{"id":2320326,"date":"2024-08-07T04:50:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T08:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-folksy-socialist\/"},"modified":"2024-08-07T05:01:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T09:01:16","slug":"tim-walz-folksy-socialist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-folksy-socialist\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Walz, &#8216;Folksy&#8217; Socialist"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">8<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftim-walz-folksy-socialist%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2320326&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses Minnesota Governor Tim Walz&#8217;s \u200bselection \u2063as Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s running mate \u2063for\u200d the 2024 election. It highlights the media&#8217;s portrayal of Walz as a &#8220;folksy&#8221; politician, emphasizing his approachable demeanor and relatability while downplaying his progressive policies.\u2062 The piece contrasts the reception of Walz&#8217;s candidacy with that of other political figures, noting that \u200dwhile his political past is glossed over,\u2064 critics tend to label other candidates more harshly based on their ideologies. <\/p>\n<p>The article questions Harris&#8217;s choice of \u200dWalz, suggesting that the decision may be strategic, aimed at appealing to the Democratic base, particularly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-blackburn-calls-on-america-to-stand-with-israel-amid-hamas-atrocities\/\" title=\"Sen. Blackburn urges support for Israel amidst Hamas atrocities.\">amidst rising antisemitism<\/a> within the party.\u2063 It touches on the implications of this \u2064selection given Walz&#8217;s liberal policies, such as supporting socialized \u200bhealthcare and addressing immigration, and raises concerns about how moderates and independents will respond\u200c to this choice in the escalating political landscape. Ultimately, \u200bthe commentary critiques the dichotomy between Walz&#8217;s folksy image and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-lizzo-is-healthy-vance-is-weird-but-walz-is-folksy\/\" title=\"Media: Lizzo Is &#039;Healthy,&#039; Vance Is &#039;Weird,&#039; But Walz Is &#039;Folksy&#039;\">actual leftist policies<\/a> \u2062he espouses.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Have you heard about Tim Walz&rsquo;s folksiness?<\/p>\n<p>Surely you&rsquo;ve noticed the &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/08\/06\/nx-s1-5057604\/tim-walz-harris-vice-president\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy demeanor<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcchicago.com\/decision-2024\/walz-folksy-manner-progressive-record-midwest\/3513968\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy manner<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barrons.com\/news\/tim-walz-teacher-veteran-governor-and-now-vp-pick-2dca6743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy appeal<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/harris-poised-pick-tim-walz-vice-presidential-running\/story?id=112241182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy mannerisms<\/a>&rdquo; of this &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.csmonitor.com\/USA\/Politics\/2024\/0806\/tim-walz-vp-kamala-harris-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy former soldier<\/a>?&rdquo; If you somehow missed it, the &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/tim-walz-kamala-harris-vice-president-1934825\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy governor of Minnesota<\/a>&rdquo; exudes a &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=8412203328799551\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy &hellip; informal vibe<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/08\/06\/harris-taps-minnesota-gov-tim-walz-for-vp-00172777\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy relatability<\/a>.&rdquo; But don&rsquo;t forget his &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-election\/harris-picks-minnesota-gov-tim-walz-running-mate-rcna163448\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy rebukes<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pidgin\/articles\/clynnpmmzj1o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">folksy plain-spoken and sharp-tongued approach<\/a>,&rdquo; either.<\/p>\n<p>Kamala Harris&rsquo; vice presidential pick is a dedicated cultural and economic leftist who happens to inhabit the body of an average middle-aged bowling team drinking buddy. And because he doesn&rsquo;t live in DC or NYC, the political media has settled on a non-threatening description. Who doesn&rsquo;t like folksy?<\/p>\n<p>Virtually every major media piece on Walz is identical in its glowing tone and content, stressing his down-home everyman appeal while deemphasizing his insane record. Then again, as Walz says, &ldquo;one person&rsquo;s socialism is another person&rsquo;s neighborliness.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>When Trump announced JD Vance as his veep pick, the stories painted a picture of a dour weirdo who was &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/magazine\/2022\/01\/04\/jd-vance-hillbilly-elegy-radicalization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">radicalized<\/a>&rdquo; into an &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/trump-picks-jd-vance-2024-running-mate\/story?id=110909250\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ideological ally<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBCNightlyNews\/status\/1812932401862987914\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">zealous follower of the former president<\/a>.&rdquo; Walz, on the other hand, had merely &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/08\/06\/politics\/tim-walz-harris-vice-president\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">evolved<\/a>&rdquo; into his &ldquo;progressive&rdquo; positions, as one does.<\/p>\n<p>The word &ldquo;folksy&rdquo; typically has two definitions. One denotes having the characteristics of &ldquo;traditional culture and customs, especially in a contrived or artificial way.