By Carol Lucas
Initially I was disappointed that the present governor of my home state, Josh Shapiro, was not the choice of Kamala Harris for her Vice Presidential nominee. I found him to be articulate, intelligent, and an all around “good guy.” And in addition, he was from Pa.; of course he had to be a great pick.
As I watched the opening campaign rally in Philadelphia, my assessment was proven correct by an introduction that brought the house down. Shapiro was great. Keep in mind that here was a man applauding a woman who has passed over him as her choice for her running mate. Additionally, Shapiro was given the task of praising, indeed endorsing, the man who had secured that position.
I believe that the Pennsylvania governor put aside his own ego, and he created an atmosphere that brought the Philly crowd of more than 12,000 to a fever pitch. Much like the move by President Biden, Shapiro’s was one for his party as well as for his country.
The man received a standing ovation, and a very lengthy applause when he assured them, “I love being your governor.” Even though the venue was in Pa., and Shapiro could have easily handed off this introduction to someone else, he didn’t. My guess is he wanted to show solidarity, and that he did.
And so Kamala Harris, as well as her choice for a running mate, Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, strode onto the stage to deafening applause and the euphoria mounted from then on. Additionally, so did the size of the crowds who stood in line to see them as they made their first tour across the country.
When the Vice President introduced Tim Walz, we all waited in anticipation. Shortly thereafter, it was made clear why this man was chosen. My disappointment soon turned to admiration as I listened to him speak.
Here was an articulate man whose sense of humor was disarming. Later, as I began to read his vita, I came to see that I had a reason for my sense of connection. His wife Gwen was an English teacher in the same school where Walz taught and coached. I felt that immediate association, knowing my late husband and I taught in the same high school for 23 years.
When I read some of the things their “mutual” kids in school had to say about them, I was convinced. I could relate to this person. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen reflected so much of what my husband and I had experienced. It seems that there was a young man who came to Gwen Walz and told her, before he told his parents, that he was gay. She had announced to her class (10th-grade English — the same as I taught), that her class was a safe place for gay students. Furthermore, her support was shared by her husband.
I knew, if asked, I could provide so many similar examples.
It was Tim Walz whom this boy approached about starting a Gay-Straight Alliance at the high school. Having the backing of the football team’s defensive coordinator — a straight, married man and soldier in the Army National Guard — gave the plan a boost.
Walz, a world geography teacher, offered to be the group’s faculty adviser. I might add, that young person is now a 42-year-old lawyer in Minneapolis and was quoted as saying, “He had the ability to talk about issues of bullying in a way that helped both the bully and the bullied.”
That ability has brought those of us who will listen to one conclusion: he is an everyday guy, from a working-class family, who can use the necessary jargon to bring home the point to everyday people.
Walz has, over the past week, delivered a handful of memorable comments against Republicans, though his most notable contribution has been to label the GOP, especially its presidential ticket of Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. Walz has referred to the duo as “weird dudes,” before addressing their political agenda.
The phrase has stuck, becoming a central meme in the new campaign, a development that is delighting Democrats and apparently frustrating many on the right. They experienced further apoplexy when he told a “White Dudes for Harris fundraiser, “How often in 100 days do you get to change the trajectory of the world? How often in 100 days do you get to do something that’s going to impact generations to come?” Walz asked. “And how often in the world do you make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a Black woman kicked his a**, and sent him on the road?”
This is a man who taught U.S. history, culture and English in Foshan, a city in the southeastern Chinese province of Guangdong; this was the beginning of his decades-long relationship with China. It has opened him up to criticism from Republicans, who are trying to portray him as being weak on the communist-ruled nation. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, said Walz owes Americans “an explanation about his unusual” relationship with China.”
However, Walz has spent his political career criticizing the Chinese government, especially its human rights record. He has met with the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled leader, and has been critical of China’s aggression in the South China Sea.
No doubt I will continue to include this man in my articles for he is genuine — the real deal. He’s what we desperately need!
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
