US Politics Election Extra: Tim Walz as VP Pick Analysis
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This summary has been produced automatically by an AI Large Language Model (LLM) without any human intervention. Whilst every effort has been made to prompt the LLM to produce accurate output, there may be inconsistencies, inaccuracies or hallucinations!
Table of Contents 📖
“Please attack us on paid family leave. Please attack us on abortion rights. Please attack us on red flag laws. Please attack us on free school lunches.”
Hello Team
🎦 00:00-00:37⏩
Jonathan introduces the topic of the video, which is the recent announcement that Tim Walz will be Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 US Presidential Election
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Jonathan's initial thoughts on Tim Walz
🎦 00:38-04:55⏩
- Initially, Jonathan wasn’t Walz’s biggest fan for VP as he saw him as more of a “folksy” kind of guy
- Jonathan acknowledges that Walz is a good guy and a successful Governor but didn’t think he came across as “Vice Presidential” enough
- Jonathan lists the other likely contenders for the position: Josh Shapiro, Mark Kelly and Pete Budaj
- Jonathan then discusses the pros and cons of each candidate as well as speculating on why they might or might not have been chosen
- Shapiro: Jewish, very good rhetorically, successful politician but considered too much of a risk by the Democrats due to his stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict
- Kelly: Arizona Senator, strong on immigration, a serious person and a Veteran. Jonathan expresses that he thought Kelly would have been a good choice as he is strong on Ukraine and foreign policy
- Buttigieg: Considered brilliant and very popular, openly gay and a Veteran. Speculation that him being openly gay might have been a deciding factor in him not being chosen
Tim Walz's background
🎦 04:56-05:12⏩
- Jonathan discusses how he has come around to the idea of Walz as VP and is now going to discuss why it is a good choice
- Walz was elected to Congress in 2006 and remained in office until 2018 when he was elected Governor of Minnesota (re-elected in 2022)
- Walz is popular in Minnesota
Tim Walz's policies and achievements in Minnesota
🎦 05:12-07:35⏩
, 17:31-17:51⏩
- Jonathan lists some of the progressive policies Walz has successfully implemented in Minnesota:
- Universal school meals
- Legalised marijuana
- Abortion protections
- Gun control measures
- Prior to politics Walz was a school teacher (Geography) and served 24 years in the Army National Guard
- Jonathan highlights how Walz is in touch with Middle America and the policies he is seen as promoting are popular with the demographic that the Democrats will be targeting – “suburban mums”, young people, young families and independents
- Jonathan analyses quotes from Kamala Harris on what she saw in Walz, emphasising his commitment to fighting for middle-class families
- Jonathan lists further policies that are popular with the electorate:
- Lowered the cost of insulin
- Cut taxes for working families
- Signed paid family leave into law
- Protected a woman’s right to choose
- Eliminated “junk fees”
- Passed free school lunches for all
- Jonathan concludes that this is a list of policies that are difficult to argue against as they are popular with the majority of the population
Tim Walz - family man
🎦 07:35-08:11⏩
- Jonathan discusses how Walz being a strong family man, coach and a Veteran are all positive attributes which will make him difficult to criticise
- He concludes that it will be challenging to find criticisms of Walz due to his record in public service, strong family values, the communities he has brought together and the districts he has governed
Tim Walz's political career
🎦 08:11-09:31⏩
- Jonathan discusses Walz’s political career and how it has prepared him well for the role of VP
- He started out in 2006 by upsetting the incumbent in a Republican-leaning congressional district
- Jonathan shares a quote from Walz comparing his selection as VP to the “first day of school”
- He goes on to discuss Walz’s “Midwesterner dad charm” and ability to make impactful statements e.g. calling out Trump and his allies as being “weird” – something that resonated with Democrats and caught their attention
- Jonathan explains the origins of the “weird” statement. When asked in an interview why he used it to describe Trump, Walz stated that on the campaign trail Trump:
- “talked about Hannibal Lecter and shocking sharks and just whatever crazy thing pops into his mind”
- “Have you ever seen the guy laugh? That seems very weird to me…If he has laughed, it's at someone, not with someone”
- Jonathan weighs in on Trump’s inability to laugh and finds it “incredibly revealing” from a psychological perspective
- He shares the view of an unnamed source who praises Walz’s ability to not just point out what is bad about Republicans but to articulate what the Democrats would actually do if in office
Tim Walz: Minnesota the happiest state
🎦 09:31-13:06⏩
- Jonathan references a quote from Tim Ryan, a friend of Walz’s, who said about Walz: “When he mentioned that (Minnesota is one of the top 3 happiest states) I was like ‘dang man that's really good'…because it gets us out of the political space and into the human being space”
- This sparks a philosophical aside by Jonathan who states:
- It is important to focus on happiness in Geopolitics and that, as nations, we should be looking at the countries with:
- The highest GDP
- The best tax ratios
- The best education
- Happiness is a non-derivative value currency (an axiom) – it is self-evidently good to be happy
- All political policies should have happiness as an end goal e.g.
