Democrats’ joy is unconfined as Harris and Walz take upbeat message on tour

The new presidential ticket is accentuating the positive on a swing through battleground states but opinions differ on whether they can shift the mood in rural America

When Vice-President Kamala Harris and the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, stepped onstage together for the first time on Tuesday, Philadelphia's Liacouras Center glittered red, white and blue as Beyonce's Freedom blared and the crowd pulsed.

Walz, who was plucked from relative obscurity just hours, when he accepted Harris's offer to join the Democratic presidential ticket, placed his hand over his heart, almost bewildered by the reception. He waved. He bowed. He pointed to the crowd, and back to Harris. He grinned and laughed and bowed again.