{"id":2325906,"date":"2024-08-17T10:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-17T14:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/walz-tests-anti-elitist-message-by-knocking-vances-ivy-league-degree-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-17T11:02:59","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T15:02:59","slug":"walz-tests-anti-elitist-message-by-knocking-vances-ivy-league-degree-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/walz-tests-anti-elitist-message-by-knocking-vances-ivy-league-degree-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Walz tests anti-elitist message by knocking Vance\u2019s Ivy League degree &#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\">26<\/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%2Fwalz-tests-anti-elitist-message-by-knocking-vances-ivy-league-degree-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=2325906&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>Minnesota Governor\u2064 Tim Walz is \u200cleveraging an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oliver-anthony-has-heartfelt-challenge-for-fans-while-his-epic-rise-continues\/\" title=\"Oliver Anthony&#039;s Rise Continues: A Heartfelt Challenge for Fans\">anti-elitist message<\/a> in \u2062his political strategies, particularly as he competes against Republican rival J.D. Vance, who is notable for his Ivy League education and ties to Silicon Valley. At a \u200brally \u2063with Vice President Kamala \u200dHarris, Walz sarcastically highlighted Vance&#8217;s Yale Law School background and his wealth,\u2062 aiming to position Vance as \u2062out\u200c of touch with average Americans. Walz\u2019s comments\u2063 reflect a\u200d broader populist \u200dapproach, appealing to middle- and\u2063 lower-middle-class voters, as demonstrated by recent campaign proposals that include \u200dmeasures to alleviate medical \u200cdebt and subsidize\u2064 first-time home buyers. However, there are questions about\u200b the effectiveness of \u2064targeting Vance\u2019s \u2062elite\u200b education, especially considering the tradition \u2064in American\u200b politics of anti-elitism. While such tactics have historically resonated, experts suggest that \u200dtheir impact may be\u200d limited, especially when \u200cconsidering that the focus is on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/history-repeats-itself-democrats-are-using-tactics-of-the-marxists-of-1917-in-russia-to-steal-2020-election\/\" title=\"History Repeats Itself: Democrats Are Using Tactics of the Marxists of 1917 in Russia to Steal 2020 Election\">vice-presidential candidate<\/a> rather than the presidential contender.  <\/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\">Walz tests anti-elitist message by knocking Vance&rsquo;s Ivy League degree<\/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_1731427\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>CHICAGO, Illinois &mdash;<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz<\/a> is betting his vice presidential rival&rsquo;s sterling academic credentials won&rsquo;t impress voters.<\/p>\n<p>The Minnesota governor, at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oYjdmx_xv4I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>recent rally<\/a> with his new boss, Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a>, the 2024 Democratic nominee-designate, mocked the educational achievements of Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>J.D. Vance<\/a> (R-OH). Vance, a 2013 Yale Law School graduate, was tapped for the undercard role on the Republican ticket by former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP nominee.<\/p>\n<p>Vance wrote about his rise from Appalachia through Yale Law School and beyond in the bestselling book <em>Hillbilly Elegy<\/em>. But Walz is hoping Vance&rsquo;s experiences will be seen by voters less as a sign of achieving the American dream through hard work than cronyism among a wealthy elite.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Like all regular people I grew up with in the heartland, J.D. studied at Yale,&rdquo; Walz said sarcastically at the rally. Vance &ldquo;had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires. And then wrote a bestseller trashing that community. Come on, that&rsquo;s not what middle America is,&rdquo; Walz continued.<\/p>\n<p>The governor, in a recent interview on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msnbc.com\/morning-joe\/watch\/gov-watz-people-like-jd-vance-know-nothing-about-small-town-america-215470661588\">MSNBC&rsquo;s <em>Morning Joe<\/em><\/a>, expanded on that point, saying, &ldquo;None of my hillbilly cousins went to Yale, and none of them went on to be venture capitalists, or whatever.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>There&rsquo;s a certain irony in these attacks on Vance by Walz, a graduate of Chadron State College, a public school in his home state of Nebraska, and an MS from Minnesota State University, Mankato. After all, according to polls, Census data, and other statistics, more college-educated voters are now voting for Democrats. While those without a degree prefer Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s not precisely the charge made by Walz against Vance. But it follows a similar anti-elitist logic. And it&rsquo;s part of a broader populist push by the Harris-Walz ticket. On Friday, the Democratic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/campaign\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>campaign<\/a> released a series of policy proposals aimed at middle- and lower-middle-class voters.