JD Vance and others' attacks of Gov Walz retirement from the reserves before going into combat are pissing me the f*ck off. I will grudgingly thank Mr Vance for his service writing press releases in a combat zone. But, FFS -- 25 years of reserve service vs running with the guy who got out of the draft for bone spurs? Sit down, MFer.
I'll take the ticket that is exuding joy, thank you very much.
Dan, it would be really interesting for you to interview Sarah Longwell again. She has been fairly critical of the selection of Walz over Shapiro. Among her arguments is that Democrats tend to misjudge what most appeals to rural voters. As a liberal Democrat, my sense is that her argument is colored too heavily by her conservative Republican priors, but a debate between you two could help us to avoid over-confidence.
Things will get real interesting real fast when both the right and left wake up to Tim Walz being an ELCA Lutheran.
(Dan: Do your homework. Look up and learn about the ELCA in general and our social statements in particular)
Christian nationalists know a problem when they see one, and Tim Walz presents a serious problem for them. They are already busy defining the ELCA in general and Walz in particular as Marxists. Those of us who recognize the term “Christian nationalism” as an indefensible oxymoron can’t cede the discussion to them. Unfortunately, our church leaders have either remained quiet when they should have spoken up or have been unsuccessful at being heard.
But I’m less concerned about being attacked by the Religious Right and the silence of mainline Protestant bishops than I am of how so many on the secular left assume all Christians are right wing nut jobs and refuse to acknowledge let alone work with those of us who aren’t.
I’m a retired biomedical engineer and pretty comfortable saying I’m well trained and conversant in things scientific. As are the retired hematologist and professor of paleontology in my congregation. As are our other engineers, the physician assistant, the ultrasound technologist, and nurses in our one congregation. And that’s not to dismiss the teachers, the librarian, the retail worker, the IT professionals, and the skilled tradespeople. They are quite comfortable living in reality as well.
Those of us in scientific callings are all familiar with being summarily dismissed by our brothers and sisters who do not identify as people of faith as being knuckle dragging Neanderthals. When secularists find out we are simultaneously people of faith and scientifically driven, they often get that puzzled look that the Grinch had on the top of Mt Crumpet when the Whos were singing on Christmas morning.
The Grinch thought of something he’d never thought of before. Can the secular left?
We have an opportunity to form a coalition to stand up against Christian nationalism and push it back into its cave. Will we take advantage of the opportunity?
I'm an atheist, I've been on the pointy end of the "christian" stick for decades, and I hope everyone reads your post. Too many people are shocked to learn that there are a lot of Christian allies in this fight. I think one of the main challenges, which you note, are that the love-courage Christians focus on doing good work rather than on mass communication; whereas the fear-hate christians do, well, you know... the opposite. The love-courage Christians are really missing an opportunity to have an important impact by speaking up in a strategic, social-media savvy way. When the various affinity zooms for Harris were happening (white women for Harris, comedians for Harris, etc), where were the Christians for Harris? Where are the blocks of "Christians for Harris - Walz" in front of the cameras at the rallies? Are your youngsters flooding TikTok? Why doesn't Doug Pagitt change the words on his bus to "Christians for Harris - Walz"? And in the mean time, get a professional communications team to put together an advertising strategy for now through Nov 5. Now is not the time for subtlety or humility. In this moment, selling your message loudly, broadly, and overtly is the good work.
Another thing Republicans, and plenty of USians younger than, say, 50, don't realize is that the upper Midwest was a progressive stronghold for decades. The Minnesota Democratic Party is the Minnesota *Democratic Farmer Labor* Party. George McGovern was from South Dakota -- trying to think of him and Kristi Noem in the same sentence is hard. I live in small-town Massachusetts and I recognize Tim Walz as a small-town kind of guy. Here's hoping those bicoastal pundits will start paying more attention to flyover states -- and drive-past towns.
Walz also channels Paul Wellstone, a progressive Senator from Minnesota before "progressive" was a thing. His motto was "We all do better when we all do better." It's been a long time coming for Democrats to finally embrace that at the highest levels, and to stop apologizing for being decent and wanting to do good for everybody. I think that's a big part of Walz's appeal too. And it might just be part of what scared Republicans.
