Skip next section Walz introduces himself alongside party stalwarts
08/22/2024August 22, 2024
Walz introduces himself alongside party stalwarts
is a relative unknown to American voters. On Wednesday, he is slated to introduce himself.
Despite Republican attempts to brand him a “radical Socialist” who “is worse than Bernie [Sanders],” Walz is often seen as a straight-talking — at times folksy — down-to-earth, middle-class Midwesterner.
Minnesotans regularly rank among the happiest Americans and Walz seems to embody that. His message is one of conviction and determination.
Walz will likely speak of his childhood in Nebraska, his years in the National Guard, his work as a high school teacher and football coach, in the US House of Representatives and as governor of Minnesota.
That down-to-earth reputation could be key to Harris and Walz securing victory in Midwestern swing states and when it comes to connecting with working-class voters, providing a balance to Harris’ West Coast background.
Besides Walz, key speakers to take the stage on Wednesday are former President Bill Clinton and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a fellow Midwesterner.
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and numerous swing-state governors and senators are also set to address the DNC.
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Skip next section Mass arrests outside Israeli consulate in Chicago
08/22/2024August 22, 2024
Mass arrests outside Israeli consulate in Chicago
Chicago police remained busy in their attempt to keep a lid on public order as protesters continue to descend on the city. Tuesday night saw 55 arrests made as a result of violent clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and police.
The arrests were made near the Israeli Consulate in Chicago, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away from the United Center, where the DNC is being held.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling described the situation as “a danger to our city.”
“As the Chicago Police Department, we did everything that we could to de-escalate that situation,” said Snelling during a news conference, “But there’s only so much de-escalation that you can attempt before it becomes excessive repetition.”
Snelling said some protesters at the consulate, many dressed in black and with their faces covered, charged at a line of police who had blocked their march. He said protesters showed up to, “fight with the police. We were not the initiators of violence, but we responded to it.”
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Skip next section What happened earlier at the DNC?
08/22/2024August 22, 2024
What happened earlier at the DNC?
After a raucous of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday, and , day three will see vice-presidential candidate Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota step into the limelight.
The prime-time slot will give Walz — who is expected to formally accept the party’s vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday — the opportunity to introduce himself, a relative unknown, to a national audience.
On day two, the Obamas delivered a message of rejuvenated political hope amid a party-like atmosphere, often poking fun at the narrow-minded privilege and strange racial obsessions behind the rantings and policies of Kamala Harris’ Republican challenger, Donald Trump. They also urged Democrats to prepare for the political battle facing them in their effort to get Harris elected president.
Though day three may see Walz jokingly refer to his labeling of Trump Republicans as “weird” — which has clearly struck a nerve — he will also seek to highlight just how a second Donald Trump term would imperil American liberties.
The tenor of the evening is expected to highlight individual freedoms that Democrats say would be under threat should Republicans win back the White House.
Reproductive rights will be front and center as an example of what can happen to long-accepted rights when Republicans are in control. It is a visceral example of personal freedoms — revoked by GOP lawmakers and a conservative Supreme Court — that hits very close to home for millions of Americans. It also happens to be an election-swaying issue for the party and one that can be pinned directly on Donald Trump.
js,dh/fb (AP, Reuters)
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