<\/p>\n<p>The proposals include eliminating the medical debt for millions of Americans, along with the &ldquo;first-ever&rdquo; ban on price gouging for groceries and food, Harris said at a North Carolina campaign rally. Along with a cap on prescription drug costs. There&rsquo;s also a $25,000 subsidy for first-time home buyers. And a child tax credit that would provide $6,000 per child to families for the first year of a baby&rsquo;s life.<\/p>\n<p>However, nothing in the Harris-Walz plan explains how any of this would be paid for. Yet the themes are expected to loom large at the Democratic National Convention in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Chicago\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Chicago<\/a>, which will take place Monday-Thursday, Aug. 19-22.<\/p>\n<p>Whether attacks on elite academic degrees are an effective political tactic, as part of this strategy, remains to be seen. Since educational achievement is for many, part of the American dream.<\/p>\n<p>There could be an upside in Walz&rsquo;s line of attack against Vance&rsquo;s elite education pedigree, said Brian Rosenwald, a political historian at the University of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The lesson of the Trump years has been whether it&rsquo;s bad policy or good policy for the country, populism works,&rdquo; Rosenwald said in an interview. &ldquo;A lot of people think they&rsquo;re getting squashed by society and that they&rsquo;re not getting a fair shake. Whether that populism is attacking big business for Democrats, or Trump capitalizing on the disdain for elites, it&rsquo;s effective.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Rosenwald added, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s effective for Walz to, in effect, say, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m a guy from rural <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Nebraska\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Nebraska<\/a>, who spent 24 years in the military, who went to a state college. While you, J.D., went to the most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/law-school-student-letter-details-culture-of-bullying-at-university-of-north-carolina\/\" title=\"Law School Student Letter Details \u2018Culture Of Bullying\u2019 At University Of North Carolina\">elite law school<\/a> in the country and went into venture capital.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Though the attacks could have limited appeal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Is it going to move a lot of voters? Probably not,&rdquo; Rosenwald said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking about the Number Two&rsquo;s on the ticket, not the Number One&rsquo;s.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Longtime Campaign Tactic<\/h2>\n<p>Walz&rsquo;s attacks on his opponent&rsquo;s elite academic credentials are nothing new in American politics. One person who can testify to their effectiveness is former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/george-w-bush\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>George W. Bush<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 1978, before his father held national office and Bush family members had such widespread name recognition, the future president, in his first bid for public office, sought a House seat in West Texas. Bush&rsquo;s Democratic opponent, Kent Hance, claimed the Republican was &ldquo;not a real Texan,&rdquo; since he was a graduate of Yale, and Harvard Business School. Hance pointed to his own degrees, from Texas Tech University for college, and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Hance won by seven points. That was the only time Bush was ever defeated in an election, in a political career spanning two wins as Texas governor, and, of course, a pair of terms as president.<\/p>\n<p>Republican candidates increasingly picked up on the anti-elitist education theme as the party began appealing more to economically downscale voters &mdash; an important element in Trump&rsquo;s 2016 winning coalition. A preview of this theme came four years early during the Republican primaries, ultimately won by former private equity executive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Mitt-Romney\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mitt Romney<\/a>, an alum of Brigham Young University, with degrees from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School.<\/p>\n<p>Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, in a January 2012 New Hampshire campaign appearance, accused then-President Barack Obama of &ldquo;elitist snobbery&rdquo; and &ldquo;hubris&rdquo; for suggesting that &ldquo;under my administration, every child should go to college.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Santorum responded indignantly, &ldquo;Who are you? Who are you to say that every child in America go &hellip; I mean the hubris of this president to think that he knows what&rsquo;s best for you. I &hellip; you know there is &hellip; I have seven kids. Maybe they&rsquo;ll all go to college. But, if one of my kids wants to go and be an auto mechanic, good for him. That&rsquo;s a good-paying job &mdash; using your hands and using your mind.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Santorum added, &ldquo;The kind of snobbery that we see from those who think they know how to run our lives. Rise up, America. Defend your own freedoms.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Santorum wasn&rsquo;t the ideal political vessel for this non-college message. He went to college at Pennsylvania State University, and received his JD from one of its two affiliated law schools, Dickinson School of Law. Plus, an MBA at the University of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Pittsburgh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Pittsburgh<\/a>. Yet it gelled with Santorum&rsquo;s overall populist message that year, when he finished as the runner-up to Romney for the Republican nomination.