Tim Walz Unwisely Brought Civility to a Knife Fight

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 2, 2024 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 2, 2024 |

If you write on the Internet long enough, you’ll eventually empathize with someone who doesn’t deserve it, and the blowback can be brutal. I remember watching a reality TV show and thinking one character seemed like the only humane person there, only to be promptly informed of all the inhumane things that person had done and how dare you!

Tim Walz had a similar experience last night during the Vice Presidential debate with J.D. Vance. He kept saying things like, “We have a lot of common ground here,” or “I bet we agree more than we don’t,” or “These are the kinds of conversations we should be having.” For much of the night, Walz tried to see the best in his opponent because that’s who he is. It’s why so many of us like the guy. And maybe the Democrat from a red county, who managed to appeal to his constituents for years, knew what he was doing—perhaps the goal was not to win the debate but to attract independent voters. Still, I thought it was a mistake.

In seeking to empathize with his opponent, find common ground, and keep it civil, Walz helped Vance normalize many of the extreme positions of the MAGA Republican party. He politely engaged with a man far more effective than his boss at legitimizing Project 2025’s agenda. Walz is not the attack dog needed to push back on a platform that includes violent and inhumane mass deportations, a federal abortion ban, imprisoning political opponents, and forcing religion into public schools.

Vance, a skilled debater, managed — aside from the January 6th issue — to pivot, dodge, and promote a dangerous agenda while referring to his “beautiful wife and children, who he hopes have already gone to bed.” This man wants an abortion ban, opposes IVF, believes childless women shouldn’t have the same political rights as those with families, and thinks “cat ladies” are sociopaths. He said that! He invented a lie about legal Haitian immigrants so vile that kindergarteners need security at their schools. This man believes access to an AR-15 is more important than his own children’s safety in school. He feels only slightly uneasy about arresting parents of school shooters who provided their kids access to deadly weapons.

This man tried to convince America that Donald Trump saved Obamacare. OH MY FUCKING GOD.

I love Tim Walz. I think he’s a great man. I also think he performed adequately in a debate that post-debate viewers felt ended in a tie and which likely won’t have any lasting impact on the race. That’s a shame. Because last night, Walz had an opportunity to show the world who J.D. Vance really is — a nakedly transparent, soulless charlatan with extreme ideas who lies even about his loyalty to Trump — but instead, Walz showed civility. That’s exactly what we want in a Vice President. But in a debate against a slick opponent trying to “sanewash” hateful, autocratic, dangerous, anti-democratic ideas, civility has no place.

Also, Walz should’ve worn the glasses.