The Democratic Party is still reeling from their crushing defeat in the 2024 presidential election. As President Donald Trump begins implementing his agenda, prominent Democrats are engaging in a very public post-mortem of what went wrong. The finger-pointing and soul-searching have become a daily spectacle, with various factions blaming everything from policy positions to campaign strategy.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who served as Kamala Harris’s running mate in the failed campaign, has been particularly vocal in recent weeks. The former vice presidential candidate has launched a media blitz. Indeed, he’s appeared on multiple platforms including CNN, MSNBC, and even at the South By Southwest film festival.

In what can only be described as a stunning admission, Walz has now revealed what many conservatives suspected all along.

“We shouldn’t have been playing this thing so safe,” Walz told Politico in an interview published Saturday. He added that the campaign should have “rolled the dice” on more unscripted events with voters.

“In football parlance, we were in a prevent defense to not lose when we never had anything to lose, because I don’t think we were ever ahead,” Walz said. This only bolsters reporting following the election that internal Democratic polling showed Harris lagging behind Trump in the lead-up to Nov. 5.

The Football Analogy That Explains It All

Walz’s football comparison speaks volumes about the Democrats’ flawed campaign strategy. In football, a “prevent defense” is a conservative approach. It is used when a team is ahead and trying to avoid giving up big plays. But as Walz admits, the Harris campaign was never actually ahead, making their cautious strategy completely misguided.

This admission confirms what I’ve been saying all along. Despite mainstream polls suggesting otherwise, internal Democratic data showed Harris consistently trailing Trump. The campaign’s decision to play it safe when they were actually behind proved disastrous. Isn’t it telling that they knew they were behind the whole time?

Walz specifically criticized the campaign’s media approach, stating that Democrats “are more cautious” when engaging with the press. President Trump and Vice President JD Vance conducted numerous interviews across various media platforms. In contrast, Harris largely avoided unscripted interactions with journalists and voters alike.

Remember when Harris went weeks without a press conference? I sure do.

‘Underutilized’ And ‘In a Box’

Former Harris campaign staffers have echoed Walz’s criticism, suggesting he was deliberately constrained by campaign leadership.

“He was underutilized and that was the symptom of the larger campaign of decision paralysis and decision logjam at the top,” one former senior Harris aide told Politico.

Another staffer was even more blunt. This staffer said that Walz was put “in a box” and “we didn’t use him the way we could’ve.”

Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison lamented that “the world seemed to want more Tim Walz, and there were times when I wish they could’ve gotten more Tim Walz.”

The campaign’s reluctance to let Walz be himself stands in stark contrast to the Trump campaign’s strategy of authentic engagement. While Vance traveled the country speaking directly to voters, Walz was reportedly kept on a tight leash, only being deployed aggressively in the final weeks when it was already too late.

Presidential Ambitions Despite Defeat

Despite acknowledging his role in the campaign’s failure, Walz appears undeterred in his political ambitions. In a move that has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum, the failed vice presidential candidate has hinted at a potential presidential run in 2028.

“I’m staying on the playing field to try and help because we have to win,” Walz said. “And I will always say this, I will do everything in my power [to help], and as I said, with the vice presidency, if that was me, then I’ll do the job.”

This statement comes as Walz has refused to identify who currently leads the Democratic Party. When asked directly by CNN’s Kasie Hunt, Walz dodged the question, saying only that “the voting public right now is what I would say” leads the party.

Translation: They have no leaders worth naming.

The inability to name a party leader highlights the leadership vacuum Democrats now face as they attempt to regroup after their decisive electoral defeat.

Key Takeaways

• Democrats’ strategy of limiting media exposure and avoiding unscripted moments backfired with voters seeking authentic engagement.
• Walz’s football analogy confirms internal polling showed Harris trailing despite mainstream media narratives.
• The stark disconnect between Democratic leadership and everyday Americans continues to plague the party.
• A failed VP candidate positioning for a presidential run shows Democrats haven’t learned why Americans rejected their message.

Sources: Fox News, Yahoo News, The Daily Beast