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Trump took the theme a step further in 2016, famously exclaiming at a Nevada campaign rally in February that year while (successfully) seeking the Republican presidential nomination, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vpdt7omPoa0\">&ldquo;I love the poorly educated.&rdquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s point was that his campaign appealed to a wide group of voters. Tim Walz was presumably making a similar argument in knocking J.D. Vance&rsquo;s elite law degree. Whether voters find that line of attack convincing will become clear after Election Day, Nov. 5.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><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_1731427\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1731427\"}});<\/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>Walz challenges elitism by criticizing Vance&#8217;s Ivy League background<\/p>\n<p>CHICAGO, Illinois \u2014 Tim Walz is wagering that his vice presidential opponent\u2019s impressive academic qualifications won\u2019t resonate with voters. At a recent rally alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, the designated 2024 Democratic nominee, the Minnesota governor ridiculed Sen. J.D. Vance\u2019s (R-OH) educational accomplishments. Vance, a Yale Law School graduate from 2013, was chosen for the Republican ticket&#8217;s undercard by former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee for 2024. In his bestselling book &#8220;Hillbilly Elegy,&#8221; Vance recounts his journey from Appalachia to Yale and beyond. However, Walz hopes that voters will perceive Vance\u2019s background not as an example of achieving the American dream through hard work but rather as indicative of cronyism among a privileged elite.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike all regular folks I grew up with in the heartland, J.D. studied at Yale,\u201d Walz sarcastically remarked at the rally. He continued to point out that Vance \u201chad his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires\u201d and then authored a bestseller criticizing that very community\u2014asserting this isn\u2019t representative of middle America.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview on MSNBC\u2019s Morning Joe, Walz elaborated on this sentiment: \u201cNone of my hillbilly cousins went to Yale or became venture capitalists.\u201d There is irony in these criticisms coming from Walz himself; he graduated from Chadron State College in Nebraska and holds an MS from Minnesota State University in Mankato.<\/p>\n<p>Polls indicate that more college-educated voters are leaning towards Democrats while those without degrees tend to favor Republicans\u2014a nuance not directly addressed by Walz but following similar anti-elitist reasoning as part of a broader populist strategy for the Harris-Walz campaign.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, their campaign unveiled several policy proposals targeting middle- and lower-middle-class Americans\u2014including plans to eliminate medical debt for millions and introduce measures against price gouging on groceries and food items\u2014as well as capping prescription drug costs and offering $25,000 subsidies for first-time homebuyers along with child tax credits providing $6,000 per child during their first year.<\/p>\n<p>However, details regarding funding these initiatives remain unclear. These themes are expected to be prominent at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago scheduled for August 19-22.<\/p>\n<p>The effectiveness of attacking elite academic credentials within this strategy remains uncertain since many view educational achievement as part of realizing the American dream. Political historian Brian Rosenwald noted there could be potential benefits in Walz&#8217;s approach against Vance&#8217;s prestigious education: \u201cThe lesson from Trump&#8217;s years has been whether it\u2019s bad or good policy; populism resonates.\u201d He added that many feel marginalized by society and believe they aren\u2019t receiving fair treatment\u2014whether it involves Democrats critiquing big business or Trump tapping into disdain for elites can prove effective politically.<\/p>\n<p>While such attacks may have limited reach\u2014especially given they target candidates lower on tickets\u2014historically speaking they have been utilized effectively within American politics before; George W. Bush faced similar criticism early in his political career due to his Ivy League education but later succeeded significantly after adopting anti-elitist rhetoric popularized during Trump&#8217;s campaigns which appealed broadly across various voter demographics.<\/p>\n<p>As Election Day approaches on November 5th it remains unclear how persuasive these lines of attack will ultimately be among voters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2695,"featured_media":2325907,"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\/AP24224073916888-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[38378,38379,15469,27318,32076],"class_list":["post-2325906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-anti-elitism","tag-ivy-league","tag-vance","tag-walz","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AP24224073916888-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325906","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\/2695"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2325906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325906\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2325907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2325906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2325906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2325906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}