Quick Hit:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was picked as Kamala Harris's running mate to bolster support among men, but according to Mollie Hemingway, his performance may be doing more harm than good, especially as polls show Harris struggling in key demographics.

Key Details:

• Walz was expected to attract male voters with his "masculinity," but polls show Harris trailing significantly among men.

• Walz has been criticized for fabrications about his military service and other personal claims.

• Harris's polling continues to fall behind where Joe Biden stood in the 2020 race, raising concerns about the effectiveness of Walz as a running mate.

Diving Deeper:

Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist argues that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, chosen by Kamala Harris as her vice-presidential candidate, may be a liability rather than an asset to the campaign. In an op-ed titled "Tim Walz Isn’t Helping Kamala Harris, He’s Hurting Her," Hemingway questions whether Walz is living up to expectations, particularly among men, a key demographic that Democrats have struggled to win over.

Hemingway points out that Walz initially promised to help Harris with his brand of masculinity. "Tim Walz’s Masculinity Is Terrifying to Republicans," proclaimed Bloomberg in August. However, according to Hemingway, this "masculine" appeal is falling flat, especially when Walz's credibility is being undercut by reports of fabrications regarding his military service and other personal claims. As Hemingway notes, "Walz overstated the rank at which he retired from the National Guard," and has repeatedly exaggerated his travels to China.

Polls show that Harris is consistently lagging behind Biden’s 2020 numbers, with support from men dwindling further. Hemingway adds that Walz's failure to shore up Harris’s weaknesses has left her campaign vulnerable. "Walz was supposed to help with white men who were leaving the Democrat Party in droves," she writes. Instead, Trump is outperforming expectations with Latino voters, black men, and working-class voters, leaving Democrats in a difficult position.

Hemingway criticizes Harris’s decision to pick Walz over stronger candidates like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro or North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, both of whom could have offered more appeal in swing states. "Rather than pick Gov. Josh Shapiro, a competent governor from the must-win state of Pennsylvania, Harris chose Walz, who is a middling governor from a state so blue that it even voted Democrat in 1984," Hemingway argues.

Walz’s behavior in the media has also been problematic, with his few interviews showcasing a lack of substance, according to Hemingway. During one national interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Walz’s explanation for fabricating details about his military service was a struggle with grammar, further damaging his credibility.

The op-ed also highlights how Harris’s campaign appears to be shielding Walz from media scrutiny. Mark Leibovich, writing for The Atlantic, expressed confusion over why Walz has disappeared from the national spotlight, despite his perceived effectiveness earlier in the campaign. "The campaign seems to have trapped him in the same hyper-protective Bubble Wrap it has placed around Harris," Leibovich wrote, a sentiment Hemingway echoed in her criticism of the campaign’s strategy.

As the Harris-Walz ticket faces growing challenges, particularly with white men and key swing states, Hemingway concludes that Walz may be hurting Harris more than helping her in the lead-up to November.