The very first thing Tim Walz said as the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee — during a rally Tuesday in Philadelphia — was this (bolding is mine):
“Thank you, Madam Vice President, for the trust you put in me, but maybe more so, thank you for bringing back the joy.”
Interesting word choice, no?
And it wasn’t accidental! On two more occasions in his relatively short introductory address, the Minnesota governor described Harris the very same way.
“And I want all of you to hold this,” Walz said later in the speech. “And don't ever underestimate the power of this -- she does it all with a sense of joy.”
And then, again, Walz said this of Harris: “This leader, this compassionate, careful, joyous leader, believes in each and every one of you.”
That is purposeful. And interesting.
The idea of the politics of joy actually goes back to Hubert Humphrey in 1968. Humphrey, like Harris, was the sitting vice president who became the presidential nominee when the incumbent (Lyndon Johnson in his case) unexpectedly decided against running for a 2nd term.
During that campaign, Humphrey said this: “Here we are the way politics ought to be in America; the politics of happiness, the politics of purpose and the politics of joy.”
Now, Humphrey lost — narrowly — to Richard Nixon. But the idea of joy as a political weapon is a powerful one — particularly when you consider the incredibly dark and pessimistic vision of our country being offered by Donald Trump.
I broke it all down in today’s edition of The Morning.
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