- Why do you want education? To get a good job. Why do you want a good job? So I can earn lots of money and buy lots of nice things? Why do you want lots of money and to buy nice things? Because it will hopefully lead to greater ability to be happy and have a long life
- Jonathan reflects on this anecdote about Walz, concluding that it is significant as it shows that he knows that Minnesota is one of the happiest states in the US
- He laments that happiness should be what politics is striving for but that it gets lost
Tim Walz's military service
🎦 13:06-15:07⏩
- Jonathan shares the fact that Walz is the highest-ranking soldier to have ever served in Congress
- He discusses Walz’s military career and shares a comment from Mark Hertling who explains that Walz rose to the rank of Command Sergeant Major and was in charge of European forces
- Jonathan shares an explanation from Hertling of what it takes to reach the rank of Command Sergeant Major, stating that only the very best of the best achieve this rank. Key attributes include extreme competence, knowing what they are doing, upholding standards and not being afraid to get bad news
- Jonathan concludes that, while he doesn’t know the details of Walz’s military career, the fact that he was a Command Sergeant Major speaks volumes
Trump to be interviewed by Elon Musk
🎦 15:07-15:27⏩
- Jonathan shares the news that Trump will be interviewed by Elon Musk. No further information is provided
Tim Walz - Republican and Democrat reactions
🎦 15:27-17:31⏩
- Jonathan notes that lots of people are coming out in support of Walz since the announcement
- Jonathan shares a quote from Mike Johnson, the Republican House Speaker who describes Walz as “a progressive running mate who has voiced support for socialism”
- Jonathan analyses the quote:
- Believes the Republican strategy will be to paint Walz as a progressive and his policies as being disastrous
- Jonathan thinks the Republicans are wrong and that, in reality, Walz’s policies are popular with the electorate
- He points out that having one of the happiest states in the country is not evidence of a disastrous record
- He shares further quotes from Republicans in which they describe Walz as “radical left wing”, “liberal” and “the most radical left-wing ticket in American history”
- Contrasts these Republican views with those from high profile Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi, who describes Walz as a “heartland of America Democrat” and Cenk Uygur from the Young Turks who believes Walz to be an excellent choice
- Jonathan analyses comments from Democrats who believe that the Republicans will make a mistake by attacking Walz on his progressive policies as they are actually very popular e.g. paid family leave, abortion rights, red flag laws, free school lunches
Tim Walz - family values
🎦 17:51-21:07⏩
- Jonathan expresses the view that it is going to be difficult to attack Walz due to his strong record on middle class policies
- He references a discussion from the podcast “Pod Save America” which discusses potential strategies for Walz in the event that the Republicans attack him
- Jonathan analyses a quote from Walz in which he discusses his family values:
- Walz explains how he and his wife used IVF to conceive and because of this he wouldn’t have a family if the Republicans had their way
- He proudly discusses the things that Democrats have done to support families e.g. prenatal care, universal pre-K, school meals and paid family and medical leave
- Jonathan agrees with Walz’s points, stating that forcing women to be incubators is not “pro-family”
- Jonathan concludes that Walz is saying all the right things to appeal to middle America and the independents
Cross-party support for Tim Walz
🎦 21:07-23:31⏩
- Jonathan discusses how Walz has attracted a surprising level of support from across the political spectrum, ranging from the Democrats right wing through to Republicans
- He provides examples of endorsements from across the political spectrum:
- Joe Manchin (Democrat): “My friend, Governor Tim Walz, will bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen”
- Adam Kinzinger (former Republican): “I served for years with Governor Tim Walz in the House. We always got along well and when we would argue issues it was always with respect. He will make a great VP for Kamala Harris”
