Rural voters don’t necessarily love Walz, despite the camo hat and small-town upbringing

Tim Walz has a rural image, but that doesn’t mean rural America will vote for him. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images by Nicholas Jacobs, Colby College The selection of Tim Walz as Kamala Harris’ running mate has sparked a wave of commentary suggesting that simply by elevating a former small-town football coach to the candidacy for vice president, Democrats will naturally secure the allegiance of rural voters nationwide. At first glance, such analysis – tinged with wishful thinking – seems self-evident. Walz, the governor of Minnesota, was raised in a small, rural town in Nebraska and runs a Midwestern state with a strong rural identity. And it is hard to deny that many rural advocates and writers genuinely feel seen and represented with the choice of Walz – a feeling not felt in quite some time. Indeed, you can now sport a Harris-Walz camo hat this hunting season. But a closer examination reveals that such expectations may be overly simplistic and optimistic. Tim Walz campaigns for governor in St. James, Minn., on Sept. 15, 2018. Walz won the election, getting only 40.3% of the rural vote. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images Nationalization of the rural voter While Walz’s selection may...