"Trump called him [Walz] “Dangerously Liberal," which we love"

Even better, Americans are "dangerously progressive" as pointed out by Bernie Sanders in The Guardian yesterday
(sorry for the re-post Kristo but it bears posting again).

Democrats should run on a progressive economic agenda. Americans are ready.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/05/bernie-sanders-election-democrats

20% voter turnout is worse than dismal.
It’s outright pathetic and showcases how lazy the voters are.
Life takes some effort folks. If you choose not to participate, don’t bitch about things.

Walz seems fine. He was a high school teacher and a football coach, and looks comfortable in both a decent-but-not-designer suit and Carhartts. He has good ratings from the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Not to mentioned he pioneered recent use of the "Trump/Vance are weird" memes.

Why would any of those political items indicate that Xitter is real life?

People on Twitter called Walz as the pick before the Harris campaign mentioned him as a contender.

@7 people of twitter also called a bunch of other folks who weren’t picked (sort of an infinite monkey theorem but with folks who support tech racists/fascists)

And for those interested in some additional details on the possible strike…

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/workers-seattles-woodland-park-zoo-prepare-possible-strike

(not sure why Ashley didn’t link to their story)

Walz seems great and I'm happy to have been proven wrong in my assumption that it was gonna be Shapiro based on the location of the announcement (admittedly, I thought it was gonna be sort of a big "reveal" done at a Philadelphian campaign rally. Had they announced in that fashion, I think having it not be the local boy would've been a pretty big and anti-climatic letdown among the crowd.)

I also still kinda liked Kelly as he's got the more physically imposing presence not just in person, but also on paper, with his marines and NASA background. It's so incredibly sad and stupid that I'm now thinking these superficialities are somehow important, but I really think Trump enjoyed at least some benefit to bullying both Hillary and Joe. Walz has an army background though and so is no slouch on that front. I really hope once dumbass is dead and permanently out of our lives politics will see a return to whatever relative "normalcy" was before that, though I've no idea if that's even remotely plausible and it's a weird ass time to reflect nostalgically for to be sure.

It's so pleasant to be here before any of the RWNJs spewed their drivel. I'm pleasantly shocked by the announcement. When the short list was first announced, I had thought Walz was only on the list to appease the progressive wing of the party. When it was down to him and Shapiro, I expected that since she had been seen as more liberal than Biden on Gaza, that she'd follow the recent Democratic trend of picking a more conservative VP. Especially with Republicans for Harris in the news. I'm glad she recognized that they will get the moderate Republicans to vote for her, and Walz can help appeal the the much needed younger voters.

@4
Isn't Portland, OR fond of the "Keep Portland Weird" concept?

"Weird" appears to be yet another word (like "soul") that is nebulous and prone to cherry picking.

Anybody who looks at a GOP press release saying "Walz is dangerously liberal" and can't see at a glance that the name Walz was filled, mad-lib style, into that sentence the second he was announced hasn't been paying attention.

@11 Oh, sure some people/places revel in their weirdness. I like being weird, but then I'm willing to poke fun at myself. Trump and Vance cannot stand being called weird because they're bullies and there's nothing worse for a bully than being the butt of a joke.

There is still time to vote for GoodSpaceGuy for US Senate.

Yeah, it's not even remotely difficult to distinguish between the relatively dumb/benign Portland weird embodied by the bagpipe playing unicyclist who dresses up like Darth Vader in a kilt...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnVjkE87FDY

...and that of Trump/Vance who argue for pornography bans and repeatedly bring up Hannibal Lecter as some sort of strange symbol of virtue or something. Walz's line of attack has been popular and effective and he deserves kudos for spearheading it. Barry Petchesky had a great write-up on it last week.

https://defector.com/look-at-these-fucking-weirdos

"A former teacher [yadda yadda yadda] seems cool. Trump called him “Dangerously Liberal," which we love." Suck up much lately, Ashley? The guy you wrote about was just VP'd by the colonialist-warhorse-CEO-venture capitalist choice for DNC presidential nominee. How "cool." But then, the staff at TS are now under a new mandate from their new owner to "hold the Left accountable" - hyping wretched candidates and shaming commonsensical citizens into voting for them is always how centrists "hold the Left accountable," isn't it? TS should bring back right-wing misogynist, conspiracy-theory peddling, pro-colonialist, anti-democracy humor columnist Dan Savage as it's editor-in-chief.

Walz feels a little Tim Kaine 2.0 to me, but with more baggage as he gives the GOP an opening paint the ticket with the George Floyd protests and the defund movement again which has been electorally damaging to Dems in the past. I think he probably helps in WI and MI, but PA is a must win regardless and I don’t think he’s going to have much cachet there. If anything PA might feel a little snubbed now since so many assumed Shapiro would get it.

Yes, if Tim Walz has shown us anything in his first 15 minutes of fame it’s his complete lack of gregariousness. Shapiro never stood a chance.

speaking of hating
all things Progresssive

some comments on nyt’s:

Why Tim Walz
Will Be a Potent
Weapon for Kamala Harris

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/06/opinion/tim-walz-kamala-harris.html

He's not a real estate developer, a corporate CEO, a hedge fund manager, a venture capitalist, a tech bro, not even a lawyer. What a relief!

Hopefully, this signals a new era of Democrats doing stuff for people who aren't obscenely rich and don't really want to be. Yes, most Americans just want a middle class standard of living for their work and time with their families.

I hope this VP choice is Kamala Harris telling us what she wants for us too.
--anniedooley; Georgia

Watching Walz's speech I felt like I was watching Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. He is unmistakably genuine in his love of this country and his resume reads like a super patriot.

Walz is everything Trump and Vance are not. He is optimistic, honest, sincere, humble, kind, caring, and inspiring. And he has the chops to take them on.

I cannot wait to vote for him and Harris.

--Nzierler; New Hartford NY

You know what? It's the smiles.
Forget all the policy wonk, left versus
right handwringing. Kamala and Tim smile
and laugh and speak positively and light up a room.

God, that's refreshing.
America needs to feel
good about itself again.

Do not, do NOT
count those smiles out
as a motivating factor for voters.

-- JTS; New York

Two narratives I've seen emerge today among the commentariat are genuinely weird to me:

The idea that Shapiro was somehow entitled to this seat, and it's an upset or betrayal he didn't get it. Yes, PA is an important state, but VP's haven't meant much to their home states for generations. And Walz is an amazing candidate with his own strengths distinct from Shapiro's.

I don't think we have to overcomplicate it - Harris liked Walz more as her running mate. What is with the enormous commitment to Shapiro from those with platforms? Genuinely confused.

2) A certain (narrow) group of self-described "centrists" saying Kamala Harris has now lost them by picking Walz. Really, you guys who called progressives crybabies time and again are saying you will sit out the election or vote for Trump because Harris picked a red-rural district congressman turned Upper Midwest governor, who coached high school football and owns guns?

Why, because he successfully enacted progressive
priorities like free meals for schoolchildren?

It beggars belief and makes one think about which
wing of the party are really the
entitled "crybabies"...
-- Sara; NYC

tonnes More
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/06/opinion/tim-walz-kamala-harris.html#commentsContainer