I hesitate to get into this, Michigander/Midwesterner that I am, because I like youse guys, I really, really like you!
But really? You don't like Coach Walz?
I get it that he can be kind of irritating with those prayerful hands going on all the time, and that open mouthed grin and those nods and that finger pointing to someone in the audience, but here's what I think is happening here:
Sure, he's been in the military for years, and then he was a teacher standing up in front of a classroom, and then he was a congressman, and now he's a governor. Which means he should have left 'hayseed' behind long ago. But he's a Minnesotan. He's a natural hayseed. And he still can't get over being picked as Kamala's running mate.
He's terrified. He's in awe of her and everything that's happening. He's blind-sided by all of the attention, and if his movements and his talk seem exaggerated, it's because there's a kind of Midwestern modesty playing games with his head right now. He honestly doesn't know how to act. He's trying everything out.
I kind of love that about him. You see it as 'smarmy' but the rest of us who live in those states see it as genuine. It's the way we would be, too. He knows he's important right now and the more applause he gets the more uncomfortable it makes him. I watched him stare at the audience when he was on stage that last night, The look he gave them said "I don't know what I did to make you like me but now I'm going to have to keep on doing it and it's killing me!"
So cut the poor guy some slack, okay? He'll get it. He's a good man. He'll be a good vice president. And he'll calm down. This is just his manic phase.
For the sake of your argument, it'd be convenient if Wallz rhymed with schmalz, but unfortunately it doesn't. I'm just happy to have a guy running for office who knows where Afghanistan and Iran are on a map.
So you're uncomfortable with someone who has devoted his life to being a teacher and then a public servant? Someone who has made a significant difference in young people's life and who's married to a teacher who is also giving back to the world? And it's because he was the coach of the football team? Such sentiments typlify what's wrong with the Democratic party and why they have had such a hard time winning elections.
Yes, there are nuances, but I read them as justifying discrimination based upon someone's preexisting stereotypes (sorry!). Walz is the only one of the four politicians on the ballot that I would trust, and the fact that he has been committed to his jobs for long periods of time, and the relationships he built there, is a contributing factor. I have concerns about Harris, dating back to her debate attack on Biden for a policy that she mischaracterized. When asked if she would have voted in a different way than Biden did, she said no. So what was the point of the attack? There was no policy difference, but she wanted to get noticed and decided to attack a longtime friend. She's not Trump, so I'll vote for her regardless, but I am happier voting for her with Walz on the ticket.
I hesitate to get into this, Michigander/Midwesterner that I am, because I like youse guys, I really, really like you!
But really? You don't like Coach Walz?
I get it that he can be kind of irritating with those prayerful hands going on all the time, and that open mouthed grin and those nods and that finger pointing to someone in the audience, but here's what I think is happening here:
Sure, he's been in the military for years, and then he was a teacher standing up in front of a classroom, and then he was a congressman, and now he's a governor. Which means he should have left 'hayseed' behind long ago. But he's a Minnesotan. He's a natural hayseed. And he still can't get over being picked as Kamala's running mate.
He's terrified. He's in awe of her and everything that's happening. He's blind-sided by all of the attention, and if his movements and his talk seem exaggerated, it's because there's a kind of Midwestern modesty playing games with his head right now. He honestly doesn't know how to act. He's trying everything out.
I kind of love that about him. You see it as 'smarmy' but the rest of us who live in those states see it as genuine. It's the way we would be, too. He knows he's important right now and the more applause he gets the more uncomfortable it makes him. I watched him stare at the audience when he was on stage that last night, The look he gave them said "I don't know what I did to make you like me but now I'm going to have to keep on doing it and it's killing me!"
So cut the poor guy some slack, okay? He'll get it. He's a good man. He'll be a good vice president. And he'll calm down. This is just his manic phase.
For the sake of your argument, it'd be convenient if Wallz rhymed with schmalz, but unfortunately it doesn't. I'm just happy to have a guy running for office who knows where Afghanistan and Iran are on a map.
So you're uncomfortable with someone who has devoted his life to being a teacher and then a public servant? Someone who has made a significant difference in young people's life and who's married to a teacher who is also giving back to the world? And it's because he was the coach of the football team? Such sentiments typlify what's wrong with the Democratic party and why they have had such a hard time winning elections.
I think you missed some nuance here, but that's on me.
Yes, there are nuances, but I read them as justifying discrimination based upon someone's preexisting stereotypes (sorry!). Walz is the only one of the four politicians on the ballot that I would trust, and the fact that he has been committed to his jobs for long periods of time, and the relationships he built there, is a contributing factor. I have concerns about Harris, dating back to her debate attack on Biden for a policy that she mischaracterized. When asked if she would have voted in a different way than Biden did, she said no. So what was the point of the attack? There was no policy difference, but she wanted to get noticed and decided to attack a longtime friend. She's not Trump, so I'll vote for her regardless, but I am happier voting for her with Walz on the ticket.