Tim Walz backtracks on his call for the elimination of the Electoral College

By 
 October 12, 2024

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is now attempting to retreat from his claim that the Electoral College "needs to go."

Fox News reports that Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate in the 2024 presidential election, "backpedaled" on Thursday.

This, of course, does not mean that Walz has changed his mind on the subject.

Rather, it just means that Walz is a politically expedient individual, willing to do and say anything that could help him and Harris to win the 2024 presidential election.

Background

Before getting to Walz's latest comments on the matter, it may be interesting to look at what took place before Walz ostensibly changed his position on the subject.

It was during a campaign fundraiser that was held at the home of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that Walz argued the Electoral College "needs to go." He said, "I think all of us know, the Electoral College needs to go. We need a national popular vote."

This is, of course, because the Democrats often lose presidential elections at the Electoral College rather than at the popular vote. In other words, eliminating the Electoral College would ensure more Democratic presidential victories.

It is not, however, a popular idea, which is why the Harris campaign immediately decided to distance itself from Walz on this issue.

The campaign claimed:

Governor Walz believes that every vote matters in the Electoral College and he is honored to be traveling the country and battleground states working to earn support for the Harris-Walz ticket. He was commenting to a crowd of strong supporters about how the campaign is built to win 270 electoral votes. And, he was thanking them for their support that is helping fund those efforts.

The latest

It was just a couple of days after Walz made the initial remark - calling for the end of the Electoral College - that he attempted to backtrack on the issue.

In an interview with ABC, host Michael Strahan asked him, "You said, ‘I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go. But the campaign came out later that night, and they said that’s not their stance."

Walz, after agreeing that this is not the campaign's stance, attempted to explain himself.

He said:

The point I’m trying to make is that there’s folks that feel every vote must count in every state, and I think some of the folks feel that’s not the case. We’re out there making the case that the campaign’s position is clear, that that’s not their position. Their position and my position is to make sure that everybody understands their vote, no matter what state they’re in, matters.

When asked whether he and Harris agree on this subject, Walz replied, "Um, I have spoken about it in the past, that she’s been very clear on this, and the campaign and my position is the campaign’s position."

" A free people [claim] their rights, as derived from the laws of nature."
Thomas Jefferson