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The Politics of Joy, Version Two: The New Running Mate, Tim Walz, is Pretty Normal
A white guy and black/south Asian woman, kindred spirits?
Joy is easy. But winning is not. Kamala Harris chose her running mate this week and it appears she chose based on personal chemistry. That tells me that she chose a man she will be able to work with over the long term. Not just someone who can deliver a state or constituency, though he may help with that.
One supporter, who knew him as a teacher and successful high school sports coach, described him as both practical and goofy when acting as a motivator. Coach Walz, as many know Tim Walz in Minnesota, probably considers that a compliment.
Practical we get, but goofy makes him human. He was the first to describe Trump and Vance as weird and it didn’t sound like a planned soundbite created by a team of campaign message creators. Though it certainly became one as other politicians realized this was the kind of statement that might cut through the Trump anger and fear message.
It said, just step back and look at these guys, they are weird. That meme will pass because it has a limited shelf life for being effective. But it set a tone for the Harris/Walz ticket that also said, we are going to remind you what these people really are.
People ask me who I think will win and I tell them I have no idea. Nothing is normal any more so predictions, polls, pundits, and focus groups mean nothing. It has been so erratic that the most important campaign strategy Harris can pursue is to be consistent.
Laugh at the laughable but back it up with hammering at the total lack of policy, while telling the story of what a real future vision could look like. Don’t gild the lily, tell the brutal truth.
It looks like Harris is heading firmly in that direction. The question is, does she have time for it to impact undecided voters? Nobody knows at this point. Those are not the voters who tell polls what they are really thinking.
Trump is in the same boat, but appears to be incapable of understanding why anyone would not worship him, so he preaches to the converted.
