Kudos to Vice President Kamala Harris, who didn't play overtly political and instead chose a popular governor of a key battleground state as her running mate.

Instead, the California native picked a popular governor from a blue state she was highly likely to win anyway, someone who should command broad support in many purple states across the middle of America.

Her choice of moderate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz doesn't feel like a typical, predictable, or ultra-safe political move, which in this hyper-polarized election year feels refreshing in itself.

She took a risk: If Harris had picked Pennsylvania's popular governor, Josh Shapiro, she probably would have secured a key battleground state that she needed to win in November.

But Shapiro, like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, has already been vocal in supporting Biden administration policies and warning voters about the dangers of President Donald Trump's reelection, and he has a strong local following, which may help Harris win Pennsylvania anyway.

At a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, where Harris and Waltz made their first public appearance together, Shapiro promised to “go all in” as the Democratic candidate. We'll see how it goes.

Another vice presidential candidate on Harris's list, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, also might have won the Democratic battleground state. Kelly has an impressive resume as a fighter pilot, astronaut, gun control advocate and all-around steady guy.

But Walz is a better, more natural communicator and, as he demonstrated before a national television audience on Tuesday, is virtually unmatched.

After all, it was the outspoken Waltz who came up with perhaps the most effective, and potentially game-changing, adjective this election cycle, calling Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, simply “crazy.”

“Weird” is easy to understand and, in Trump's case, virtually undeniable. Contrast that with Democrats' longstanding labeling of the former president as a “threat to democracy,” an abstract concept that requires too much explanation. “Weird” has a much more immediate sting.

These wordsmiths, who don't need pollsters or focus groups to tell them what to say, are a rare breed.

Of Trump and Vance at the rally, Walz told a cheering arena crowd: “These guys are creepy and just really weird.”

As for Trump's running mate, Waltz seemed serious when he said, “I can't wait to debate him.”

Harris was reportedly attracted to the balding 60-year-old governor's “authenticity” — his down-to-earth, country manner, perhaps, which always exudes sincerity. A regular guy, and one that Americans are ready to embrace.

He coached a small high school football team to a state championship and taught social studies. He served in the Army National Guard for 24 years, reaching the undisclosed rank of sergeant major. A Democrat, he was elected to Congress from a historically Republican purple district and served in the House of Representatives for 12 years on both sides of the aisle.

“I've learned to compromise without compromising my values,” he told the rally.

We need more elected officials like that who can get things done.

He's an accomplished rifleman and hunter, but also a strong supporter of gun control: “In Minnesota, we believe in the Second Amendment,” he says, “but we also believe in common-sense gun control.”

Harris was also reportedly impressed with Waltz's “happy-go-lucky” demeanor. He's positive and upbeat, not the usual negative, hate-spewing Trump and now Vance. Maybe voters are looking forward to some humor and a smile.

He thanked Harris for “bringing the joy back” to the presidential campaign.

All this aside, in one respect Harris appears to have followed an unfortunate pattern as California's attorney general: By not selecting Shapiro, she avoided a conflict with a major labor union (in this case public school teachers).

Shapiro supports school vouchers — public funds to help students attend private schools — which are anathema to teachers unions.

But on this point, Harris was right: There is no doubt that the nation's leading Democrats support so-called school choice, or spending taxpayer money on private classrooms.

By ignoring Shapiro, Harris also avoided the risk of alienating pro-Palestinian voters, particularly in the battleground state of Michigan, by pairing with a Jewish running mate who has been a strong supporter of Israel's military operation in Gaza.

So Harris is taking a bit of a risk by choosing Waltz, but that's smart politics.

By nominating Waltz, Harris also appeared to be targeting the votes of older white people. She was trying to reassure white people. Inclusiveness. Smart.

The first Black and Asian American woman to become vice president is already waking up young voters and people of color.

Trump must be squirming nervously.

Republican candidates were quick to call Walz a “dangerous liberal extremist.”

But Mr. Waltz, with his broad smile, country background and down-to-earth manner — he doesn't look or sound dangerous, like someone stepped out of an old Norman Rockwell painting — is a man whose evidence shows he is highly effective as a public official and campaigner.

As someone who has been critical of Harris in the past, I would say she deserves credit for doing a great job on this occasion.