Kamala Harris ‘Blew a Big Opportunity’ With Running Mate Pick: Expert

Election data expert Nate Silver has expressed concern over Kamala Harris' selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, suggesting she missed a significant chance to appeal to centrist voters.

In his "Silver Bulletin" newsletter, published on Sunday, September 8, the FiveThirtyEight founder critiqued Harris' decision in light of a New York Times/Siena College poll that revealed 47% of likely voters view her as too liberal, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Kamala Harris 'Blew a Big Opportunity'

Silver pointed out that Harris, despite being a more skilled politician than portrayed in her 2019 presidential campaign, has reverted to the same approach with her running mate selection. "I think Walz was a decent enough pick on his own merits, but given the opportunity to signal a shift toward the centre, Harris chose not to," Silver remarked. He suggested that Harris could have made a stronger statement by selecting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a more centrist figure, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Shapiro, however, was not without controversy. Some far-left Democrats criticized the possibility of him being chosen due to his strong support for Israel, with some of the backlash being rooted in antisemitism. Silver argued that this criticism was actually an endorsement of Shapiro, stating that opposition from a small group of progressives worked in his favour.

According to Silver, Harris' standing is particularly weak among key demographic groups such as white voters without college degrees, rural voters, and older voters-crucial segments in battleground states like Pennsylvania. Silver's model currently gives Donald Trump a 65% chance of winning Pennsylvania, further highlighting the stakes of the election, as per media reports.

Looking ahead to the first debate between Harris and Trump, Silver warned that Harris needs to shake her tendency toward risk aversion and campaign as if she's two points behind. "Debates are often judged relative to expectations as much as by candidates' performance. If Harris is perceived as being in a tight race, a strong debate could work in her favour," he concluded.