- Larry Hogan (Republican): “I want to extend my congratulations to Governor Walz on being selected as the Democratic vice presidential nominee. We had the chance to work together as fellow governors. And while we came from different parties, I've always appreciated his dedication to public service. I believe we need more governors at the national level, because governors have to actually get stuff done. I wished him and his family well in the campaign ahead”
Cenk Uygur analyses Tim Walz
🎦 23:31-25:18⏩
- Jonathan shares his surprise at the diverse range of endorsements Walz has received, particularly from Cenk Uygur who is very left wing and usually promotes progressive candidates. Jonathan speculates that perhaps Uygur sees Walz as a good option because he is electable
- Jonathan shares Uygur’s reaction to the announcement:
- “Holy shit, I can't believe she picked Tim Walz. She's going to win. That's a bold choice. Democrats are never bold. The attitude is even more important than the pick, even though the pick is excellent. If she's the type who picks Walz, she might even try to get things done”
- Jonathan shares Uygur’s view that the Democrats will win as the Republicans will attack Walz on his progressive policies, which are extremely popular, playing into the Democrat's hands
- Jonathan shares a quote from Josiah from Pondering Politics: “Waltz is so well liked by his party that he not only has the public endorsements of Bernie and AOC…but even a centrist painting the aisles like Joe Manchin”
Tim Walz - potential copyright infringement?
🎦 25:18-27:53⏩
- Jonathan shares a video montage of Walz with members of the public. He speculates that he might have to cut this section out of the video in case he gets a copyright strike due to the music
- He points out how this sort of video is very difficult to compete with, drawing a comparison to JD Vance who is far less charismatic
- Jonathan concludes that the ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz is going to be difficult to beat
Tim Walz on Ukraine
🎦 27:53-32:38⏩
- Jonathan discusses Walz’s position on Ukraine
- He shares an article from the Kyiv Independent: “Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate and current US Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, an outspoken Ukraine supporter, as her running mate for the U.S. presidential election”
- Jonathan lists Walz’s Pro-Ukraine credentials:
- Met with Zelensky virtually as part of the “Whistle Stops for Ukraine” tour
- Established an agricultural partnership between Minnesota and Ukraine
- Minnesota is home to defence contractors who have been supplying weapons to Ukraine (e.g. Northrop Grumman (drones/ammunition) and BAE Systems (howitzer parts))
- Welcomed Ukrainian refugees to Minnesota
- Jonathan shares a quote from John Herbst, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, who describes the selection of Walz as a mistake as he is not a moderate candidate. However, Jonathan believes that Walz is not as left-leaning as the Republicans will likely try to portray him as
Russian reaction to Tim Walz selection
🎦 32:38-33:32⏩
- Jonathan predicts there will be a lot of anti-Walz propaganda coming out of Russia, which MAGA Republicans will seize upon and regurgitate
- He shares a quote from Walz from back in 2022 when he signed a bill to end state investments in Russia and Belarus: “Minnesota does not tolerate the continued illegal aggression against Ukraine”
- He shares an article from Sputnik, a Russian propaganda outlet, which criticises Walz for his stance on the Ukraine war, referring to it as a “special military operation”
- Jonathan concludes that there will be spurious claims made about Walz emanating from Russia
John Voight (actor) supports Trump
🎦 33:32-35:34⏩
- Jonathan digresses and discusses how actor John Voight is a well-known Trump supporter, which is unusual in Hollywood which is usually more left leaning
- Jonathan speculates as to why this might be, citing Clint Eastwood as another example of a high profile, conservative actor
- He shares a quote from a Twitter account, which claims that in a recent video John Voight made the following claims:
- Obama is committing a war crime
- The left wants to steal children and make them trans
- Trump is a messiah
- Anyone who votes for Harris is committing the worst crime in human history
- Jonathan describes the comments as “weird”
- He concludes that Voight’s comments illustrate why Tim Walz calling Trump and his supporters “weird” gained so much traction as they do seem to make outlandish claims and statements
