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### Political Dynamics: A New Candidate Landscape
– Senator JD Vance criticized Kamala Harris for selecting what he termed a “San Francisco-style liberal.”
– Interestingly, Governor Tim Walz only visited San Francisco for the first time last month.
– In contrast, Vance has an extensive history in the city, having lived there as a venture capitalist.
In his inaugural comments following Vice President Kamala Harris’s choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio targeted his opponent by labeling him as a “San Francisco-style liberal.”
Harris’s decision was crunched during comments made in Philadelphia where she referred to herself as embodying the essence of San Francisco liberalism. “She has ruled like one and now she’s chosen someone who mirrors that stance,” asserted Vance.
While Harris indeed launched her political journey from the Bay Area—serving notably as San Francisco’s District Attorney from 2004 until 2011—it is important to note that Gov. Walz has spent hardly any time in the city until recently; he only made his inaugural visit just last month.
“My first experience with San Francisco happened last week,” recounted Walz on an episode of *The Ezra Klein Show* aired on August 2. “I found it to be one of the most stunning cities I’ve encountered.”
He mentioned attending meetings there while exploring areas such as ‘Presidio,’ expressing that he found it exotic yet lamentable how it had been ‘demonized’ over time.
On another hand, after earning his law degree in 2013, Vance moved to San Francisco where he began making strides within the venture capital arena. He previously reflected on this part of his life in a *The Atlantic* essay from 2016 wherein he criticized Donald Trump—his running mate today—drawing parallels between Trump’s allure and drug addiction.
> “A few Saturdays ago,” he wrote nostalgically, recalling moments spent volunteering at a community garden surrounded by vibrant city life filled with brunches and art galleries—a typical day within those urban confines.”
Vance returned to Ohio in 2017 but continued revisiting California multiple times since then—including participating in Trump fundraising events just recently.
Vance went further on Tuesday labeling Walz as “one of America’s most radical leftist figures across various levels.” He rebuked him over response actions related to Minneapolis riots post George Floyd’s tragic death, claiming that under his governance cities were allowed to descend into chaos amidst unrest.
However, despite these broad characterizations—which reflect standard rhetoric Republicans tend toward regarding Democratic candidates—the approach indicates perhaps some strategic disarray within their campaign dynamic amidst evolving ticket narratives.
Interestingly enough, Vance hinted at uncertainty surrounding whether Harris will stick with Walz stating: “Honestly speaking,” For instance: why should I say much about Tim Walz when it seems Dems may be considering another option?” alluding potentially towards Joe Biden’s recent ambiguous position concerning continuation for re-election efforts moving forward this cycle.
After weeks focused intensely upon vetting possible candidates—including notable names like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro—Harris ultimately opted for Tim Walz this past Tuesday from an array considered choices.
Vance is now slated next week for various appearances across critical battleground states lined up against both Harris &Walz appeal strategies ahead leading eventually towards election day.
