All the other candidates are up-and-comers. They're plotting for their political futures. They would spend the campaign, and the presidency, *at least in part* trying to build their own independent power bases, prepping for when they step into the main spotlight.
There's nothing particularly nefarious about that, it's just the name of the game -- the same awkward position Harris herself has been in for the last four years. A VP who is thinking about their political ambitions, their future, is never 100% an ally.
So this is what Walz & Walz alone offered: he's nearing the end of his career; he has no desire to be president; he's happy to retire after 8 years.
In other words, he will be totally, 100% devoted to Harris's success & the success of the administration.
This is good for the campaign, but much more so, it's *good for the administration*. She can trust Walz to do what needs to be done, to have her back no matter what, to always give her honest counsel. He's not worried about his Q rating or his standing with The Groups.
You know how hard it is to find someone in DC, someone in national politics, who doesn't have one eye & 25% of their energy devoted to maneuvering for future success? Someone who doesn't view you, on some level, as a stepping stone? It's hard.
So in my mind, this is an *incredibly* smart pick by Harris, not just in terms of campaigning & winning the race, but in terms of governing. This shows that she's looking beyond the campaign. She wants a trusted consigliere, an attack dog, a right-hand man. Walz is that guy.
Shapiro, Kelly, Whitmer, Buttigieg -- none of them could offer that. All of them have one eye fixed on their political futures. Walz is ready to leave it all on the field for Harris and then retire to enjoy his family. That's incredibly valuable & that's why she chose him.
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