Yes, We Need Liz Cheney and Tim Walz Explains Why

I have not been entirely thrilled with Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show as he and his writers were more concerned with still trying to do tone-deaf “Both Sides” takes, as if Biden eating ice cream was on par with Donald Trump basically saying, “Hi, I want to be the new Hitler” as the media pretends his brain isn’t leaking out.

Thankfully, the show has returned to form in recent weeks, and Monday’s episode was a particular barn-burner. Not only did Stewart make a meal out of Trump’s McDonald’s stunt, but he delivered a scathing takedown of Republicans who are willing to go on TV and say with a straight face that Trump did not say the horrifying things he clearly said — repeatedly. Elon Musk loves to warn that we’re living in 1984, and you know what? He’s right. Just watch New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu debase himself regularly for a taste of that action.

Monday’s episode also included a lengthy interview with Tim Walz, where the Vice Presidential candidate addressed a thorny issue for Stewart and his way-too-online cadre of writers: “The Cheney thing — do we really have to do that?” It was a mind-melting take because I’m old enough to remember when Stewart left The Daily Show and admirably went hard on getting much-needed care for 9/11 first responders. Some of those guys were hardcore MAGA, and Stewart would frequently argue that it doesn’t make them bad people.

Fortunately, Walz had a good answer even after Stewart waved off the slogan that the campaign is a “big tent” that includes everyone from Bernie Sanders to Taylor Swift to Dick Cheney. In a nutshell, the Cheney support is no small thing because it provides an “exit ramp” for GOP voters who are sick of Trump. While that’s probably a small percentage, we are looking at a stomach-churning race that is going to be decided by tiny margins in swing states, so every bit counts.

“There are a lot of people out there — I think Liz Cheney and Dick Cheney give permission to those folks who want to find a reason to do the right thing,” Walz said (via Mediaite). “It doesn’t mean they agree with us. We’re not going to take their foreign policy decisions and discussions and implement those.”

Let me make one thing clear, because I’m routinely accused of being a “centrist” simply because I acknowledge the reality that the Republican Party exists. Sadly, people vote for what they are selling, and that will always be the real roadblock to progressive causes, not the Democratic Party. Anyway, I have no love for Dick Cheney. I watched the Iraq War toss my generation into the meat grinder and leave a broken shell behind. My own brother’s sanity was a casualty of that war. So make no mistake, I have very vivid memories of the Bush Administration and its heinous shit.

That said, if Liz and Dick want to peel off GOP voters and stop a guy who is basically promising to be a dictator, we should definitely encourage that. I know the pithy remark is, “Man, I wish the Democrats were more concerned with courting leftists instead of the Dick Cheneys of the world.” But here’s the thing: We didn’t court them. They were repelled by Trump. MAGA forced them out, and we simply said, “Sure, come in from the rain.”

That door is also wide open for anyone who is genuinely concerned about Palestinians and wants to stop Trump from teaming up with Netanyahu to bomb Gaza into a new spot for Jared Kushner to build condos. You want to reduce harm? Please, come on in. AOC will love to have you.

You can watch Jon Stewart interview Tim Walz below: