The joyful Minnesota governor is a valuable spokesperson for Harris whose background and personality can help the Democratic ticket undermine Trump’s efforts to woo America’s men.
Tim Walz’s first official speech on the Democratic ticket displayed all the reasons that Kamala Harris has been lauded for picking the Minnesota governor as her running mate. Personally, I think one outshines all the rest.
Walz’s military background and his work as a high school teacher and football coach, along with his palpable joy and open expressions of compassion for people in need, offer America a vision of what manhood can look like — he’s a “joyful warrior” offering a vision in contrast with what’s being offered by Donald Trump’s bravado-driven campaign.
And he’s clearly willing to challenge Team Trump on that front. He displayed that even before he received the call to join Harris’ campaign, using public appearances to refer to Trump and his allies as “bullies” who are truly weak at heart and by mocking the GOP ticket for “running for He-Man Women Haters Club or something.”
You must log in or # to comment.
I read somewhere else a woman who said, “Walz represents all the dads we used to have but lost to Fox News.”
Maybe that can help counter the nostalgia and hate that drives Trump’s demographic
Even down to a caveman level, the role of a strong man was to be the protector of the tribe/family. Using your strength to protect others is what makes a strong man.
Inflicting your insecurities on others and feeding your ego by attacking vulnerable people are the actions of a bully, not a strong man.
deleted by creator
Coincidently the latter are the traits of a strongman though. So remember kids, be a strong man not a strongman.
I thought strongman was about lifting, pulling, carrying or even throwing heavy things?
In case you’re not kidding it’s a form of government exemplified by Putin, Maduro, Xi, and if he got the chance, Trump.
As much as I think a “would you like to have a beer with the candidates?” is a stupid way of measuring things…I wouldn’t mind having a beer with these candidates.
Walz says he has given up alcohol entirely after his DUI years ago. But I bet Harris is super fun once she gets into the box of wine in the fridge.
Harris seems like she enjoys a reasonably priced bottle of wine that delivers on flavor and novelty. Waltz seems like he’s sipped some of the world’s most expensive wines but buys boxed wine to prove that you can party on a budget.
The irony is both Walz and Trump don’t drink alcohol (unsure why Trump doesn’t but I found it frustrating since I don’t drink and want nothing on common with the guy lol). Harris and Vance probably do drink though, and Harris wins there as she is probably a giggly drunk. Vance is probably just an annoying drunk. Not mean, but perhaps more whiny about rural folks he hates and maybe a like tech bro vibe.
Of course, that’s of you that this bar literally; it obviously means “who would you rather hang out with” and to me, that means “who would you rather play Super Smash Bros Melee with after school” and the Harris/Walz camp got that beat. Plus I’m only letting Walz bring the mountain dew, last time Vance did and we all passed out-- you know how expensive it is getting upholstery cleaned? Big oof.
unsure why Trump doesn’t
I’ve heard that one of his brothers was an alcoholic and that turned him off of it.
I wish so much I could find a comment about this on the old site. It said “Donald Trump does not drink alcohol” and every word was a link to a real photo of him with an alcoholic drink in hand. I tried searching but Google has turned to shit and the images are all Photoshop shit.
Wouldn’t be surprised given he’s a habitual liar, but on the other hand it is a “weird” trait. And he most assuredly has done coke so it’s not like he’s a saint, lol.
It’s not that stupid of a lens to use to evaluate candidates. But it is absolutely overused and overvalued. Sure it’s a good thing knowing you can relate enough to sit down and be comfortable but it doesn’t really tells us too much on it’s own, and depends a lot on who says it; for example a fascist voter would probably love to site down with a fascist politician.
When I was young I used to say “Don’t trust a person who doesn’t drink”.
Now that I’m older I’ll amend it- “Don’t trust a person who doesn’t drink without a good reason.”
‘MAGA choked up, struggling with Walz’s manhood’
How’s that gag order treating ya, Donnie?
Maga chokes on Tim’s manhood
Is that a ‘full throated’ endorsement? Hear that’s popular with the MAGA crowd.
“Republicans turned off by the size of Obama’s package” vibes
Tim has been a great choice.
Why is manhood even an issue?
I’ll probably regret this, but for shits and giggles, I’m going to try and give an earnest answer here.
Let’s first assume that “manhood” is a thing. That there are people in the world who define themselves by gender roles, however those manifest. It might be biology, appearance, dress, behavior, profession or any number of other ways that someone chooses to manifest a gender role.
So if we accept that, there’s a lot of ways of approaching what western society might call “manhood”: machismo, aggression, breadwinning, vinyl collecting, having the best lawn in the suburbs, etc. This is where things get dicey, in my opinion. The right is full of angry men who feel slighted by a society that they feel increasingly has no place for them. In some ways they are right: men are less likely to have education past high school, less likely to have modern workforce skills and less likely to have their formerly tolerated bullshit accepted anymore. This has lead to the rise of what people often refer to as “toxic masculinity”. People who lean into traits like misogyny or racism and follow leaders who make them feel tough, like they are in the driver’s seat again.
