This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 6 episode of “Andrea Mitchell Reports.”

With Kamala Harris’ choice to name Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, we now know who will face off against Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, in November. 

And the contrast between the two candidates couldn’t be any clearer. You’ve got “Hillbilly Elegy” versus a real hillbilly. The guy who went to Yale up against the guy who can teach you how to fix your car. 

Walz’s personal narrative is strong and voters will take notice.

Unsurprisingly, the attacks from Republicans have already started to pour in. They’re labeling the Harris-Walz ticket as radically progressive. But I’m not buying that line and neither should voters.

Just look at Walz’s voting record during his time in the House. It’s far from progressive. And while some may point to his accomplishments as Minnesota governor, last time I checked feeding kids lunch and breakfast was not a progressive or conservative policy. It’s what a governor should do for the people of his state.

That’s not to say there aren’t valid questions regarding Walz’s record. In 2020, the governor faced intense criticism for his slow response after protests in his state over George Floyd’s murder turned violent. But I also believe that’s something the vice president’s team took into consideration during Walz’s vetting process. 

Overall, this is a strong pick from the Harris campaign. While Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was many people’s first choice — he was one of my top contenders as well — Harris’ selection of Walz shows us a preview of what kind of leader she will be in office. It shows she’s willing to go against the grain. I think that bodes well for how she may set up her administration.

If this race does boil down to Harris and Walz’s “progressivism,” their competition is Trump and Vance’s MAGAism. One team wants to be an authoritarian regime, the other wants to try to govern the nation. You can talk about ideological lines all day long but, at the end of the day, the question for voters this November is clear: What will this country look like with either one of those tickets in the White House?

That’s what voters have to decide. And I, for one, hope they land on the side of governing the country, not setting up a dictatorship. 

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