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Xinhua News Agency, Washington, August 7 (Reporter Xiong Maoling) US Vice President Harris, who has already secured the Democratic presidential nomination, announced on August 6 that she has chosen Minnesota Governor Waltz as her running mate. Harris formally introduced Waltz at a campaign event in Pennsylvania that evening, thus launching a five-day campaign in key swing states.

US media and analysts had previously predicted that Harris, who is of African-American and Asian descent, would choose a white male politician as her running mate, and Waltz's selection confirmed this view. Why did Waltz, who is not well-known, stand out?Can the “race card” give Harris “extra points”?How will the election between Harris and Trump develop? Let’s see the analysis——

Rich resume "assists" Harris

Just last weekend, Harris "interviewed" the final three candidates including Waltz, and in the end Waltz "won".

Waltz, 60, is a former U.S. congressman. He was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022.

Harris introduced that Waltz is a retired soldier, former high school teacher and football coach who is very determined to fight for middle-class families. During his tenure as governor, he cut taxes for working families, reduced drug costs and protected women's rights.

This is Waltz (file photo) taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the United States on June 24, 2024. Xinhua News Agency/AP

Christopher Galdieri, a political science expert at Saint Anselm College in the United States, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that Waltz's experience can attract voters from multiple groups: progressives and liberals like his achievements as governor, and his military service and high school football coaching experience can attract voters in the "Rust Belt" states, which are crucial in the election campaign between the two parties.

Darrell West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua News Agency that Waltz, who is from the Midwest, knows how to communicate with ordinary people and values ​​increasing economic opportunities for the middle class. His rich political experience may also help Harris gain an advantage over Trump in this regard.

The “ethnic card” is aimed at “swing states”

Some media reports have broken down and compared the key "swing states" that determine the outcome of the US presidential election and found that in the northern "rust belt" states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, whites account for about 75%; in contrast, in the southern "sunshine belt" states of Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, blacks, Hispanics and other minorities and whites each account for about 50%. Therefore, Harris needs to play a targeted "ethnic card" in these different states.

Greg Cusack, former U.S. Congressman from Iowa, told Xinhua that although Harris's identity as an African-American and Asian woman may attract some voter support, it may also have some counterproductive effects, which makes the Democratic Party tend to look for a politically moderate white man so that they can gain broader support in swing states.

On July 22, US Vice President Harris (front) attended an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, the United States. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Yousong

Another analysis pointed out that Trump had incited racial consciousness to win votes, and he might repeat this practice again. Once American voters' aversion to diversity increases, it will be troublesome for Harris. Her most perfect running mate should be someone who can gain the support of the white working class.

The Washington Post believes that Harris and Waltz have built a campaign combination that is "politically advantageous" in many ways.

The two parties are in a stalemate in the election

Since receiving the "endorsement" from US President and Democrat Biden, Harris has quickly consolidated support within the party. She is expected to formally accept the nomination and elaborate on her political views at the Democratic National Convention scheduled to be held in Chicago from August 19 to 22.

Harris's campaign has been gaining momentum in the past few weeks. However, although she is catching up with Trump in some polls, she is still lagging behind Trump in several key swing states and is in a stalemate with the latter.

This is a photo of US President Biden and Vice President Harris taken in Maryland, the United States on August 1. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Yousong

According to poll data compiled by the US election information website "Real Transparent Politics", as of the 6th, Harris was ahead of Trump by an average of 0.5 percentage points in national polls, while about a week ago, Trump was ahead of Harris by an average of 1.2 percentage points in national polls. In the highly watched states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Harris was behind Trump by 0.2 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points respectively in the polls; in Michigan, Harris was ahead by 2 percentage points.

Cusack believes that Harris is relatively young, energetic, and frequently appears in the media, bringing "enthusiasm and happiness" to voters, which makes many Democratic voters feel that there is a chance for the election to improve. The New York Times once reported that Harris talked about women's rights generously during the campaign, which was more likely to resonate with voters and had an advantage over Biden on this core issue of the Democratic Party.