Guests: Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' on the Harris/Walz ticket; Also: Primary results from MI, MO, KS, WA...
By Brad Friedman on 8/7/2024, 6:10pm PT  

"Thank you, Madame Vice President, for the trust you put in me," he said as he began his remarks during their first public appearance together as running mates on the 2024 Democratic ticket. "But, maybe more so, thank you for bringing back the joy." We send our thanks in return on today's BradCast. [Audio link to full show follows below this summary.]

But, very quickly before we get there today, we've got a few of the noteworthy reported results from Tuesday's largely problem-free (so far) Congressional and state primary elections in Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Washington state. And a few thoughts on Donald Trump's latest pathetic attempt to remain relevant by endorsing more than one --- sometimes all of the top contenders --- in the same Republican primary race. What a loser.

THEN... it's on to our roundtable guests today, who seem to be in a very good mood for some reason, after the Democrats' now official 2024 Presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, tapped Minnesota's progressive Governor Tim Walz as her VP candidate on Tuesday.

Walz, as we discuss, has a life and political biography that, if he was a fictional character in a political miniseries, you'd think the writers had laid it on a little thick. But, sure enough, Walz' extraordinary career and accomplishments --- born in rural Nebraska; 24 years of decorated service in the Army National Guard; 20 years as a high school teacher and state champion football coach; 12 years in the U.S. House; and two wildly effective terms as MN Governor, including the passage of a slew of popular progressive priorities --- all seem quite real. AND, it has all been carried out, it seems, with much of the same "joy" he thanked Harris for "bringing back" during their first joint appearance on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Now, as the Dem ticket's poll numbers continue to surge, the pair is off and running with joint appearances in at least five battleground states this week, while Trump is set to appear in, well, just Montana for some reason.

We're joined again today for another one of our weekly roundtables with two very smart and fellow old school bloggers, HEATHER DIGBY PARTON of Salon and Hullabaloo, and 'DRIFTGLASS' of The Pro Left Podcast. They were last on the show together just three weeks ago. But, boy howdy, was that a different world, as Dems were still trying to figure out how to survive with Joe Biden at the top of their ticket following his disastrous late-June debate performance. What a difference three weeks makes.

Today, we are focused on the selection of Walz as VP and what all of that means for both the electrified Dem and seemingly stultified GOP tickets. By way of just a quick sample from our conversation today, from both guests in response to Harris' selection of Walz...

DIGBY: "Tim Walz, I think, is the most lovable politician I've come across in a long time. And I think the country is ready for that. ... One of the reasons why everybody has been in such a bad mood and has been for so long is because of Donald Trump. Because he won't go away. He won't stop talking. And he won't stop making everybody unhappy --- and that includes the people on his side. ... And then you've got this lovable dude coming out, and it's like suddenly you feel kind of good about politics. That maybe this thing that we've been going through for eight long years, maybe we have some hope of coming out of it. ... He said 'We're bringing the joy,' and I think that is exactly what he does, and that was a very wise choice. I think people are hungry for it and ready for it."
DRIFTGLASS: "He's Uncle Ted Lasso. He's happy, and he's joyful, and he's funny, and he has that Midwest Dad Energy just radiating off him. ... This is everybody's favorite uncle. ... Why was this sitting on the shelf all this time? And you realize there are a lot of people in the Democratic Party like this, who bring this stuff to the table. It's just that getting them to the front of the line sometimes is tricky. And the Trump Campaign thought they had this thing locked up. They're running Smelly Old Caligula, and their strategy is 'Just shut up and sit down, go golfing...if you just keep quiet we'll ease you into the White House.' And now they are completely on their back foot. J.D. Vance was supposed to be Tim Walz. Tim Walz was built in a lab to look like the perfect Midwest candidate."

There is much more where all of that comes from today, on how the progressive AOC and rightwing Joe Manchin are actually in agreement that Walz is an "excellent decision" and "the real deal"; on Team Trump's hilariously flatfooted response; on the one option the GOP could (but won't) deploy to turn things around; on "mind[ing] your own damn business"; on Minnesota/San Francisco/American values; on whether Trump could ever dump Vance; on whether the Dem momentum can continue for another 90 days; on Trump's bizarre post-Walz meltdown; and much more...

CLICK TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD SHOW!...

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Article Categories: Pennsylvania, BRAD BLOG Media Appearance, Missouri, Rights And Freedoms, Montana, Washington State, Democrats, Republicans, Michigan, Joe Biden, KPFK, Donald Trump, BradCast, Kamala Harris, Joe Manchin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Tim Walz, Cori Bush, Election 2024, J.D. Vance