When historians look back at 2024, there are a lot of things that will probably end up flummoxing them.

The insistence that Joe Biden stay in, the last-minute change on the ticket after his debate performance, the Republican primary as a whole, multiple global conflicts, economic crises, and more.

But one situation we're still not sure might have an impact or not is Kamala Harris' veepstakes. The selection of Tim Walz over governors of key swing states - especially Pennsylvania - continues to baffle, to the point that even friends and allies are starting to question it. 

Which USA Today has taken notice of.

What started as an appealing character trait has quickly become one of Tim Walz's biggest problems: His way with words.

Exaggerations from the 60-year-old Minnesota governor's past, combined with a series of verbal gaffes, have helped define the Democratic vice presidential nominee during a critical two-month period since he joined Kamala Harris atop the party's 2024 ticket. Selected in part for his Midwestern plainspokenness and ability to connect to people, Walz's introduction to the nation's voters has also been hampered by his having to answer for why he cannot seem to say the right things.

The USA Today article focuses on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s recent public speaking errors, as well as his straight-up lies, and their potential implications for the 2024 election. 

READ MORE:

It Sure Looks Like Tim Walz Lied About His Political Origin Story

Tim Walz Caught Fudging the Truth AGAIN

Walz Crashes and Burns During Strahan Interview in Epically Bad Fashion

Walz, a Democratic leader who holds significant sway in Minnesota, has made several verbal missteps during speeches and interviews. These gaffes range from factual errors to awkward remarks, raising concerns about his public image as the election approaches.

While no single mistake has caused major damage, the accumulation of these errors has drawn attention from both the media and his political opponents. Some Democrats worry that Walz’s missteps could weaken his influence in rallying voters in 2024, providing Republicans with ammunition to question his leadership abilities.

Walz has routinely lied about his past, 

Of course, we didn't need much more ammo to question the leadership abilities of a man who shut down schools and set up a snitch line during COVID-19 for people to report their neighbors. But it does help that he's screwing up so badly that he is even being noticed by the mainstream press.

One has to wonder if, given the state of swing states around the Rust Belt, maybe picking Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania would have been wiser. Pennsylvania is on the verge of flipping as Trump has taken a slight lead in the polling average. But, you also have to wonder if the current state of the Democratic base, which has taken a very antisemitic turn, would allow for such a thing.

I don't know if the running mate pick on either side helps or hurts the race, but it certainly does not help the Democrats for their "stars" to be nearly constantly making fools of themselves in front of the entire country. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and now Tim Walz are people who have been on the ticket for the Democrats this year, and all three have been disastrous in their public appearances.

Makes you wonder if they have any real "stars" left.