And Wellstone channeled Hubert Humphrey. While Humphrey’s legacy was very badly tarnished by the 68 election as well as his time as LBJ’s Veep, Humphrey as a younger man was the liberal firebrand mayor of Minneapolis, who spoke at the 1948 Dem convention, insisting on a Covil Rights plank in the platform. He shamed them into it, using the idea of Black WWII vets and their families having to live as though it was still 1870 in half the country.
He was called the Happy Warrior, and Walz lives in that tradition.
Oh yes! Wellstone died just as I was learning who he was and what he was about -- I was in an extended no-electoral-politics phase at the time. Absolutely true about the Republicans. They can't deal with Harris, they can't deal with Walz, and they *really* can't deal with the two of them on the same ticket.
Not only am I from MN but I also supported Walz in his first Gov race, very early when other candidates were very viable. Guess what, he was the MOST conservative of the candidates! We don't see him as progressive as much as effective. Unless you are a corrupt oligarch, you get that he get's shit done that people actually want. He is a dream politician because that is his ONLY focus. He doesn't want to be POTUS, he wants to help people. We've become so incredibly jaded and hateful that we have a hard time believing a politician like Walz can actually exit. He is not too good to be true. He is the real deal (and I am a bit sad to hear he doesn't want to be POTUS after Harris because he would be fantastic.
JD Vance is beyond creepy and weird. His idea to track women's menstrual cycles are perverted and dystopian. His statements about women remind me of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" where women's rights are subjugated and women are raped and forced to give birth.
Also note that Rs are trying to disparage Walz b/c he signed a 2023 law requiring schools to provide menstrual supplies free to girls in grades 4 thru 12. Rs derisively call him Tampon Tim. So! - 😁 - now there's a Tshirt that says Tampon Tim will stop the RED Wave.
1. Re: the “vaunted” Trump campaign strategists – let’s not confuse arrogance with competence or judgement. Frankly they’ve shown little of the latter. All they did prior to Biden taking himself out of the race was to introduce a tad more discipline into the race – in short there were moments where they let Dems destroy themselves. Oher than that, I have seen little of their purported talent and a ton of incompetence. Arrogance is a weak mask.
2. I hate that we label the accomplishments of the Walz administration and his personal policy views as “progressive” and “liberal”. While these words may be literally accurate – both words have become divisive and outgrown their literal meaning.
Rather, Walz’s views are very much Libertarian (weed), blue collar oriented (school lunches, junk fees, means tested free tuition etc) and conservative.
Let’s own this. Let’s define Walz accurately. So tired and lazy for the Republicans to fall back on “crazy liberals” as a default when the policies advocated are, in fact, conservative and support in many ways, those in Trump’s base.
Dems spinelessly let the GOP—from Nixon on—destroy the word liberal, which JFK proudly won as. We started using “progressive” to mean exactly the same thing. Now we’re going to abandon that because people like Lindsey Graham try to use it as a slur?
We foolishly let these neo-confederates co-opt the flag, the military, and the cops as their symbols.
I’ve heard the cute argument that we’re the real conservatives. Frankly, world politics has so sullied that word that I for one don’t want it back.
While I see your point, and it’s all rather useless to overthink the labels, I think the “conservative” argument - while likely not helpful - is far from "cute”. It’s all a matter of coming at the voter from the voter’s frame of reference. Perhaps an impossible task.
Yes yes yes! Thank you! The Rs and much of the MSM have twisted the word "progressive" into meaning some kind of bomb-throwing bridge too far - a distortion that has stood in the way of attaining a more just and equitable society.
I wonder if the snake is starting to snack on it's tail. Republicans have been pushing misinformation so long that now they believe the bullshit they are spouting. It's one thing for MAGA voters to believe it, and it's an entirely different thing for the professional campaign people who do the messaging to.
I'm new to this message box. I subscribed last week. I'm so glad I did! You offer a perspective on the news that I'm not getting anywhere else. Thank you, Dan!
He comes across as completely genuine, no artifice. With goals and aims (and accomplishments!!) that are textbook democracy. Finding and bringing forward leaders like Walz are key to winning back the Midwest.
GOTV activities with this ticket behind us lets us all breathe a little easier.
Now we just need to have an answer for the border, because I have a feeling it’s soon going to be wall-to-wall dystopian border ads. It’s literally all they’ve got.
