As the vice president introduced her new running mate at an energetic rally in Philadelphia, he quickly demonstrated his ability to deliver searing attacks against Donald Trump and JD Vance.

America’s introduction to Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota began with a half-hour of cheering for Vice President Kamala Harris and ended with some of the sharpest attacks Democrats have leveled against former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio.

Before a raucous crowd in Philadelphia, Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz presented the Minnesotan as a folksy former schoolteacher and football coach who had inspired his students, served in the military and improved his constituents’ lives.

But it was his ability to deliver searing yet accessible attacks against their Republican opponents that won Mr. Walz a place on the national ticket, and during his first rally, he did not miss his marks.

“Donald Trump sees the world a little differently than us,” he said. “First of all, he doesn’t know the first thing about service. He doesn’t have time for it because he’s too busy serving himself.”

Then came the dagger. “Violent crime was up under Donald Trump,” he said, before pausing for effect. “That’s not even counting the crimes he committed.”

  • @snooggums@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    1849 months ago

    About time the Dems had some charismatic candidates who are willing to push back against the bullying of Republicans instead of taking the high road.

      • @Cosmicomical@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        19 months ago

        Unfortunately this approach takes the focus away from policy, but since people doesn’t seem understand what’s at stake it’s a necessary change.

    • Hemingways_Shotgun
      link
      fedilink
      English
      269 months ago

      I think a lot of things started to go wrong right after Hilary said “When they go low, we go high”.

      Back then they were labouring under the assumption that the Republican Party (and voters) actually had a sense of shame; that if you stick to the “political” fights rather than throwing some shade, you’ll eventually come out on top.

      Now they (finally) know better. You gotta throw some shade in with that policy, and if you can make the shade humorous, all the better. Because the only thing Trump cares about is being seen as ‘strong’, and that’s why this whole ‘weird’ thing is working as well as it has.

      • @snooggums@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        89 months ago

        Now they (finally) know better.

        I kind of doubt Clinton and Biden approve of this shift and still think taking the high road is the right way. Biden is still taking the high road!

        • @frezik@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          59 months ago

          Wonder if there were a bunch of strategists who have been cooking this strategy for a few cycles already, but they were never allowed to unleash it.

    • єχтяανɒgαηт єηzумэ
      link
      fedilink
      English
      249 months ago

      Basically couldn’t have come any later really. They’re already coming out the gates scrabbling with just 3 months and change until voting starts.

        • @teamevil@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          12
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          Plus it minimized fascist election fuckery…it’s not zero and we need people watching electors that think they can lie… Trying to subvert the will of the voters should be considered treason and treated as such legally.

        • Hemingways_Shotgun
          link
          fedilink
          English
          109 months ago

          America is one of the only countries with such a long election cycle. Up here in Canada it’s much shorter thankfully. Get it over with and let people get on with their lives.

      • @niucllos@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        519 months ago

        Not that I ascribe this to strategy, but I wonder if this will work in their favor. The last minute change of jockey has been dominating the news since it happened, and pushing Trump’s ridiculous things to the side. This ticket will have huge and new name recognition in voters’ minds, and a lot less time to get mud to stick

        • modifier
          link
          fedilink
          439 months ago

          I think it will definitely work in their favor, and I hope it kicks off a trend towards a shorter election season, but the corporate media will resist that.

  • SatansMaggotyCumFart
    link
    fedilink
    1419 months ago

    Wow, no wonder republicans are pissed off.

    They have old man tiny hands and the couchfucker to try to counter these guys.

        • @stonerboner@lemmynsfw.com
          link
          fedilink
          219 months ago

          Sigh. Normal people do vote. Republicans haven’t won a national popular in 20 years, and the fluke that won in 2004 only did so because of 9/11. He also won his first term by Supreme Court decision.

          Showing up is not our problem. There is zero chance Kamala and Tim don’t absolutely trounce their opposition. The fascists know this, so they will try to subvert democracy instead of win within the system.

            • Logi
              link
              fedilink
              14
              edit-2
              9 months ago

              That’s because the “Did Vote Too” vote is split by the two parties. Clearly we need one of them to drop out to defeat the real enemy.

              Edit: although the real real enemy is FPTP and the EC which is the root of all this nonsense.

  • modifier
    link
    fedilink
    1149 months ago

    I can’t stop thinking about how ingenius the couch joke is. The reference is obvious if you know the meme but oblique enough to maintain plausible deniability, but it doesn’t matter because guess what, Republicans can’t even complain about this without giving further airtime to the ridiculous meme itself. It is a serrated takedown.

    • Christer Enfors
      link
      fedilink
      English
      99 months ago

      I’m out of the loop on that one. Can you explain it to those of us who missed it, please?

      • @vxx@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        57
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        The Internet is memeing about Vance being a couch fucker. He tried to refute it by saying he never had sex with a couch to completion, which obviously was a self own.

        Walz said yesterday that he’s happy to debate Vance, if Vance can get his ass off the couch.

        • @Argurotoxus@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          329 months ago

          Just so you’re aware that refutation was also spoofed.

          Whole situation remains funny af though. And Walz is adept at twisting the knife.

        • Christer Enfors
          link
          fedilink
          English
          259 months ago

          he never had sex with a couch to completion

          Uhmmm… what? Why would he say that? Was there actually some truth to the claim that he had sex with a couch, or what?

