By picking Tim Walz as her running mate, Harris shows she’s running her own race, by her own rules

Matt Rourke/AP/AAP by Emma Shortis, RMIT University On Tuesday morning US time, US Vice President Kamala Harris called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to ask him to be her running mate in her campaign for the presidency. After telling Harris he “would be honored”, the first thing Walz observed was “the joy that you’re bringing back to the country, the enthusiasm that’s out there”. Harris’ choice of Walz confirms and leans into this extraordinary vibe shift in American politics. In only a fortnight, the campaign has been flipped on its head. The choice of vice-presidential running mate is often understood as relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of a presidential administration. The focus is often almost exclusively on what a vice-presidential candidate can bring to the election: which state they might help the campaign to carry. Harris’ choice of Walz over the other major contender, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, suggests her thinking is much broader than this. Shapiro was, in effect, the establishment candidate. He was widely considered the “safe” pick – someone who would appeal to the center of American politics, is popular with Republicans and would bring with him the critical swing state of Pennsylvania. The grey eminence of...