Tim Walz formally accepts the nomination as a vice presidential candidate

• Former students marched on stage to introduce Walz.
• The Democratic vice presidential candidate expresses love for country.
• Walz devotes much of his speech to supporting Harris.
  

Tim Walz chose to express his love for his country as he introduced himself to millions of Americans at a star-studded third night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Wednesday, accepting Kamala Harris’ nomination to run for the White House.

“It is the honor of my life to accept your nomination for vice president of the United States. We are all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason. We love this country,” Walz said at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

In a whirlwind one-quarter speech, Walz ran through the story of his middle-class upbringing in small-town Nebraska, where he worked on the family farm, and described his experience teaching students that inspired him to go into politics.

“They saw in me what I hoped to instill in them: a commitment to the common good, an understanding that we’re all in this together, and a belief that a single person can make a difference for their neighbors,” he said as the crowd chanted ” Coach Waltz!”

The gloves came off as the 60-year-old Minnesota governor took aim at Republican nominee Donald Trump, accusing him of spending “all day insulting people and blaming others.”

But Walz devoted much of his speech at the United Center in Chicago to supporting Harris.

“From her time as a prosecutor, as a prosecutor, as an attorney general, as a United States senator and then as our vice president, she fought on the side of the American people,” he said.

“He’s taken on predators and crooks. He’s taken down transnational gangs. . . . He’s never hesitated to reach that corridor if it meant making your life better, and he’s always done it with energy, passion and joy.”

The relatively unknown state-level official brings a Midwestern everyman vibe to Harris’ growing anti-Trump campaign that was central to his speech.

Introduced by Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz, the former National Guardsman drew a standing ovation as he took the stage for the biggest speech of his political career ahead of Harris’ big night on Thursday.

In a moment that brought the audience to its feet, former students marched on stage to introduce Walz – a football coach in his teaching years – after a musical intermission by Grammy-winning musician John Legend.

Walz’s main job was to complement Harris’ speech and the culmination of a convention that defied predictions of discord or even chaos after President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw his re-election bid on July 21.

“No matter who you are, Kamala Harris will stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life you want to live, because that’s what we want for ourselves and it’s what we want for our neighbors,” she said.

He has made a name for himself as a skilled communicator and is credited with coming up with one of the sharpest lines of attack on Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, whom he called “weird.”

The chemistry between Harris, 59, and Walz, and the boisterous energy generated at their rallies, is fueling Democrats’ hopes that they can defeat Trump, 78, in November.

Polls show the election remains close, but Harris is slightly ahead, a remarkable turn of events given that just a month ago Trump appeared to be steadily gaining a tighter grip on the race.

On the convention floor, delegates praised Walz’s keynote address.

“I thought his speech was perfect,” said Rep. Edwina Martin, 60, of New York. AFP.

“I’ve heard him say a lot of the same things at rallies, but tonight, hearing it in that setting was incredibly powerful and meaningful and inspiring.”

Before Walz lit up the arena, the crowd heard from former President Bill Clinton.

“In 2024, we have a clear choice: ‘We the people’ versus ‘Me, myself and I,'” Clinton said.