The funny thing is, I think Shapiro is actually much more liberal coded. He strikes me as a kind of slick, Gavin Newsom-type. I think the messaging of the VP as some kind of “communist” or “Marxist” might possibly have been successful against Shapiro because he does feel a bit like he’s selling you something. Which is not to say I don’t like Shapiro, I think he’s great, but the suits and the hair and the Obama-esque cadence don’t read like “guy who’ll teach you how to fix your carburetor.” And it’s hard to picture Walz—the guy who would TOTALLY teach you to fix your carburetor—as some kind of Machiavellian manipulator bent on unleashing “hell on earth” for his own benefit.
He sometimes reminds me of a latter-day Gary Hart. An incredibly bright, articulate and capable politician who adopted a neo-JFK schtick that eroded people’s opinion over time.
Maybe I look too much at MSM and The Bulwark, both of which make me nervous even though I feel quite positive in general. I'm reassured by your take, Dan, but I would love to hear more about why the swift boating will fail. The press is so quick to amplify in ways that give credence instead of clarity. And now there's the loud call for Harris to do an interview NOW! - but it's from GOP and the press. What's advisable in this neck of the woods?
"Perhaps Donald Trump’s honchos should spend more time working on the campaign and less time doing interviews relaying how smart they think they are." So true, but if they were capable of that they wouldn't be working for Trump. I'm an almost exclusively visual person, which is why I hate phone calls (Facetime, Zoom, etc. are okay). I really have to see the person's face to determine how much credibility I place in their words. I know that some people can talk bout being decent, but most cannot fake the facial features that convey this. As Ron DeSantis found out, you really can't fake a smile, or a personality; Vance is discovering this. When Anthony Hopkins is talking as HannibaI Lecter (Trump's new best friend) he frequently sounds rational, but if you look at his face you see the deviancy. l love the side-by-sides of Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance. You can see it all in their faces.
Thanks, Dan. As always!
JD Vance and others' attacks of Gov Walz retirement from the reserves before going into combat are pissing me the f*ck off. I will grudgingly thank Mr Vance for his service writing press releases in a combat zone. But, FFS -- 25 years of reserve service vs running with the guy who got out of the draft for bone spurs? Sit down, MFer.
I'll take the ticket that is exuding joy, thank you very much.
Agree. This attack for 25 years in National Guard is disgusting. It is also as if the guy is attacking himself.
Dan, it would be really interesting for you to interview Sarah Longwell again. She has been fairly critical of the selection of Walz over Shapiro. Among her arguments is that Democrats tend to misjudge what most appeals to rural voters. As a liberal Democrat, my sense is that her argument is colored too heavily by her conservative Republican priors, but a debate between you two could help us to avoid over-confidence.
Well, a discussion…
Through my wife I have an ear to the ground of what "normal" people think about politics. People really like Walz, and think Vance is a creep.
I think women have enhanced “Creep Recognition” skills…because they have to. They recognize his “ick factor.”
That’s one big baby! Er—that’s two big babies!
Things will get real interesting real fast when both the right and left wake up to Tim Walz being an ELCA Lutheran.
(Dan: Do your homework. Look up and learn about the ELCA in general and our social statements in particular)
Christian nationalists know a problem when they see one, and Tim Walz presents a serious problem for them. They are already busy defining the ELCA in general and Walz in particular as Marxists. Those of us who recognize the term “Christian nationalism” as an indefensible oxymoron can’t cede the discussion to them. Unfortunately, our church leaders have either remained quiet when they should have spoken up or have been unsuccessful at being heard.
But I’m less concerned about being attacked by the Religious Right and the silence of mainline Protestant bishops than I am of how so many on the secular left assume all Christians are right wing nut jobs and refuse to acknowledge let alone work with those of us who aren’t.
I’m a retired biomedical engineer and pretty comfortable saying I’m well trained and conversant in things scientific. As are the retired hematologist and professor of paleontology in my congregation. As are our other engineers, the physician assistant, the ultrasound technologist, and nurses in our one congregation. And that’s not to dismiss the teachers, the librarian, the retail worker, the IT professionals, and the skilled tradespeople. They are quite comfortable living in reality as well.
Those of us in scientific callings are all familiar with being summarily dismissed by our brothers and sisters who do not identify as people of faith as being knuckle dragging Neanderthals. When secularists find out we are simultaneously people of faith and scientifically driven, they often get that puzzled look that the Grinch had on the top of Mt Crumpet when the Whos were singing on Christmas morning.