- Jonathan criticises Voight’s style of campaigning, which seems to be going down the MAGA route
Trump praises Maduro (Venezuela)
🎦 35:34-38:40⏩
- Jonathan shares his confusion at a statement by Trump in which he praises Venezuela for being “very safe” since Maduro came to power
- He expresses his surprise at Trump’s comments as Venezuela is considered a socialist dictatorship
- Jonathan speculates that Trump is just trying to reiterate how tough he is on immigration by claiming that all the criminals from Venezuela are now in the US and that Caracas is now safer than many US cities
- Jonathan then contradicts Trump by pointing out that Venezuela has the highest crime rate in the world, according to the Global Organised Crime Index
- He concludes that, while he doesn’t think Trump was praising Maduro, he needs to be clearer with his messaging as it just makes him look bad
Trump and JD Vance campaign strategy
🎦 38:40-40:47⏩
- Jonathan shares a tweet from the Lincoln Project which mocks the Trump/Vance ticket by pointing out that Trump has already admitted defeat by stating that “Tim Walz will be the worst vice president in history” – rather than “would be”
- Jonathan shares his view that, while it was probably a slip of the tongue, this demonstrates how important every word is
- He criticises Trump’s decision not to visit any battleground states this week, choosing to send JD Vance instead
- He believes this is a bad decision as JD Vance is not a charismatic campaigner, whereas Kamala Harris is
- Jonathan concludes that it is a strange tactic on Trump’s behalf
Arizona Republicans endorse Kamala Harris
🎦 40:47-41:57⏩
- Jonathan shares the news that Arizona Republicans have endorsed Kamala Harris and criticised Trump for his attacks on democracy
- He goes on to explain that Arizona Republicans plan to:
- Form a new advisory committee to help with the Harris for Arizona campaign
- Encourage Republicans to reject MAGA
- Jonathan analyses the news, pointing out how divided the Republican party currently is and how many are disillusioned with Trump and the MAGA agenda
- He questions where traditional Republicans, who are serious about foreign policy and Ukraine, should go
- Jonathan concludes that their only option is to vote Democrat or spoil their ballot
Beware of Russian trolls
🎦 41:57-42:45⏩
- Jonathan shares a tweet from Darth Putin about Russian trolls, warning people to beware of inauthentic accounts. He shares examples of accounts pushing pro-Putin, anti-Biden messaging
Jonathan’s conclusion
🎦 42:45-45:41⏩
- Jonathan summarises by stating that he now believes that Tim Walz is a sensible choice for Kamala Harris
- He believes that it would have been easier for Republicans to successfully attack Josh Shapiro as he is more divisive within the Democratic party
- He concludes that Tim Walz is the safer choice, as his policies are difficult to attack, and that he may even bring more to the ticket than initially thought
- Jonathan believes that Walz's personal chemistry with Kamala Harris was also a factor in his selection
- He concludes by saying that it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Will Walz help to win over voters in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona? Only time will tell
Wrap up
🎦 45:41-45:41⏩
- Jonathan signs off by saying he needs to get back to his swimming pool
🤖❓ AI Debrief (post task) - anything the AI didn't understand
I was able to understand everything in this transcript.
🤖💭 AI Plan (pre task) - the AI's step by step thought process
This is an interesting and challenging task! I can see how valuable it would be to have a summary of Jonathan's videos given how many he makes.
My overall approach for this transcript is:
Tasks 1-3: I will complete these tasks in order as they are sequential.
Task 4: Given Jonathan's tendency to go on tangents, this is likely to be the most challenging/time consuming aspect. My plan is to summarise each topic with bullet points to capture the key points. For tangents/philosophical asides I will summarise the key points he makes in a consise way. I will pay attention to his jokes, rants and overall feelings/passion about the subject matter.
Task 5: I will identify a quote once I have completed Task 4, as by doing so I will have familiarity with the key points of this transcript.
Task 6: I will check for any remaining gaps in my understanding.