&rdquo; The other to act in &ldquo;informal and unpretentious&rdquo; manner. It&rsquo;s certainly fair to say that Walz is more relaxed and unpretentious authoritarian than his tautology-spouting running partner.  <\/p>\n<p>In this case, though, folksiness has a third euphemistic meaning: &ldquo;not the Jewish guy.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Has anyone offered a single convincing reason &mdash; other than the obvious &mdash; for why Harris picked Walz for national ticket over Josh Shapiro, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oan-poll-finds-over-60-of-people-want-tulsi-gabbard-to-replace-gavin-newsom-as-governor-of-calif\/\" title=\"OAN poll finds over 60% of people want Tulsi Gabbard to replace Gavin Newsom as governor of Calif.\">popular governor<\/a> of a must-win state with <a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/state-rankings\/per-capita-income-by-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a> working-class voters than Minnesota? It is highly unlikely that anyone wins 2024 without Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats are gambling that the Jewish vote is secure enough to withstand the rampant antisemitism that&rsquo;s taken hold on the progressive left. It&rsquo;s not a terrible bet, sadly. In Walz, Harris believes she can placate the activist base and growing pro-Hamas wing of the party while media covers her running mate as a folksy moderate.<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s no accident that Squad members like <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AOC\/status\/1820819039955947605\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AOC<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/IlhanMN\/status\/1820820735771791753\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ilhan Omar<\/a> were first out of the gate celebrating the Walz pick. Bernie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/bernie-sanders-shows-support-gov-walz-harris-vp-pick-2024-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">loves it<\/a>. Hamas apologists like the Washington Post&rsquo;s Karen Attiah were <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KarenAttiah\/status\/1820808810610458977\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeting<\/a> like giddy teenagers, &ldquo;TEAM WALZ!!!!!!!!!! ITS OUR TIME!!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>What about moderates and independents? It seems counterintuitive for Kamala, who has accumulated a grand total of zero primary votes, to tap one of the most brazenly left-wing governors in the country as she attempts to walk back a raft of <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/29\/the-ministry-of-truth-is-proud-to-present-kamala-harris-for-president\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">unpopular<\/a> positions that were staked only a few years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Like Harris, the folksy Minnesota governor has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/minnesotacare-for-all-lawmakers-pitch-a-way-to-broaden-health-coverage\/504327682\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">proposed<\/a> socializing health insurance and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.evergreenaction.com\/press\/governor-walz-raises-the-bar-with-new-100-clean-energy-standard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">eliminating<\/a> fossil fuels. Like Harris, Walz wants to effectively decriminalize illegal immigration by signing laws to pay for the <a href=\"https:\/\/minnesotareformer.com\/2023\/05\/20\/minnesota-to-allow-all-undocumented-residents-to-enroll-in-public-insurance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">health care<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scrippsnews.com\/us-news\/education\/undocumented-immigrants-eligible-for-free-college-in-minnesota\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tuition<\/a> of illegals, and allow them to have <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DC_Draino\/status\/1820809840047833425\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">driver&rsquo;s licenses<\/a>. Like Harris, Walz has taken a maximalist position on abortion, signing a bill <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/McCormackJohn\/status\/1820815061528498206\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">codifying<\/a> the procedure as a &ldquo;fundamental right&rdquo; into the ninth month, on demand with no questions asked. Walz also signed a bill that let&rsquo;s children with gender dysphoria be mutilated by doctors.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from all of that, Minnesota has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/the-morning-jolt\/harris-vp-short-lister-comes-loaded-with-baggage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seen<\/a> a string of scandals and fiscal mismanagement under Walz.<\/p>\n<p>Walz, who set up a <a href=\"https:\/\/tennesseestar.com\/the-upper-midwest\/one-minnesota-thousands-reported-on-neighbors-using-tattle-tale-hotline-during-pandemic\/admin\/2022\/07\/04\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">snitch line<\/a> to report Covid rule violators, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-13714873\/tim-walz-governor-slammed-george-floyd-riots-burn-covid-fraud.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">watched<\/a> as minority neighborhoods in Minnesota were being burned during the BLM riots. When asked to call in the National Guard, Walz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.city-journal.org\/article\/darkness-falls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">responded<\/a>, &ldquo;I will not patronize you as a white man without living [your] lived experiences.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He speaks just like the average American!<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps none of that will matter because vice presidents rarely matter. Some writers have speculated that Kamala believed Shapiro, a more moderate political figure, would outshine her. Walz, it is true, has never made anyone look bad.