Why Branding Walz as a Liberal Won’t Work

Dan Pfeiffer: “Policy is important. It tells us a lot about the values of the candidates. It’s how we know what someone will do (or at least try to do) if elected. But most people don’t vote on policy. They don’t read the white papers or follow the news closely enough to talk with specificity about a candidate’s agenda. Even if Tim Walz had a radical agenda (which he doesn’t), it would be very hard to brand him as too liberal.”

“When it comes to politics, identity > ideology, Tim Walz is a veteran, gun-owning football coach from rural Minnesota. He doesn’t code as an extreme liberal. The guy screams American values. He exudes decency and common sense. Everyone knows a Tim Walz. Maybe he was their coach or teacher. Maybe he was their neighbor or the guy they ran into at the hardware store.”

“For a political attack to work, it has to be believable, and there is nothing believable about Tim Walz being a dangerous extremist.”