Why Walz is the man’s man
Donald Trump will be a guest on Joe Rogan’s podcast on Friday. This will be the latest addition to Trump’s plethora of appearances on podcasts that target primarily young-male audiences, such as those hosted by Theo Vonn, Ben Shapiro, and Adin Ross.
Young males have been a prime target for the GOP and the Trump campaign for a while now, but especially this election cycle. The issue for Republicans is that, although you might attract a lot of listeners with a figure like Donald Trump, those clicks don’t necessarily translate to votes. Young voters are also infamously low propensity, as are men compared to women. Double whammy.
Outside of the pure electoral prospects of the young male voter base, we must look under the hood to find the theme the right has been cultivating to woo this often-overlooked piece of the electorate.
Ever since he entered the political scene, Donald Trump has always relied on a “macho man” façade to gather support. His façade is well known; picking fights with journalists, demonizing political opponents, juvenile name-calling, and other disparaging insults towards male opponents, and claiming everything he owns and operates is the “best” and “biggest.”
That combative and chauvinistic nature is all about projection, one that is a core piece of the authoritarian playbook; commonly used by wanna-be strongmen like Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, and Jair Bolsonaro.
Let us contrast that with Tim Walz, who offers a version of masculinity truly worthy of respect.
Walz, raised on a farm in rural Nebraska, was a teacher, football coach and veteran. He is a proud hunter and gun-owner. He shows you can be strong AND kind and good-humored at the same time, all while fighting for what you believe in. He shows patriotism not by isolating and vilifying fellow Americans but by looking after your neighbor and advocating for those less well-off.
Best of all, he is a proud dad. Take his son Gus, who has a nonverbal learning disorder. After his dad’s speech at the Democratic National Convention, Gus jumped up from his seat in tears, cheering on his dad. While on his feet, he famously exclaimed: “That’s my dad!” Conservative personalities were quick to ridicule Gus’ appearance at that moment of emotion and vulnerability, all because the Walz family showed love and compassion toward one another. That event and the right’s reception of it is symbolic of their obsession with attacking anyone or anything that does not conform to their outdated version of masculinity.
Do not see this general criticism of outdated masculinity as some sort of dig toward all men. In fact, Christopher Cotton from Salon points out Walz’s redefinition of masculinity is good for men too: “The end of patriarchy is not a victory for women and a defeat for men, it turns out, but an opening for all of us. It provides an opportunity for deep fulfillment, for an emotional richness unimaginable to our grandfathers. Men who seize this opportunity are not conquered or conquerors. They are simply people who have faced the challenges of life head-on, and who have accepted the burdens and blessings of being a member of the human family.”
In other words, respect and rights are not a zero-sum game. At the end of the day, we are all humans who need compassion, nurturing, care, and grace.
I’ll end this on a personal note.
Walz inspired me when I found about his role in helping establish Mankato West High School’s chapter of the Gay-Straight Alliance. As a gay man myself, I have always struggled with my identity. Having a more “masculine” persona alongside growing up in a conservative environment, I felt as though I didn’t fit in the traditional mold of what a “man” was. I felt out of place. I went out of my way to hide who I was, not out of fear of direct retribution, but rather a fear of outside opinions and speculation. When I see a figure like Walz, a gruff-looking male football coach, head a LGBT-centered high school club, it means something to me. It meant even more to the students in that club. It means something to be tolerated, but it is more important to be accepted and appreciated. When “non-traditional” folks like Walz step up to be part of the accepting and appreciating, that is when real change happens.
To put it simply, I am inspired by Tim Walz, a.k.a. “joyful warrior.” Let us take note and learn something from Walz’s truly strong and refreshing version of masculinity. We need it.
Write to ben.livingston@mnsu.edu