When Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Democrat) as her vice presidential pick Tuesday morning, the internet came ready with the memes.
People flooded social media with wholesome videos and photos of Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach, whose energy can best be described as “Fun Midwestern Dad.” They made jokes about how he seems like the kind of guy who will teach you how to change a tire. “To the window, to the Walz!” became a popular refrain on social media. (Move over, “Kamala IS brat” and “you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”)
Never has anyone been so excited to make memes about a middle-aged white man. I’m joking a bit, but the jokes are also the point. Harris selecting Walz is consistent with her campaign’s appeal thus far: demonstrating an internet savviness, being in touch with what genuinely excites people rather than conforming to the conventional wisdom, and reaching people in fun and accessible ways.
Walz began the VP audition process by making memorable TV appearances, repeatedly roasting the Republican ticket — former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance — and leaning into the strategy of calling them “weird,” a popular and increasingly effective line of attack that has gained particular traction on the internet. Over the last two weeks, clips of Walz frequently went viral on social media (and put the Minnesota governor on a lot of Americans’ radars for the first time), solidifying this election as one where grabbing people’s attention online really matters.
Most people probably didn’t know much about Walz or his political career and policy record before two weeks ago. But if you spend any time online, you may have seen clips of those TV hits, or the wholesome videos of him at the Minnesota State Fair, or cheerful photos of him holding a piglet or of children hugging him after he signed a bill guaranteeing free school meals for all Minnesota students.
Walz is already winning the internet, appropriately complementing the trajectory of Harris’ campaign so far. Harris and her campaign have been able to effectively position her as the presidential candidate who actually understands how to reach people in normal, approachable — and crucially, in these otherwise grim times — fun ways.
Walz’s meme-ability is an asset. The internet would likely not have demonstrated anywhere near close to Tuesday’s level of enthusiasm had Harris selected Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), whom many expected as the most strategic VP choice, as the governor of a crucial swing state. It’s hard to imagine people being as excited by Shapiro, for both substantive reasons — but also because he wouldn’t be giving the internet as much fodder for fun memes.
Once again, Republicans, whose attempts to attack Harris have often backfired spectacularly, are struggling to dig up catchy ways to attack Walz online. As of Tuesday, all they seem to have right now is branding him as “Tampon Tim,” referring to Walz signing legislation to ensure access to free menstrual products in school bathrooms. Though looking at the hashtag on Twitter, it seems to have had the opposite effect: Many of the top tweets consist of people noting that “Tampon Tim” is a pretty weak nickname. Plus, it says a lot about you if you’re grossed out by schools making sure students have access to menstrual products (one might say opposing that is “weird”).
To be a bit of a killjoy here: the fact that Walz is a middle-aged white man definitely contributes to his meme-ability. Sadly, it’s easier for people across the various corners of the internet to unite and have a uniformly enthusiastic response when it involves a white man. It’s why when people call someone “relatable,” “likeable,” or “affable,” it’s typically in reference to a white man (see also: Glen Powell’s movie star career). It’s also why Harris’ VP shortlist very quickly narrowed to a list of white men, since America unfortunately is not ready for two women, or two people of color, or (gasp!) two women of color on a presidential ticket.
But enough cynicism. If the Harris campaign — and now, the Harris-Walz campaign — has taught us anything these past few weeks, it’s to dispense with conventional wisdom. It’s possible for politicians to be authentic on the internet. It’s possible to have fun with politics again. Let us become unburdened by what has been.