STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
We listen to the Democratic vice presidential nominee, who got a chance to introduce himself last night.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Tim Walz has been a national figure for barely two weeks.
INSKEEP: Yeah, that's all the time that's passed since Vice President Harris chose Minnesota's governor as her running mate. He's now familiar for his Minnesota accent and his mockery of the Republican ticket, and last night, he had a chance to tell the country more about who he is.
FADEL: NPR political reporter Elena Moore is here to talk about it all. Good morning.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Good morning.
FADEL: OK, so this was Tim Walz's moment to introduce himself to the nation - a prime-time debut. How did he do it?
MOORE: Well, his speech was part rallying cry for Vice President Harris and part introduction. He's an Army National Guard veteran turned teacher and high school football coach turned politician, but the coach role is the one he leaned into. You know, as he spoke, the crowd chanted and held up signs that said, Coach Walz.
(CHEERING)
MOORE: He also ticked through many of the same issues that we hear Harris talk about, but he added his own Midwestern flare.
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TIM WALZ: In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make.
(CHEERING)
WALZ: And even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we've got a golden rule - mind your own damn business.
(CHEERING)
MOORE: And there, he's talking about protecting reproductive rights, a major issue for Democratic voters.
FADEL: Yeah, and we heard a lot about neighborliness last night. Now, before he was governor, Walz was a congressman. He won as a Democrat in a part of Minnesota that was deeply red, flipped a Republican seat. What about him appeals to voters beyond the Democratic base?
MOORE: Well, Walz gives off a different vibe that might appeal to folks outside of Democrats' orbit. You know, he's a camo-wearing gun owner who's into dad rock. And above all, you know, he's leaning into his Midwestern roots, and that's exactly where Democrats hope he can excel - you know, in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, those blue wall states that Harris needs in order to win the White House, and we heard some of that message in his speech.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
WALZ: This is the part - clip and save it and send it to your undecided relatives, so they know - if you're a middle-class family or a family trying to get into the middle class, Kamala Harris is going to cut your taxes.
(CHEERING)
FADEL: Now, there were some heavy hitters onstage last night - former President Bill Clinton, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. There was also a surprise appearance from Oprah Winfrey. What was that like?
MOORE: I mean, it was Oprah.
(LAUGHTER)
MOORE: I mean, I was in the audience, and the crowd went wild when she walked in.
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UNIDENTIFIED PRESENTER: Please welcome Oprah Winfrey.
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MOORE: In her speech, she really called for unity.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
OPRAH WINFREY: When a house is on fire, we don't ask about the homeowner's race or religion. We don't wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them.
MOORE: And, you know, Leila, Oprah's no stranger to talking politics. She endorsed former President Barack Obama in 2007, and she kept backing Democrats since then. And this is her first appearance at the DNC.
FADEL: While a lot of the night was about celebrating the Harris-Walz ticket, it also had some really serious moments. Tell us more about that.
MOORE: Yeah, earlier in the evening, we heard from the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a young American being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. It was a really emotional moment, and the crowd was noticeably moved. But there was also controversy because leaders of the National Uncommitted Movement, who have delegates at the convention, had been pushing for a Palestinian American to have a speaking spot as well, to also highlight what's happening to the people in Gaza, and that request was denied. This is a group that has urged Democrats to support a cease-fire in the war and have called for a U.S. arms embargo on Israel, and this hits at a problem for Democrats. You know, they need Arab American, Muslim and progressive voters in order to win, but these are the same voters most turned off by the U.S. policy on the war.
FADEL: That's NPR's Elena Moore. Thanks, Elena. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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