{"id":2320336,"date":"2024-08-07T05:31:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T09:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minnesotas-walz-seeks-to-take-on-scranton-joe-mantle-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-07T05:36:09","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T09:36:09","slug":"minnesotas-walz-seeks-to-take-on-scranton-joe-mantle-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minnesotas-walz-seeks-to-take-on-scranton-joe-mantle-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota&#8217;s Walz seeks to take on &#8216;Scranton Joe&#8217; mantle &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fminnesotas-walz-seeks-to-take-on-scranton-joe-mantle-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2320336&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article \u200bdiscusses the\u200b strategic political landscape \u200cas Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota \u200cGovernor Tim Walz embark on campaigning in key Midwest states, particularly\u200c Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, ahead of\u200d the 2024\u2062 elections. Both\u2063 parties are eager to secure\u2064 votes in these \u200dswing states, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-and-hamas-agree-to-temporary-ceasefire-in-exchange-for-release-of-50-hostages\/\" title=\"Israel and Hamas agree to temporary ceasefire in exchange for release of 50 hostages\">played\u2064 crucial roles<\/a> in previous elections. Harris \u200baims to offset concerns\u2063 about her California upbringing\u200d and elite background by leveraging Walz&#8217;s relatable Midwestern persona. However, his selection has drawn criticism from some quarters, with doubts about his ability to \u200dresonate with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nbc-poll-shows-gop-becoming-party-of-blue-collar-workers\/\" title=\"NBC Poll Shows GOP Becoming Party Of Blue-Collar Workers\">blue-collar voters<\/a> in critical areas that have shifted politically in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>Former Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman T.J. Rooney expressed disappointment, feeling Harris missed an opportunity with the more centrist choice of Governor Josh Shapiro. While Walz&#8217;s friendly demeanor and experience as \u2064a teacher\u200b may appeal \u200dto\u2063 voters, \u200che is also painted by conservatives as supporting radical policies. As both\u2062 parties\u200b strive to win back voters, Harris&#8217;s success is closely linked to \u200dPennsylvania, emphasizing the importance of\u200b this\u2062 state in the electoral equation. \u2063 <\/p>\n<p>Additionally, critiques arise regarding Walz&#8217;s effectiveness, as some political analysts argue that\u200c his recent gubernatorial \u200drace results do\u200c not indicate favorable prospects among the blue-collar demographic. Despite mixed opinions, some believe Walz has the potential \u200cto connect with voters in similar regions due to shared economic and cultural backgrounds, which may\u2064 help in this highly contested election\u200c cycle.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Minnesota&rsquo;s Walz seeks to take on &lsquo;Scranton Joe&rsquo; mantle in the Midwest<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1724370\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The 2024 election was once thought to rest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2920447\/biden-looks-blunt-trump-populism-opposition-us-steel-sale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"almost entirely\">almost entirely<\/a> on the Rust Belt states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and while Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Kamala Harris\">Kamala Harris<\/a>&lsquo;s ascension has altered the dynamics, both parties still desperately want to win the Midwestern swing states.<\/p>\n<p>Harris and her new running mate, Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Tim Walz\">Tim Walz<\/a> (D-MN), will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3112145\/kamala-harris-philadelphia-voter-turnout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Tim Walz\">sweep into<\/a> Pennsylvania and Wisconsin this week as they look to keep those blue-collar, &ldquo;blue wall&rdquo; states in the blue corner this fall. But whereas President Joe Biden was able to regale crowds with his &ldquo;Scranton Joe&rdquo; upbringing and his residence in nearby Delaware, Harris is a California figure who was raised by parents who both held graduate degrees.<\/p>\n<p>To plug that gap, Harris has tapped Walz, who hails from Minnesota, as a regional appeal to Midwestern voters who may find him more relatable. But many Republicans, and some Democrats, thought Harris may have made things harder on herself by skipping over Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), who was widely viewed as a more centrist choice.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Let me be clear &mdash;&nbsp;I&rsquo;m horribly disappointed,&rdquo; former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney told the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>&ldquo;I believe [Harris] missed an opportunity to better connect with important voters outside of suburbia by passing Josh over.