Former Bill Clinton adviser Mark Penn on Tuesday expressed disappointment with Vice President Kamala Harris selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate because it indicates “the left” would dominate if they win the election.
Walz, who has a far-left record on immigration issues and transgender policy, edged out Harris’ rumored top choice, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Penn, on “The Story With Martha MacCallum,” said choosing Walz over Shapiro “sends a message” that Harris is catering to the Democratic base.
WATCH:
“I’m disappointed in the choice. I had really suggested that Josh Shapiro would be the best choice for a multitude of reasons, but mostly that, ideologically Josh Shapiro really put down a marker that the left wasn’t going to control this next administration and it was a reach out to centrists,” Penn said. “So I think Walz sends a message, Bernie Sanders’ choice, all in with the base. These are two campaigns that could have chosen the [Marco] Rubios or the Josh Shapiros, but instead chose to go double down on their bases and that’s the way they’re going to run these campaigns.”
NBC’s Chuck Todd said on Tuesday that he believes “progressive backlash” to Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly as running mates influenced Harris to pick Walz. For instance, Democratic anti-Israel activists criticized Shapiro for his pro-Israel views.
“No one actually knows who he is. He has zero national name recognition, so he’s going to be … whatever the media says he’s going to be … I don’t know if we’re ever going to know what this ticket really stands for,” Penn added of Walz. “What we do know is that she had a choice. I think she could have put the election away with the choice of Shapiro and what we do know is she’s doubled down on the liberal base.”
“I don’t think people really follow the views of the vice presidents that carefully. I think they look at overall images and what message does this selection send,” he said. “And as I said, look, I think both candidates decided to double down on their bases here and not move to the center. That, of course, that disappoints me.”
Trump chose Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate in July. Pollster Frank Luntz also described the former president’s selection as doubling down on his base.
“He chose to double down. And J.D. Vance comes from the background that Trump’s focusing on, so he’s credible. And he’s got the language because this is how he grew up,” Luntz said. “To me, the most important segment of the population, the one that makes or breaks, are these paycheck to paycheck voters, people who have jobs, they’ve been working, they may not be college graduates and they’re struggling. And it represents one-fourth of the American electorate. Normally, they vote Democrat over Republican by about two to one. Trump brought it to three to two, even closer. That segment, if they break for Harris, she’s the next president. If Trump can keep them, he’s the next president.”
Featured Image Credit: Joe Talbot