I think the appeal of Walz is that he gives at least the appearance of another path. He’s a man, no question. He hunts, he fishes, he works on his pickup truck, he coached football, and he taught social studies. But he’s also championed reproductive rights, LGBT causes, and even took a fairly light hand during the BLM protests in 2020 (which can be easily twisted, unfortunately). He’s the kind of pro-labor and pro-rural progressive that started to get marginalized in the 2000s, was on it’s death bed when the Tea Party ascended and that MAGA seemed to finally bury.
So yes, manhood is an issue because that seems to be a major part of the ethos that is following the alt-right. But Walz is a man that a lot of men can see themselves in: men who work, love their families and who want government to support their lives, not some fantasy they wish existed. Government that does infrastructure, public safety, boring stuff that we used to not have to think about. And because he’s done all those “manly” things he feels like the old fashioned man that a lot on the alt-right claim to want back, while showing them that old fashioned man is not what they think it is.
So there it is. I admire Walz. He’s not perfect, but neither am I. I hope he doesn’t disappoint me.
Well fucking said! Thank you!
People tend to emulate people they like and who they’d like to like them too. So there’s the hateful, angry, violent manhood that flock to Trump, valuing force, violence, and any-means-necessary victory. Then there’s cool manhood that has a happy family and a respectable job and treats people with human decency and kindness.
It’s the difference between the highschool football player who bullies everyone and date rapes the prom queen, and the chill football player everybody likes, had a normal girlfriend, and who sticks up for other kids.
Which would you rather be a role model for America?
Because, maga manhood is racist, mysognist, hateful and toxic.
The generations of men that raised gen x and millennial boys were often all about being a manly man. The media we watched as children and young adults was all about it. This vision of manliness was all about physical strength, lack of emotion other than anger, and pride. Physical strength isn’t a bad quality, and pride can be good, but what we were taught by men in person and media was dogshit. We were the generations that called things that were lame “gay”.
So Walz, despite being a trained soldier and football coach, is not manly because he displays emotion, empathy, and humility.
This is why it’s an issue.
I would add that he is not manly only according to those twisted standards. The point is he IS very obviously manly and can therefore reset the toxic standards in people and make them see manliness is compatible with compassion and emotions
If you’re a racist and sexist, giving an appearance of strength and dominance is your core identity.
We need more good male role models. People with tender hearts and rough hands.
and rough hands.
What do you mean by this? It sounds borderline, if not outright, like toxic masculinity. There’s nothing about the shape of your hands that has anything to do about how good of a role model you are as a dad.
The idea is not actually about a man’s physical hands. It’s a metaphor for putting in the work. That could be volunteering, going to bat for your community, spending quality time with your kids/grandkids/family, working long hours to make sure your family has what it needs to survive, etc.
Yes, some men do manual labor and have rough hands, but OP isn’t saying that all men should do manual labor, just that they should all put in the “work” to make the world, their community, and their family’s lives better.
It’s a metaphor for putting in the work.
Hopefully this is the case, but it sounds an awful lot like “strong blue collar dad is good, white collar dad bad” to me.
It’s how I take it. Sometimes physically but always metaphorically.
Like I bet Steve Wozniak has physically soft hands but he put in the work. He’s just as righteous as a person whose hands are rough from all the physical work they did providing for others.
I also love that the weirdest thing about him (word choice intentional) is his preferred beverage of diet Mountain Dew, which Vance also drinks instead of coffee.
Looking forward to the Republican who badmouths Walz for being a football coach, only to be reminded of Tommy Tuberville.
so far the worst they’ve had to say is that he’s left leaning. Oh no, he likes queer people having rights, what ever will we do.
I think every other significant dig has turned into a meme almost immediately so it’s not working very well.
Fuck Petey Potatotown. And unfortunately the GOP isn’t concerned about being hypocritical.
When Walz is presiding over the Senate, the should start calling him coach.
deep inhale “Doooooooodge…… Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaall”
AIPAC sponsored drunk driving genocide enthusiasts are liberals’ idea of positive masculinity?
This explains a lot.
You’re acting weird
You’re right. I better vote for Trump I guess.
Walz’s military background and his work as a high school teacher and football coach, along with his palpable joy and open expressions of compassion for people in need, offer America a vision of what manhood can look like — he’s a “joyful warrior” offering a vision in contrast with what’s being offered by Donald Trump’s bravado-driven campaign.
Manhood is when you serve in the military and play football. Really open and progressive ideas here.
He served in the military and then dipped out before the Iraq War started. Vance thinks it gives him points to have gone to Iraq when Walz hasn’t. It doesn’t. Vance participated in an illegal, immoral invasion. Walz was smart enough to GTFO.