          • @samus12345@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            129 months ago

            None. He just did a really bad job refuting it. Honestly, it’s such a goofy meme that most adults would just ignore it, but these are Republicans we’re talking about. It’s incredibly easy to distract them with frivolous stuff.

        • @frostysauce@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          39 months ago

          He tried to refute it by saying he never had sex with a couch to completion

          There is no way I’m believing he said that without a primary source.

  • FuglyDuck
    link
    fedilink
    English
    419 months ago

    i wonder if he has a license to throw those haymakers.

  • @boonhet@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    409 months ago

    I was gonna say I wish she’d chosen someone younger since she herself is much younger than Trump or Biden and that’s a decent selling point in the current state of affairs

    And then I looked it up and he’s only a year older than her. The passage of time really hasn’t affected them equally.

  • @Rapidcreek@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    339 months ago

    Walz became the nation’s Dad as he entered the national political stage. When I think of all the lions that came from that part of the country, he is definitely on the list.

  • @ceenote@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    309 months ago

    It’s a shame he’s a teetotaler now, he has the highest “I could have a beer with him” score of any candidate I’ve ever seen.

    • ThePowerOfGeek
      link
      fedilink
      English
      429 months ago

      He can just be the “I could have a root beer with him” candidate then.

    • @Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      219 months ago

      I’d have a nonalcoholic beer with him any time!

      They actually make a lot of REALLY tasty ones now, which makes my life as a beer-loving ex-drinker a LOT easier when there’s a football game on, for example 😁

      • Ooh, what’s your favorites? I’m not a teetotaler, but I don’t sleep as well after drinking so most of the time I’d rather just have an NA beer. I’ve never been a fan of IPAs, unfortunately, so I’m pretty meh on most of Athletic’s offerings. My favorite is from a local brewery (Bauhaus Brew Labs) called Nah, it’s a non alcoholic Helles.

        • @Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          69 months ago

          I’m not a fan of overly hoppy beers (of which IPAs are the worst by definition) either heh.

          I can’t recommend the nonalcoholic versions of Leffe Blonde or Brune highly enough!

          They taste exactly like the “normal” version, which is high praise if you ask me. So if you like Belgian Trappist style beer and don’t want the alcohol, those are definitely the way to go IMO.

          If you’re more into a refreshing wheat beer, the Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc 0.0% will do you well too, my absolute favorite for a hot summer day!

          If you just want a regular pilsner that doesn’t cost too much but is still hella tasty, my favorite “daily driver” is Bavaria nonalcoholic.

          I hope any or all of these are available in your area and to your taste!

        • @frazorth@feddit.uk
          link
          fedilink
          29 months ago

          I was really disappointed with the NA beer in California when I visited. Athletic had three types that were stocked in the various grocery stores I visited, but they all tasted exactly the same.

          There was an NA Mango that I saw in one but nowhere else. Surprising really when we can get Brooklyn Special Effects over here in the UK. I was expecting at least a match in options.

          Good luck with your hunt!

      • @ReCursing@lemmings.world
        link
        fedilink
        69 months ago

        I tend to find nonalcoholic beers taste a bit… thin. I tend to go for a bitter (I’m British, there’s a load of really good traditional regional bitters about) rather than an IPA or wheatbeer, or anything else. Do you find that and just don’t mind or am I just drinking the wrong things?

        (I’m not tee total, I just don’t drink much cos I’m usually driving)

        • @Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          79 months ago

          Some cheap ones are, sure, but a good nonalcoholic beer tastes like a good beer WITH alcohol does. I haven’t tried one myself yet as they aren’t in stores here, but apparently a Guinness 0.0 tastes exactly like the classic alcoholic stout.

          As for bitters specifically, duckduckgo keeps giving me cocktail bitters even when I limit my search to the UK and specify “English Bitter” “best bitter” or “bitter beer” 🤦

        • @frazorth@feddit.uk
          link
          fedilink
          2
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          They can be a bit thinner, but considering how much Neck Oil is in your face I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Its more the lagers that just taste of malt juice that I dislike.

          If you want stuff that isnt thin then Laser Crush by Beavertown is pretty good, and Special Effects by Brooklyn is amazing considering its 0.5%. (IMHO).

          Both can be picked up at either Tescos or Sainsburys.

          And as mentioned, Guinness 0.0 tastes the same. I’ve had that a few times at Twickenham, and its just as good but it could have been the atmosphere.

          What surprised me more was that I was recently out in California, and most supermarkets I visited either didn’t have an option or only had one Athletic, which you can get in Tescos but is probably one of the weaker IPA options.

          • @ReCursing@lemmings.world
            link
            fedilink
            29 months ago

            I’ll have to go to Sainsburys and see if I can grab some of one of those two then. And you’re the second (third?) person to mention Guineess 0,0 so I’ll give that a go too - stout isn’t my favoruite but it’s far from the worst

            • @frazorth@feddit.uk
              link
              fedilink
              29 months ago

              Another thought is the Big Drop Paradiso Citra, which is not quite as good as the other two, is still very nice and I’m not sure about Saintsbury’s, but I can get it in my local Tescos.

              I’m not a big fan of the other Big Drops, but the Citra is nice when the sun is out.

            • @frazorth@feddit.uk
              link
              fedilink
              29 months ago

              Yeah, I wouldn’t normally choose stout. I picked it because it was going to be first drink of the day during a longer hot spell.

              Turned out surprising good.

    • @Rakonat@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      99 months ago

      I’d have rated Al Franken higher but he’s pretty much left politics for good at this point.