On the rally stage in Philadelphia, he cut the figure of a man destined for the highest office.

No one worked the crowd better and a barnstorming performance went down a storm inside the Temple University arena.

Which begs the question: why wasn’t Josh Shapiro picked?

Kamala Harris’s choice of liberal-leaning Tim Walz has pleased Democrats, no doubt. Chemistry, we’re told, was the clincher for the partnership.

Read more: Could Walz be most progressive VP ever?

Harris is also attracted to his backstory, plain-speaking and political heft on the likes of reproductive rights and gun control.

But if there’s Democratic satisfaction with Walz, there is surprise that 51-year-old Shapiro wasn’t the choice.

He’s a politician with a 60%+ approval rating, sure-footed and moderate enough to settle the horses in Democratic curious-yet-reluctant parts of the country.

As Pennsylvania governor, Shapiro would be a safe bet to lock in the 19 electoral college votes on offer in the state, hugely important in the race for the White House.

On Tuesday evening, however, Shapiro told the Philadelphia crowd, “I love being your governor” and vowed “to continue pouring my heart and soul into continuing to serve you every single day,” before giving the stage over to Harris and Walz.

So why not him? Reportedly, he and Harris didn’t really hit it off in the ‘chemistry test’ interview.

Her head would also have been turned by criticism from pro-Palestinian activists of the Jewish governor’s positions on the Israel-Hamas war, even though they are aligned with others who made the shortlist.

Protests, whatever their foundation, would drag Harris towards awkward territory and difficult questions.

Then there’s ambition. Shapiro is seen as a potential contender for the presidency at some point in his career – Walz, on the other hand, has let it be known that’s not on his radar.

It’s clear which working dynamic would best foster mutual trust between a number one and two.

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A priority for Harris is a working relationship that will thrive in office. She has to get there first.

In making her choice of running mate, she has made the biggest choice of her political career.

It’s also the biggest gamble.

For more on the 2024 race, head to the NPR Network’s elections updates page.

At an energetic rally in Philadelphia, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris introduced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, ticking through his varied resume and often calling him “Coach Walz” because of his tenure as a successful high school football coach.

“In 91 days,” Harris said, “the nation will know Coach Walz by another name: vice president of the United States.”

The current vice president cited Walz’s time as a National Guardsman and teacher, and some of his progressive accomplishments as Minnesota governor, including expansive voting rights measures and gun safety laws. The two stressed their campaign theme of “freedom” and pushing toward the “future,” rather than going backward with Donald Trump.

For their part, Republicans have spent the day deriding Walz as a “radical” liberal.

A fist-pumping Walz then displayed his ability to attack Trump, quipping that violent crime was up during Trump’s administration, then adding: “That’s not even counting the crimes he committed!”

Notably, Harris and Walz were preceded on stage by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was passed over for the running mate slot yet still gave a forceful endorsement of the Democratic ticket.

Harris returned the praise in kind. “Together with Josh Shapiro,” she said, “we will win Pennsylvania.”

Kamala Harris’ first appearance with her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz—which will be held in front of a crowd in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening—was scheduled last week, long before she made the announcement that she was adding Walz to the ticket and, if reporting is to be believed, before she even made the decision to bring Walz on.

Because of the location of the first rally—and because Pennsylvania is such a crucial battleground state—there was a lot of speculation that these clues all added up to a vice presidential slot for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. He was already a front-runner: A rising star in the Democratic Party with high approval ratings in his state, Shapiro could have possibly guaranteed a win for Democrats come November in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

But Shapiro isn’t the only politician capable of exciting Pennsylvanians.

Let me be clear: Pennsylvania is incredibly important in presidential elections, with its 19 electoral votes and wide swath of residents who seemingly represent the rich, diverse makeup of the country as a whole. We know how to pick a winner, and we know a winner when we see one. But though Pennsylvania has voted for the winner of the presidential election in 48 of 59 elections, those winners have, historically … not been from here.

It’s been 144 years since a true Pennsylvanian was in any slot on a presidential ticket; 163 years since Pennsylvania had a president in the White House (James Buchanan); and 175 years since a Pennsylvanian was VP (George Dallas, vice president to James Polk).

Some may argue (as one of my fellow Slatesters attempted to argue) that Joe Biden—good ol’ Scranton Joe—should make the cut here. To that I say: Biden gets a fat asterisk on his Pennsylvania roots. From the age of 10, Biden lived in Delaware. He clerked at a Wilmington law firm. He was elected to represent the people of Delaware. Sure, he may occasionally rep the Philadelphia Phillies, but show me a professional Delaware sports team. He doesn’t really have much of a choice.

Yes, Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians will almost always go to bat for one their own—one of the big upsides for Harris if she chose Shapiro. Just look at what happened with Gritty. Philadelphians were … less than enthused about the new mascot for our city’s NHL team. But the moment other people started to bad-mouth Gritty, talking about how terrifying, creepy, and—dare I say—weird the Flyers’ orange, googly-eyed mascot was, we changed our tune and fast.

That type of loyalty isn’t inherited, it’s earned. You have to prove that you know what it takes to be one of us. Gritty didn’t back away from the criticism, Gritty told the critics (namely the Pittsburgh Penguins’ mascot) to sleep with one eye open.

It’s not a stretch to say Walz embodies this same spirit.

He has endeared many potential voters (and much of the internet) with his unfiltered, tell-it-like-it-is talking points. The stories of his time as a high school teacher and football coach who was also the adviser for the school’s gay-straight alliance prove his humanity. He has a dog who tends to get into some mischief. He has successfully branded his enemies as the weird ones. He drinks Diet Mountain Dew.

In other words, Walz looks and acts like a lot of Pennsylvanians. He doesn’t need to be from here to get the voters riled up, just as any other major-party ticket hasn’t relied on a candidate from the Commonwealth for nearly 150 years to get the PA vote. The stakes are high; democracy hangs in the balance. But Harris may have chosen the perfect running mate—with Big Gritty Energy to boot—to get Pennsylvanians to the polls.