OPEscrolling

In which our Coach Walz sneaks into your soul.

Firstly, I’m sooory that we, as Minnesotans, will likely be a tiny bit insufferable for the next, oh, say 90 days? But, you know … it’s Coach!

I snapped this picture while covering the Minnesota State Fair back in 2018, before Tim Walz was elected governor. He was walking through the Hamline Church Dining Hall with his team, about to have a sit with some Swedish meatballs and lingonberry sauce when I grabbed him for a few quick questions. He was game. We chatted about the crazy cross-section of humanity that finds its way to the fairgrounds over the 12 days of the Great Minnesota Get Together, and yet how beige the food could be.

That day he was Coach Walz to me, and has been ever since.

A lot of locals I know were gobsmacked that Walz was chosen, just two days ago, to run with Kamala Harris as her Veep. They thought, no way. No one knows him. Our default is to believe if there’s a shinier, coastal choice, that’s how it’s going to swing. We never sweep the Yankees, and no one at the Grammys knew how to pronounce Bon Iver, pardon our shrug.

But now, now that people understand the power of Coach Walz, y’all are smitten. It’s Walzapalooza and it’s damn fun to watch. If you’re not someone who is Very Online, you should dip into the BigDadEnergy topic on Threads:

Positive masculinity for the win!

People are calling him America’s Dad! There are a few who are pointing out that perhaps the emotional response is rooted in the loss of so many fathers to Fox News. As younger voters have felt a painful estrangement from their own dads, they see Walz riding the slingshot at the State Fair with his daughter Hope, they see him hogpiled by a bunch of young kids as he signs the free lunch bill, they catch a video of him talking about how to fix your headlight and they feel just a tiny bit healed, and a tiny bit hopeful.

So yes, this particular brand of hopescrolling, is actually OPEscrolling.

And while I’m enjoying this love-festy Minnesota moment, and soaking in the rally cries of everyone from Pennsylvania to Montana, I know what can happen when we get whipped into a frenzy, even a joy-fueled frenzy. It ebbs, even just a little bit, and that’s when they’ll come for us.

I am getting myself ready for the onslaught of media and rhetoric that shows my city on fire. It’s already started but in the next 90 days it will be a lot. Some people want you to believe the city is still smoldering, and I have seen some people sharing out a “documentary” on the city in 2020 that I will not deign to link to or name, as it’s a stinking pile of propaganda.

Listen, what happened that summer after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis was real. Whether you feel that it was right or wrong, it happened, and it was horrible to watch. Pain, and fear, and fury was seeping through our screens as we sat night after night not knowing what was going to happen next. But anyone suggesting that there was an actual different solution is too comfortably distanced and has forgotten or was not up watching internet and television for four days straight while helicopters circled over our houses. Pardon me, but fuck your hindsight.

The thing is, Coach Walz was there for us, through it all. Not in a polished political way where he stood glowingly on camera giving inspiring speeches telling us he had all the answers, but in a very human way, an honest way. He was in this with us. He didn’t try to sugar coat what we were facing, and you knew that in the worst possible situation, he was working to make sure the fewest amount of people would be hurt. Because we were all going to be hurt, our city did not escape, could not escape, and if I’m being really honest: it has not fully healed. But we are working on that. Every. Damn. Day.

I have a very distinct memory of a realization, that Walz was showing us what real leadership looked like. I remember being so starved and weary from the circus mess that was the Trump media cycle, that I had forgotten what authenticity in leadership felt like. Imperfect, but steadfast and selfless. The grit and courage we talk about as part of our shared Minnesota heritage, was being shown, not just branded and whipped into a social media post.

I remember hearing him apologize for something and it cracked me open. That was it for me, someone saying they would take this mess on their shoulders even though it meant there was zero chance of getting it perfectly right. During the last election, he often said: if you think I did a bad job, fire me in the ballot box. He did the best he could, and that’s the same grace we all needed.

Humility with purpose is why he is so comfortable being the second to Kamala. He will sidekick to power all day long, because it’s not about him. He’s already proven that. By feeding kids, banning Pray the Gay Away, securing women’s autonomy, sending out rebate checks, and other ways that help heal the humans in our state, he continues to prove it.

So as his national reputation builds, I ask that we don’t put him on too high of a pedestal. He doesn’t like it up there, he can’t get as much done if he’s out of reach. He coaches best when he’s on the field with us.

PS: When you see the images of the city burning, and need someone to blame, the name is Derek Chauvin.

PPS: I know there are deep feelings about the unrest in Minneapolis, so if you feel the need to comment, please be respectful, honest, and polite. Don’t make me turn this car around with some BigDadEnergy.