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Rooney said Harris has held fast to her progressive base by choosing Walz, who brings an affable personality and a background as a teacher and football coach but is being painted by conservatives as a radical choice who supports hard-left policies.<\/p>\n<p>Meghan McCain, a conservative commentator who is deeply critical of Trump, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MeghanMcCain\/status\/1820713011616596182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1820713011616596182%7Ctwgr%5Eebce7acd30a3917008a9f0389cc27eea4c0dd8b4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3111924%2Fconservative-commentators-tim-walz-pick-a-relief%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"described\">described<\/a> Walz as &ldquo;a Trojan horse with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservative-commentators-believe-tim-walz-as-harriss-running-mate-is-a-relief-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Conservative commentators believe Tim Walz as Harris\u2019s running mate is \u2018a relief\u2019 - Washington Examiner\">red state accent<\/a>.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan delivered Donald Trump the presidency by flipping his way in 2016 and then went for Biden four years later. Since then, both parties have been working hard to woo voters in those states this election cycle.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&rsquo;s path to the White House runs through Pennsylvania in particular.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.270towin.com\/maps\/consensus-2024-presidential-election-forecast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">According to 270toWin&rsquo;s &ldquo;consensus&rdquo; Electoral College map<\/a>, Harris has three winning combinations to the necessary 270 electoral votes and the presidency, all of them requiring the Keystone State.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&rsquo;s campaign has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3101853\/kamala-says-she-doesnt-support-ban-on-fracking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"renounced\">renounced<\/a> her past comments that she would end fracking, a stance that could have hurt her in western Pennsylvania, but Walz brings fresh concerns after he <a href=\"https:\/\/mn.gov\/governor\/newsroom\/press-releases\/?id=1055-563453\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"signed\">signed<\/a> a bill last year committing Minnesota to 100% green energy by 2040. <\/p>\n<p>Political correspondent Steve Kornacki shared his doubts about Walz on X. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The results of Walz&rsquo;s &rsquo;22 GOV race in MN don&rsquo;t suggest he provides an obvious boost with the blue collar voters Dems have been shedding in WI\/MI\/PA,&rdquo; he wrote. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The results of Walz&#8217;s &#8217;22 GOV race in MN don&#8217;t suggest he provides an obvious boost with the blue collar voters Dems have been shedding in WI\/MI\/PA: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/knKPzbd05E\">https:\/\/t.co\/knKPzbd05E<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveKornacki\/status\/1820810857716109350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 6, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>However, Amy Koch, a Minnesota Republican strategist, said she actually thinks Walz can play in neighboring states.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We have what&rsquo;s called the Iron Range here in northern Minnesota,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s incredibly similar to Pennsylvania, West Virginia. It is heavily union. It has been trending Republican in a very big way. And yet, still, Walz has appealed there. So, yes, in a region like that, he&rsquo;s a natural fit.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In this way, Walz is similar to Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), the Republican vice presidential nominee, who hails from the Midwest but not from a swing state and is seen as making a kind of regional appeal to nearby voters.<\/p>\n<p>Walz, like Vance, also has a military background and has attacked his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-proposes-july-or-august-vice-presidential-debate-with-trump-pick\/\" title=\"Harris suggests hosting a vice presidential debate in July or August with Trump&#039;s selection\">vice presidential counterpart<\/a> by calling him &ldquo;weird,&rdquo; a term that has caught on with the rest of the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, Walz and Harris may have their work cut out for them as they seek to appeal to rank-and-file Teamsters truck drivers, auto workers, and steel mill laborers who have swung away from the Democrats since 2016.<\/p>\n<p>Dan Bowling, who teaches labor law courses at Georgia State University, says winning blue-collar voters may be a tall task for a Harris-led Democratic ticket, even with her new running mate in tow.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Whatever his supposed weaknesses were, Scranton Joe was still Scranton Joe,&rdquo; Bowling said. &ldquo;I think union voters in those states might still have been inclined to pull the lever for Biden. Harris is a very different candidate. She&rsquo;s a lawyer from California. She&rsquo;ll have to find a new vernacular to speak with blue-collar voters.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Whether Walz can help fill that gap remains to be seen. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He says all of the right things when it comes to unions, as a Minnesota governor should, but I don&rsquo;t think the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/indiana-republicans-pawned-social-conservatism-for-economic-growth-and-got-neither\/\" title=\"Indiana Republicans Pawned Social Conservatism For Economic Growth And Got Neither\">rust belt states<\/a> will flock to the Democratic ticket because of Walz,&rdquo; Bowling said.<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1724370\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1724370\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minnesota&#8217;s Governor Tim Walz aims to embody the &#8216;Scranton Joe&#8217; persona in the Midwest as the 2024 election approaches. Initially, it was believed that the election would hinge on Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. However, with Vice President Kamala Harris now in a prominent position, both parties are eager to secure these crucial Midwestern swing states. This week, Harris and her new running mate Walz will campaign in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to maintain their support among blue-collar voters in these traditionally Democratic areas.<\/p>\n<p>While President Biden could connect with audiences through his &#8216;Scranton Joe&#8217; narrative and his ties to Delaware, Harris comes from California and has a background that may not resonate as well with working-class voters; her parents both held advanced degrees. To bridge this gap, she has chosen Walz as a more relatable figure for Midwestern constituents. Nonetheless, some Republicans and even certain Democrats believe that by overlooking Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro\u2014considered a more centrist option\u2014Harris may have complicated her outreach efforts. Former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney expressed disappointment over this decision.<\/p>\n<p>Walz is seen as an amiable candidate with experience as a teacher and football coach but is being criticized by conservatives who label him as too progressive due to his support for left-leaning policies. Meghan McCain referred to him disparagingly as &#8220;a Trojan horse with a red state accent.&#8221; The dynamics of these key states shifted dramatically when they helped Trump win in 2016 before flipping back to Biden four years later; both parties are now vying for voter loyalty there.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&#8217;s strategy heavily relies on winning Pennsylvania since various electoral paths leading to victory require securing its votes. Her campaign has distanced itself from previous statements about ending fracking\u2014a position that could alienate voters in western Pennsylvania\u2014but concerns arise regarding Walz\u2019s commitment last year to transition Minnesota entirely to green energy by 2040.<\/p>\n<p>Political analyst Steve Kornacki expressed skepticism about whether Walz can effectively attract blue-collar workers who have been drifting away from Democrats in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania based on his gubernatorial race results in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p>However, Republican strategist Amy Koch believes Walz can resonate with neighboring states due to similarities between northern Minnesota&#8217;s Iron Range\u2014a heavily unionized area\u2014and regions like Pennsylvania or West Virginia that have recently leaned Republican yet still show some appeal towards him.<\/p>\n<p>Walz shares similarities with Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance from Ohio; both hail from the Midwest but not directly from swing states while attempting regional outreach through their backgrounds\u2014including military service\u2014and critiques of each other\u2019s candidacies.<\/p>\n<p>Despite their efforts together on the campaign trail targeting Teamsters truck drivers or steelworkers who have shifted away since 2016 elections under Biden\u2019s leadership\u2014Dan Bowling at Georgia State University warns it might be challenging for Harris-led tickets even alongside Walz given their differing backgrounds compared against Biden\u2019s established connection: \u201cWhatever weaknesses he had were overshadowed by being Scranton Joe.\u201d He suggests union members might still favor Biden over Harris unless she adapts her communication style significantly toward blue-collar issues moving forward<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2635,"featured_media":2320337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Kamala-Harris-Rust-Belt.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5698,5894,37406,27318],"class_list":["post-2320336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-minnesota","tag-politics","tag-scranton-joe","tag-walz"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Kamala-Harris-Rust-Belt.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2320336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2635"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2320336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2320336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2320337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2320336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2320336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2320336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}