The Grinch thought of something he’d never thought of before. Can the secular left?
We have an opportunity to form a coalition to stand up against Christian nationalism and push it back into its cave. Will we take advantage of the opportunity?
Will you?
I'm an atheist, I've been on the pointy end of the "christian" stick for decades, and I hope everyone reads your post. Too many people are shocked to learn that there are a lot of Christian allies in this fight. I think one of the main challenges, which you note, are that the love-courage Christians focus on doing good work rather than on mass communication; whereas the fear-hate christians do, well, you know... the opposite. The love-courage Christians are really missing an opportunity to have an important impact by speaking up in a strategic, social-media savvy way. When the various affinity zooms for Harris were happening (white women for Harris, comedians for Harris, etc), where were the Christians for Harris? Where are the blocks of "Christians for Harris - Walz" in front of the cameras at the rallies? Are your youngsters flooding TikTok? Why doesn't Doug Pagitt change the words on his bus to "Christians for Harris - Walz"? And in the mean time, get a professional communications team to put together an advertising strategy for now through Nov 5. Now is not the time for subtlety or humility. In this moment, selling your message loudly, broadly, and overtly is the good work.
Another thing Republicans, and plenty of USians younger than, say, 50, don't realize is that the upper Midwest was a progressive stronghold for decades. The Minnesota Democratic Party is the Minnesota *Democratic Farmer Labor* Party. George McGovern was from South Dakota -- trying to think of him and Kristi Noem in the same sentence is hard. I live in small-town Massachusetts and I recognize Tim Walz as a small-town kind of guy. Here's hoping those bicoastal pundits will start paying more attention to flyover states -- and drive-past towns.
Walz also channels Paul Wellstone, a progressive Senator from Minnesota before "progressive" was a thing. His motto was "We all do better when we all do better." It's been a long time coming for Democrats to finally embrace that at the highest levels, and to stop apologizing for being decent and wanting to do good for everybody. I think that's a big part of Walz's appeal too. And it might just be part of what scared Republicans.
And Wellstone channeled Hubert Humphrey. While Humphrey’s legacy was very badly tarnished by the 68 election as well as his time as LBJ’s Veep, Humphrey as a younger man was the liberal firebrand mayor of Minneapolis, who spoke at the 1948 Dem convention, insisting on a Covil Rights plank in the platform. He shamed them into it, using the idea of Black WWII vets and their families having to live as though it was still 1870 in half the country.
He was called the Happy Warrior, and Walz lives in that tradition.
Oh yes! Wellstone died just as I was learning who he was and what he was about -- I was in an extended no-electoral-politics phase at the time. Absolutely true about the Republicans. They can't deal with Harris, they can't deal with Walz, and they *really* can't deal with the two of them on the same ticket.
Not only am I from MN but I also supported Walz in his first Gov race, very early when other candidates were very viable. Guess what, he was the MOST conservative of the candidates! We don't see him as progressive as much as effective. Unless you are a corrupt oligarch, you get that he get's shit done that people actually want. He is a dream politician because that is his ONLY focus. He doesn't want to be POTUS, he wants to help people. We've become so incredibly jaded and hateful that we have a hard time believing a politician like Walz can actually exit. He is not too good to be true. He is the real deal (and I am a bit sad to hear he doesn't want to be POTUS after Harris because he would be fantastic.
The attack on his service is disgusting and will turn off people like my Never Trump, veteran father.
JD Vance is beyond creepy and weird. His idea to track women's menstrual cycles are perverted and dystopian. His statements about women remind me of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" where women's rights are subjugated and women are raped and forced to give birth.
Also note that Rs are trying to disparage Walz b/c he signed a 2023 law requiring schools to provide menstrual supplies free to girls in grades 4 thru 12. Rs derisively call him Tampon Tim. So! - 😁 - now there's a Tshirt that says Tampon Tim will stop the RED Wave.
Wait wtf? Really? This is a new one on me. Jesus would not like those guy.
Why are MAGA Republicans so terrified of Tim Walz? Just see Walz's immensely popular stands on 12 major issues with this interactive infographic.
https://infogram.com/10-things-to-know-about-tim-walz-1h984wvje0vyd2p
Nice piece
A couple more thoughts:
1. Re: the “vaunted” Trump campaign strategists – let’s not confuse arrogance with competence or judgement. Frankly they’ve shown little of the latter. All they did prior to Biden taking himself out of the race was to introduce a tad more discipline into the race – in short there were moments where they let Dems destroy themselves. Oher than that, I have seen little of their purported talent and a ton of incompetence. Arrogance is a weak mask.
