Drop the labels and embrace the joy

In case you're wondering how this Minnesota girl feels about the Harris/Walz ticket, here's something I tweeted a couple of days ago: 

I want to say a heartfelt "thank you" to @VP and @GovTimWalz for rising above the fear to infuse politics with joy and enthusiasm. Personally, I feel like the dark clouds have parted and a sense of hope is once again on the horizon. pic.twitter.com/lzzUcPsuNw

— Nancy LeTourneau 🇺🇦 (@Smartypants60) August 6, 2024

The way Democrats rallied around Harris and are now positively joyous about adding Gov. Walz to the ticket is the best thing I've seen in politics since the 2008 election. 

But I want to take a moment to address the sourpusses among us who are joining with the opposition to suggest that Walz is a nod to progressives /radicals and risks alienating so-called "moderates." People who have said that include John Halpin, Ruy Teixeira, Jonathan Chait, and Nate Cohn.

Just to be clear, it's true that Walz and MN Democrats passed some of the most progressive policies in the country over the last couple of years. As the governor said at the time: "Right now, Minnesota is showing the country you don't win elections to bank political capital. You win elections to burn political capital and improve lives.” And they did, indeed, improve lives. How do Minnesotans feel about that?

More than 70% of Minnesota voters — including majorities across every ideological and demographic category — say they approve of the Legislature’s decision last year to provide free school meals to all students, regardless of income...

The KSTP survey also found wide margins of support for several other new policies passed last year, including legal marijuana (65%) and paid family leave funded by a new payroll tax (61%).

When it comes to the issues Harris and Walz are talking about on the campaign trail, here's what the majority of Americans think:

1. 63% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases
2. 87% say they support requiring criminal background checks for all gun buyers 
3. 61% support banning assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons 
4. 70% favor U.S. taking steps to address climate change 
5. 65% oppose book banning in schools 
6. 61% favor raising taxes for household incomes over $400,000

I'd suggest that there is a serious disconnect between those sourpusses and the majority of American voters, wouldn't you? The so-called "center" isn't where they think it is. Here's how David Rothkopf put it:

One thing I love about Harris and Walz is they are not buying the idea that they need to apologize for what they and most Americans believe. Forget the labels. They represent the vast majority of us and are not letting a minority pull them to the right.

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) August 8, 2024

But there are some things WAY more important than the policy issues. Walz showed us how to get beyond the fear.

We should all watch this awesome clip where Tim Walz explains how we win against MAGA:

“These guys are just weird…But we’re not afraid of weird people. We’re a little bit creeped out, but we’re not afraid.”

pic.twitter.com/nNzVh0XsBP

— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) August 6, 2024

And, is I indicated up above, he and VP Harris have brought back things like joy and hope. That does more than make people like me feel better, as Anand Giridharadas pointed out. 

.@Tim_Walz is a PSA for white folks, older folks, men, rural dwellers, and others: You don’t need to be afraid of the future.

We can all thrive together, and have fun.pic.twitter.com/PbA4UybrcU

— The.Ink, from Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) August 7, 2024

Please listen to the whole thing because it is the most profound bit of punditry I've heard in a long time. Here's how he ended:

Here's an older white man, a coach, a soldier who is very hard to dismiss as some kind of coastal elite who is telling older folks and white people you do not need to be afraid of the future. There is joy in the future. There's joy in having your boss be a Black woman. There is joy in what is coming. I think it's going to teach lots of people, in addition to whatever role he is going to play in this election and in the White House. He is going to teach lots of people through his role in the culture that they are going to be okay. That there is joy on the far side of realizing a multi-racial democracy in this country.

Overshadowing the policy issues is the racism/sexism/homophobia that is so often driven by fear. Who better to lead the way out from under that cloud than an older white man who is fearlessly joyful about the promise of America.