Harris and Walz Hold First Rally in Philadelphia: Takeaways From Their Speeches

A glittering night aimed to energize Democrats and banish the doldrums that have gripped the party.

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Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota during a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

The campaign to defeat former President Donald Trump is going to be fun.

That was the message from Vice President Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, as they took the stage together for the first time in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. The glittering rally was intended to introduce a heretofore obscure Midwestern governor — and hype up Americans for the sprint to November.

“So, we’ve got 91 days. My God, that’s easy,” Walz said during a zesty debut in which he marveled at the crowd, joyfully clasped his hands and went for the jugular, at least where Trump and his running mate were concerned. “We’ll sleep when we’re dead.”

The night was aimed at electrifying voters and banishing once and for all the doldrums that had gripped the Democratic Party during the doomed re-election effort of President Biden, who was not mentioned by either candidate. But it also highlighted some of the challenges Harris and Walz will face in a race that Trump is still favored to win.

Here are five takeaways from a raucous night in Philly.

Walz showed why Harris picked him

It was only this morning that the vice president called Walz, 60, and asked him to join her ticket. As he took the stage, it seemed as if he could not quite believe he was there. But after the two shared the spotlight for 50 minutes, their chemistry seemed obvious.

“Thank you,” Walz said, directly addressing Harris in the opening moment of his speech, “for bringing back the joy.”

Walz, who bowed toward Harris before beginning his speech, came off as delighted to speak on her behalf, with no reservations about playing second fiddle. His oratory never soared, but Harris reacted with obvious delight as he rattled off plain-spoken zingers.

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