<\/p>\n<p>But it&rsquo;s also clear that the left is hoping voters will ignore the real Tim Walz and fall for the contrived harmless folksy fella of their imagination.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p>      David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of six books&mdash;the most recent, <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harpercollins.com\/products\/the-rise-of-blueanon-david-harsanyi?variant=41551839232034\">The The Rise of BlueAnon: How the Democrats Became a Party of Conspiracy Theorists<\/a><\/b>. Follow him on Twitter, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidharsanyi\/\">@davidharsanyi<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you come across the concept of Tim Walz&#8217;s folksiness? You\u2019ve likely observed his \u201cfolksy demeanor,\u201d \u201cfolksy manner,\u201d and \u201cfolksy appeal\u201d as a \u201cfolksy former soldier.\u201d If you haven\u2019t, the \u201cfolksy governor of Minnesota\u201d radiates a casual and relatable vibe. However, it\u2019s important to also recognize his \u201cfolksy rebukes\u201d and his straightforward yet sharp-tongued style. Kamala Harris\u2019 choice for vice president is a committed cultural and economic leftist who presents himself like an average middle-aged bowling buddy. Since he doesn\u2019t reside in Washington D.C. or New York City, the political media has adopted a non-threatening portrayal of him\u2014who doesn\u2019t appreciate someone who seems down-to-earth?<\/p>\n<p>Almost every significant media article about Walz shares a similar positive tone, highlighting his relatable everyman charm while downplaying his extreme record. As Walz himself puts it, &#8220;one person\u2019s socialism is another person\u2019s neighborliness.&#8221; In contrast to Trump\u2019s announcement of JD Vance as his running mate\u2014which depicted Vance as a gloomy oddball turned radical ally\u2014Walz is described as having merely &#8220;evolved&#8221; into progressive views.<\/p>\n<p>The term &#8220;folksy&#8221; generally has two meanings: one refers to characteristics associated with traditional culture in an artificial way; the other describes someone acting informally and without pretense. It can be said that Walz embodies a more relaxed form of authoritarianism compared to his verbose running mate.<\/p>\n<p>However, in this context, folksiness takes on another euphemistic meaning: &#8220;not the Jewish guy.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Has anyone provided any compelling reason\u2014aside from the obvious\u2014for why Harris chose Walz over Josh Shapiro, the popular governor from Pennsylvania\u2014a crucial state with more working-class voters than Minnesota? Winning Pennsylvania will be essential for any candidate in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats are betting that Jewish voters will remain loyal despite rising antisemitism within parts of the progressive left\u2014a risky but not entirely unfounded gamble. With Walz on her ticket, Harris believes she can appease both her activist base and those within her party who support Hamas while being portrayed by media outlets as a moderate figure.<\/p>\n<p>It was no surprise when members of The Squad like AOC and Ilhan Omar quickly celebrated Walz&#8217;s selection; even Bernie Sanders expressed approval. Pro-Hamas commentators such as Karen Attiah from The Washington Post were enthusiastically tweeting about Team Walz.<\/p>\n<p>What about moderates and independents? It seems counterproductive for Kamala\u2014who hasn\u2019t garnered any primary votes\u2014to choose one of America\u2019s most overtly left-wing governors while trying to distance herself from unpopular stances she previously held.<\/p>\n<p>Like Harris, Governor Walz has proposed socializing health insurance and phasing out fossil fuels. He also supports effectively decriminalizing illegal immigration by advocating for laws that would fund healthcare and education for undocumented immigrants while allowing them access to driver\u2019s licenses. Additionally, he has taken an extreme stance on abortion rights by signing legislation that codifies abortion up until birth without restrictions or questions asked; he also approved measures allowing medical procedures for children experiencing gender dysphoria.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond these issues lies Minnesota&#8217;s history under Walz marked by scandals and fiscal mismanagement during which he established a hotline for reporting COVID rule violations but failed to act decisively during BLM riots when minority neighborhoods were affected; when asked about deploying National Guard troops during unrest, he stated he wouldn\u2019t presume to speak on behalf of others based solely on race.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps none of this will significantly impact public perception since vice presidents often play minor roles in elections anyway. Some speculate that Kamala feared Shapiro might overshadow her due to being more moderate; indeed, it appears that no one has ever looked bad next to Walz.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, it&#8217;s evident that many hope voters will overlook Tim Walz&#8217;s true nature in favor of an idealized version crafted by those around him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":831,"featured_media":2320327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Tim-Walz-e1722973731668.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[5191,5698,5894,12428,36113],"class_list":["post-2320326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-leadership","tag-minnesota","tag-politics","tag-socialism","tag-tim-walz"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Tim-Walz-e1722973731668.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2320326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/831"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2320326"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2320326\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2320327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2320326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2320326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2320326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}