We’ve dealt with a lot of grating politicians in recent years, but something about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz grinds my gears in a particularly painful way.
He’s not a real person. He’s a modern day minstrel show in reverse.
Walz does his best to look like a normal, quirky white dad, the kind who means well but is constantly befuddled and needs a stern, competent woman to set him straight. Every time he goes on stage, he seemingly does an impression of Steve Martin in “Cheaper by the Dozen,” right down to the slapstick mannerisms. He talks about doing wholesome things with his kids, acts like a nerd, and makes fun of himself for not liking spicy food.
If the goal is to make him seem like a relatable everyman, it’s not working. It feels forced and fake because it is. In reality, Walz is a gun-grabbing, child-mutilating, BLM-kneeling beady-eyed communist. Despite his folksy demeanor, he doesn’t share the values of the working man; he simply dons their aesthetic like a drag costume in order to mock what he claims to be. And that seems to be the real goal.
Minstrel shows of old were a slapstick caricature of black stereotypes to amuse white audiences while reinforcing their sense of superiority. Walz’s shtick does the same for white liberals today. He’s mocking the white stereotypes of today’s pop culture in a lighthearted way to endear himself to self-hating white liberals — all while assuring them that they’re better than those nasty Trump supporters who don’t take pride in self-flagellation.
Democratic voters aren’t laughing with him, they’re laughing at him. And that’s the point.
