources said that because Harris had been slow to make a decision, multiple versions of the logo were printed for the double appearance event in Philadelphia on the evening of the 6th, with the names of Harris and several possible candidates printed on them.

Harris announced on the 6th that she had chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz as her running mate. (AFP)

The US media has made a detailed introduction to Waltz. CNN said that the Minnesota governor is 60 years old. He served in the US military when he was young, and later taught in China and the United States, and finally entered politics. Waltz's most talked-about experience is that he ran for the House of Representatives in a Republican-leaning congressional district and succeeded, proving that he is attractive to rural white voters in the Midwest, most of whom support Trump. According to reports, Waltz's six years as governor of Minnesota witnessed a series of striking political and social upheavals, first the COVID-19 pandemic, and then a white policeman knelt and killed George Floyd, triggering global anti-racism demonstrations. "Waltz handled it all well." However, the US Columbia Broadcasting Corporation (CBS) believes that Waltz was questioned for sending the National Guard to stop the riots, looting and arson three nights after Floyd's death. Now his controversy as governor is bound to become an issue of attack and defense in the election.

The Guardian reported that Waltz is now the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. Recently, Waltz has attracted a lot of attention for mocking Trump and his running mate Vance as "weirdos" in an interview, and Harris has now inherited this line of attack. At the fundraising event, Waltz told the attendees that the Democratic Party needs to embrace "happy politics."

"These guys are really weirdos." NBC said on the 6th that with these four words, a relatively low-key Midwestern governor caused a sensation on social media, making him famous among Democratic voters and eventually ranking at the top of the list of vice presidential candidates. Last month, Waltz appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show and mocked Trump and Vance as "weirdos." The interview clip quickly went viral and the word "weirdos" became popular. Commentators believe that this "weirdos" statement is in stark contrast to some of the "more advanced language" Biden has used in recent years. Biden described Trump's candidacy as "an existential threat to democracy."

NBC said that four sources familiar with the selection process said that Harris and Waltz had a very strong chemistry when they met. Harris appreciated the differences between Waltz and her. "She is a city person and very young, and he is from the Midwest with gray hair," said a source, "He is both rural and progressive," "likable, funny, and has a lot of personality."

Trump allies 'breathe a sigh of relief'

NBC News said that normally, delegates to the Democratic National Convention must approve the party's vice presidential candidate by roll call. But due to subtle changes made to facilitate online voting, Waltz did not need to get formal approval from thousands of party delegates this time. The new rules give the presidential nominee the sole power to nominate the vice presidential candidate and give the convention chairman the power to "declare the nominee as the Democratic vice presidential candidate."

Harris posted an article on social media on the 6th introducing Waltz's resume. CNN quoted sources as saying that Harris told Waltz on the phone that they were at a disadvantage in the 2024 presidential election, but they believed that as long as they united, they could convey a winning message of reducing the cost of living and protecting freedom for the American middle class.

Trump's campaign team said on the 6th that Harris's vice presidential candidate Waltz is a "dangerous liberal extremist" who is a "West Coast admirer" and "committed to turning Minnesota into Harris's hometown of California." The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said that American Republicans portrayed Waltz as an extreme left-wing figure on social media, and Florida Governor DeSantis said that Harris and Waltz are "the most left-wing candidate (combination) in American history."

But CNN said that some of Trump's allies were relieved and glad that Harris did not choose another partner: Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro. The report said that Shapiro, 51, is a rising star in the Democratic Party. He has a very high approval rating in Pennsylvania and is one of the most popular governors in the United States. His state of Pennsylvania is a famous "swing state". The state's 19 electoral votes are crucial to both Harris and Trump and may determine the outcome of the election. A source close to Trump said that Harris chose Waltz instead of Shapiro, and Pennsylvania "is still up for grabs." However, Shapiro said on the 6th that he would support Harris and Waltz to defeat Trump.

Axios News Network said that many Republicans were surprised and relieved that Harris chose Waltz. Republican Congressman Tom Emmer said that the choice of Waltz was "amazing" and "a great choice for us... You couldn't have written this script better." The BBC said that some Republicans believed that Waltz was a "weaker candidate" and increased Trump's chances of winning. Trump's former senior adviser Conway wrote on the social platform X: "Tim Waltz? What a relief."

“Where there is Harris, there is Vance”

A survey released on the 6th by the National Public Radio (NPR) in collaboration with other media and polling organizations showed that most Americans are not familiar with Waltz. 71% of American adults have never heard of Waltz or are not sure how to evaluate him.

"Harris makes her choice, economic and Middle East challenges are imminent," CNN said, selecting a running mate is the first and most critical decision made by a U.S. political party's presidential nominee. Although this choice will generate huge public interest and fundraising potential, and can support the presidential nominee, the choice of vice president has not been a decisive factor in the election for many years. For Harris, the dramatic progress in the process of selecting a running mate will provide her with new opportunities to enhance the momentum of the campaign and inject vitality into the Democratic Party, which once seemed to be on the verge of failure. But at the same time, she must deal with the rapidly changing environment at home and abroad. The global stock market plunge caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to fall 1,000 points on the 5th due to rising unemployment and concerns that the U.S. economy is in recession. In addition, because there are signs that Iran will launch a retaliatory strike against Israel, this could trigger a full-scale regional war that will drag down the United States.

"Wherever Harris is, there is Vance." NBC News reported that Vance plans to hold a rally in Philadelphia a few hours before Harris and Waltz take the stage on the 6th, and then visit the "swing states" in the United States that Harris will visit one by one to hold campaign events. The Associated Press said that Vance's goal is to weaken the influence of Harris and Waltz's debut.