2. I hate that we label the accomplishments of the Walz administration and his personal policy views as “progressive” and “liberal”. While these words may be literally accurate – both words have become divisive and outgrown their literal meaning.
Rather, Walz’s views are very much Libertarian (weed), blue collar oriented (school lunches, junk fees, means tested free tuition etc) and conservative.
Let’s own this. Let’s define Walz accurately. So tired and lazy for the Republicans to fall back on “crazy liberals” as a default when the policies advocated are, in fact, conservative and support in many ways, those in Trump’s base.
Dems spinelessly let the GOP—from Nixon on—destroy the word liberal, which JFK proudly won as. We started using “progressive” to mean exactly the same thing. Now we’re going to abandon that because people like Lindsey Graham try to use it as a slur?
We foolishly let these neo-confederates co-opt the flag, the military, and the cops as their symbols.
I’ve heard the cute argument that we’re the real conservatives. Frankly, world politics has so sullied that word that I for one don’t want it back.
While I see your point, and it’s all rather useless to overthink the labels, I think the “conservative” argument - while likely not helpful - is far from "cute”. It’s all a matter of coming at the voter from the voter’s frame of reference. Perhaps an impossible task.
Yes yes yes! Thank you! The Rs and much of the MSM have twisted the word "progressive" into meaning some kind of bomb-throwing bridge too far - a distortion that has stood in the way of attaining a more just and equitable society.
I wonder if the snake is starting to snack on it's tail. Republicans have been pushing misinformation so long that now they believe the bullshit they are spouting. It's one thing for MAGA voters to believe it, and it's an entirely different thing for the professional campaign people who do the messaging to.
I'm new to this message box. I subscribed last week. I'm so glad I did! You offer a perspective on the news that I'm not getting anywhere else. Thank you, Dan!
Welcome. There’s always a lively discussion.
He comes across as completely genuine, no artifice. With goals and aims (and accomplishments!!) that are textbook democracy. Finding and bringing forward leaders like Walz are key to winning back the Midwest.
GOTV activities with this ticket behind us lets us all breathe a little easier.
Now we just need to have an answer for the border, because I have a feeling it’s soon going to be wall-to-wall dystopian border ads. It’s literally all they’ve got.
The funny thing is, I think Shapiro is actually much more liberal coded. He strikes me as a kind of slick, Gavin Newsom-type. I think the messaging of the VP as some kind of “communist” or “Marxist” might possibly have been successful against Shapiro because he does feel a bit like he’s selling you something. Which is not to say I don’t like Shapiro, I think he’s great, but the suits and the hair and the Obama-esque cadence don’t read like “guy who’ll teach you how to fix your carburetor.” And it’s hard to picture Walz—the guy who would TOTALLY teach you to fix your carburetor—as some kind of Machiavellian manipulator bent on unleashing “hell on earth” for his own benefit.
He sometimes reminds me of a latter-day Gary Hart. An incredibly bright, articulate and capable politician who adopted a neo-JFK schtick that eroded people’s opinion over time.
Maybe I look too much at MSM and The Bulwark, both of which make me nervous even though I feel quite positive in general. I'm reassured by your take, Dan, but I would love to hear more about why the swift boating will fail. The press is so quick to amplify in ways that give credence instead of clarity. And now there's the loud call for Harris to do an interview NOW! - but it's from GOP and the press. What's advisable in this neck of the woods?
"Perhaps Donald Trump’s honchos should spend more time working on the campaign and less time doing interviews relaying how smart they think they are." So true, but if they were capable of that they wouldn't be working for Trump. I'm an almost exclusively visual person, which is why I hate phone calls (Facetime, Zoom, etc. are okay). I really have to see the person's face to determine how much credibility I place in their words. I know that some people can talk bout being decent, but most cannot fake the facial features that convey this. As Ron DeSantis found out, you really can't fake a smile, or a personality; Vance is discovering this. When Anthony Hopkins is talking as HannibaI Lecter (Trump's new best friend) he frequently sounds rational, but if you look at his face you see the deviancy. l love the side-by-sides of Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance. You can see it all in their faces.