Why Tim Walz brings joy, hope, and opportunity for the best memes.

Lucky there's a pair who positively can do all the things that make us laugh and cry

There are some things I miss about Twitter going back to 2007.

One is being part of those collective moments of joy, when we felt like we were all in something together. I’m talking about memes. As in the original meaning — an inside joke to build on and invite more people to participate.

Threads finally took the meme baton yesterday, after Kamala Harris’s first important decision and test of judgment as US presidential candidate: Her selection of veteran, dad of two, former public high school history teacher, championship-winning varsity football coach, former US Representative, rescue dog owner, and big-hearted, caring and highly effective current Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as our future Vice President of the United States.

The meme is all about Walz’s BDE, which is not…uh…what it typically stands for.

Try Big Dad Energy.

The ubiquitous “Hugs” photo, via Getty

It started with Late Night with a tweet from Seth Meyers head writer, Sal Gentile.(Get thee to Threads, Sal!

Tim Walz will expand free school lunches, raise the minimum wage, make it easier to unionize, fix your carburetor, replace the old wiring in your basement, spray that wasp’s nest under the deck, install a new spring for your garage door and put a new chain on your lawnmower

The joy that’s ensued since? It’s like Twitter circa 2008 in the best way.

@thekristinkey

@gennefer

@thedevilhistory

@lisaannwalter

@fattestofclowns

@grauface

@jzossfineart

@cave_caolo

All of this was solidified in Walz’s first VP campaign speech last night in Philly (watch the whole thing!) when so many of us “met” him for the first time.

I have seen a few analyses of why Democrats (and likely, many Independents and alienated Republicans) have embraced Walz with such a big, loving, virtual bear hug in just 24 hours.

But none so apt as this morning’s Substack from

Anand Giridharadas

on

The Ink

, which I read just as I was about to publish this piece. It’s subtitled: “How a self-described ‘old white guy’ can help many Americans reimagine themselves”.

He writes:

The far right often tries to tarnish Democrats as a bunch of effete coastal folk trying to ruin sports, take away your guns, unravel traditional understandings of gender, replace white people, usher in communism, and more. It is vital that everyone stand up to this bullshit. But there can be special power in an old white guy saying: This is bullshit. A guy who hunts and keeps guns. A guy who coached football. A guy who fought in the military. A guy who did all the supposed “guy” things and emerged with a belief in equality and dignity for all of us.

I’d like to add that maybe, it’s also helping many Americans reimagine who some of the people we love could still be.

Quite a few observers have stated that Tim Walz is like the dad that a whole generation of younger Americans remember — and wish they still had — before they lost him to Fox News.

There’s a whole lot of hope — and joy — in the idea that together, Harris and Walz could break this weird (yep) pattern of cruelty, bigotry and resentment-turned-hatred that’s come to define the maga base of the GOP. It won’t not just make the country a better place for all of us. Maybe it will make lots of Thanksgving tables a better place too.

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