Like many millions of other Americans, I've become a big fan of Tim Walz. Tonight he gave an acceptance speech for the vice-president nomination at the Democratic National Convention that showed why he inspires so much love and affection.
Walz is a regular guy who happens to be a skilled politician -- a wonderful change from the usual skilled politicians trying to appear like regular guys. Yeah, I'm talking about you, J.D. Vance.
The problem for Vance and other regular guy wanna-be's is that you can't fake the sort of background Walz wears effortlessly, because it is who he is, not who he pretends to be.
Son of a soldier, 24 years in National Guard, skilled shooter and hunter who believes in gun control, social studies teacher, coach of a high school that won a state championship, father of two children thanks to fertility treatment, twelve terms in Congress as a representative of a conservative district, Governor of Minnesota who worked with Republicans to get things done, and now, a candidate for vice-president of the United States.
Watch his acceptance speech. It's only about fifteen minutes long. Short and inspiring.
I thought I grew up in a small town. But Walz beat me by a bit.
He says that his hometown in Nebraska had 400 people, with 24 students in his high school graduation class. Me, my rural California town had about 700 residents, and my eighth grade class had about 20 students, 100 or so in my high school class, which was in a town some distance away.
So I understand what Walz means when he talks in his acceptance speech about being a good neighbor. In small towns, in rural areas, people have to rely on each other, because outside help typically is quite distant. They may practice a different religion or belong to a different political party than their neighbors, but what binds them is stronger than what divides them.
At least, that's the way it used to be. That's how I remember it from the age of 75, and how Tim Walz remembers it from his age of 60. Things are different now. Our country isn't as united. But Walz and Kamala Harris want to change that. Sure, it'll be an uphill battle, assuming they win this November, given how angry and disappointed Trump supporters will be that their favored candidate lost.
Walz's acceptance speech shows how good-hearted this man is. He's the perfect person to become vice-president, someone with the character to work hard at healing our divisions, a successful coach who can help lead us to victory over fear and distrust of those who aren't like us.
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