The political power of the smile
We just finished watching the Harris-Walz rally in Philadelphia. Do you want to know what Tracy and I took away? The political electricity of two candidates with great big wide smiles on their faces filled that arena with the theme of the night: “Thank you for bringing back the joy,” Governor Walz said to Vice President Harris right after she introduced him.
The crowd went wild. Joy about the brand-new Democratic ticket was on everyone’s faces as they listened to Harris and Walz. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen that kind of enthusiasm and delight in our politics. It’s hardly necessary to point this out, but I’m going to remind you anyway: at the grim rallies of Donald Trump, where he spreads lies about “American carnage” and blames everyone but himself, he never cracks a smile, and you don’t see smiles on the faces of his rally crowds. Trump paints a dark picture lamenting this country’s future, and his crowds lament right along with him.
Not tonight in Philadelphia. Democrats are smiling again, laughing at the jibes Harris threw at Trump for wanting to take people’s freedoms away and Walz’s patented refrain that Trump and Vance are just plain “creepy and weird.”
Energy in politics can’t be bought, and it can’t be manufactured. It has to just be there. Tonight, in an arena filled to its 12,000 capacity in Philadelphia, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz reminded Democrats who they are. Empathy is energy. Humor is energy. Dedication to freedom and justice is energy. Being willing to fight for what you believe is energy.
All around Vice President Harris as she spoke, people waved signs that read, “When we fight, WE WIN.” And they joined both candidates when they led the crowd in chanting the Harris-Walz campaign slogan: “We aren’t going back!” Walz captured the energy of the campaign when he said there are 91 days until the election. “This will be easy,” he said to cheers. “We’ll sleep when we’re dead.”
They leave tonight on a seven-state, five day swing through the battleground states billed as the campaign’s introduction of Tim Walz as the Vice President’s running mate. He’s not going to need much of an introduction when rally crowds see the smile on Kamala Harris as she holds his hand aloft. They say Walz has the folksy charm of the Midwest. Yes, but more than that, they both have the power of the smile that is renewing Democratic politics and energizing voters in Philadelphia in a way I haven’t seen in years.
Wow. Your father, your favorite high school teacher, your coach. Brought up on a farm. Achieved the highest enlisted rank possible in the military. Served 24 years. Hunter, owns firearms, takes away the BS of the Trumpers that "she is coming for your guns."
But actually takes a stance, is a principled man. After years where the NRA gave him money for his campaigns, his daughter was 17 when Parkland's mass killings happened, so he said "enough." He gave back every penny he ever got from the NRA. Then in his state, decided they needed common sense gun laws- and got them passed.
Traditional marriage, lovely wife, two kids. They struggled to have children, totally understands people going through fertility issues and the IVF nonsense by Alabama.
And yes, charismatic, which surprised me as I listened to him. "Make no mistake, violent crime was up under Donald Trump.....and that's not even counting the crimes he committed!"
Then he dished it out to JD. "And I got to tell you, I can't wait to debate the guy, that's if he's willing to get off the couch and show up."
Vance has an approval rating right now of 32. Yikes.
Harris/Walz have a real chance of taking it in November. I love it. We will see the week after the convention, where we are.
I’m absolutely jubilant over this energy and enthusiasm! Sunny days ahead. I suspect the Trump storm clouds will peter out and dissipate soon. I already feel the change in the air.