Walz campaigns in Papillion for Nebraska Electoral College vote

Oct. 20, 2024, midnight ·

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz speaks in Papillion (Photo by Fred Knapp, Nebraska Public Media News)
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz speaks in Papillion (Photo by Fred Knapp, Nebraska Public Media News)

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Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz campaigned in Nebraska Saturday, talking about his Nebraska roots, criticizing the Trump-Vance ticket, and trying to win an Electoral College vote.

Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd at Papillion’s SumTur Amphitheater, Walz started by referring to his Nebraska roots.

“Hello again neighbors, it’s good to be home,” he declared.

Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska, lived in Butte and Valentine, graduated from Chadron State and taught and coached in Alliance before moving to Minnesota, where he is now governor.

He spent much of his speech talking about themes he and Vice President Harris have emphasized in their campaign, including reproductive rights and credits to start small businesses, and made no reference to pro-Palestinian demonstrators who chanted in the distance, and one man in the audience who yelled “Stop the genocide!”

Walz he also contrasted the social conservatism promoted by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, with what Walz said was traditional Republicanism.

“The Republican Party of old contributed much to this country," Walz said. "When the Republican Party of old talked about freedom, they meant it. That's not these guys. That's not these guys. These guys mean that government should be free to be in your exam room with your doctor. They talk about small government -- apparently, small enough to fit in your bedroom with the people you're there with, or in your library to tell you what to read,” he said.

And he finished with a plea for at least one Electoral College vote from the Omaha-area Second Congressional District, to break what could otherwise be a 269-269 tie which would send the election to the House of Representatives, and presumably a Trump victory.

“You do the math: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, the rest of the states: 269. One dot makes the difference,” he said, as the crowd chanted, and he echoed, “Blue Dot, blue dot, blue dot.”

Minnesota is considered safe for the Democrats. But if they lose Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia but win Wisconsin Michigan, and Pennsylvania, the second district could break the tie.

To emphasize the point, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard were campaigning in Omaha for Trump.