The Atlantic On Walz Going AWOL with Media: ‘Trapped’ In ‘Same Hyper-Protective Bubble Wrap’ As Harris, Biden

(AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Mark Leibovich with The Atlantic commented on the sudden absence of Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz on the national stage Saturday, questioning if Democrats were potentially wasting his talents by placing him in “protective bubble wrap.”

Leibovich noted the Minnesota governor emerged from relative obscurity over the summer and made himself a tool for Democrats to relate to midwestern voters – before he went radio silent in recent weeks.

According to the analysis from Leibovich, Walz was an “instant sensation” when he ramped up his national TV appearances after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid in June. He gained momentum and increased it after Vice President Kamala Harris tapped him as her running mate.

“He relentlessly touted Harris and crushed Donald Trump and dismissed certain Republicans as ‘weird’ in a punchy procession of appearances,” the reporter wrote. “Next thing he knew, in early August, Harris was on the phone asking him to be her running mate.”

Leibovich commented that in his estimation, Walz is a skilled and calculated politician with the ability to reach people. However, he questioned why Walz was not being utilized in such a way with just a few weeks until the November election. Leibovich wrote:

Walz is unquestionably a good politician. This has been evident in a variety of settings, beginning with cable interviews, the format that, more than anything, positioned him for this job. Back in July, he was firing off lines about Democrats fighting to preserve basic American freedoms—over their own bodies, lifestyle choices, health-care options, and whatnot—that went immediately viral. “These are weird people on the other side,” Walz said on MSNBC. “They want to take books away. They want to be in your exam room.” His message: Americans should be free to mind their own damn business, and have others mind theirs.

Oddly, since Harris picked him, Walz has been largely hidden away from the national media. The campaign has been content to deploy Walz as more of a cartoon than a multidimensional character: dress Coach up in camouflage, pop in the Bob Seger eight-track, juice him up on Diet Mountain Dew, and send him onto the stage. His rallies are loud, boisterous, and well attended, usually more so than Vance’s.

Leibovich added:

It’s a bit of a mystery why Walz has largely stopped doing national media, especially given how effective he was over the summer. The campaign seems to have trapped him in the same hyper-protective Bubble Wrap it has placed around Harris, and that was placed around Biden before her. This strikes me as a massive waste of Walz’s talent, but what do I know?

Perhaps this will change after Tuesday. The debate—between two midwestern populists of very different backgrounds, styles, and sensibilities—will be fascinating. Walz can detonate a line with the best, packs a lot of words and umbrage into tight sound bites, and has proved adept on TV. But how will this translate against the cool, cerebral vitriol of Vance? Will Walz’s default nonchalance survive the high stakes of the event?

The Atlantic staff reporter Walz might remind voters who he is during Tuesday’s vice presidential debate against Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and throughout the last leg of the race for the White House.