Kamala Harris and Tim Walz's 'Joy' Campaign Is Getting Even Cringier

Rebecca Downs | August 16, 2024 11:15 AM

The Harris-Walz ticket has been problematic since Vice President Kamala Harris picked Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate almost two weeks ago. The cringe factor is definitely up there, including with that phone call of Harris calling Walz to let him know of her pick. Now, they're trying to look cool as they take selfies together, as Harris' X account shared.

"Bringing back the joy—one selfie at a time," the caption claimed. In the quick video clip, Walz declares he's going to take a selfie with Harris and a sign, which isn't even fully included in the frame. It appears to say "KAMALA AND THE COACH."

Bringing back the joy—one selfie at a time. pic.twitter.com/DnihdfQmFw
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 15, 2024

There's been 8,000 replies and hundreds of quoted reposts mocking the video clip. Many brought up Harris' failures on fighting inflation. Despite how she's the sitting vice president and could do something about it now, and how she cast the tiebreaking vote with the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act, Harris has claimed she'll fight inflation if elected.

There's also a darker side to the sense of "joy" this campaign has insisted on running on. As The Specator's Chadwick Moore and author Hans Mahncke pointed out, "Strength Through Joy," or NS Gemeinschaft Kraft durch Freude," is a leisure organization from 1933 Nazi Germany. It was used as a propaganda tool.

The word “Joy” has been used by authoritarian political movements to distract from atrocities they commit against their own people. And it started in 1930s Germany… oops. https://t.co/eMxVwD6FHz pic.twitter.com/KMRbLERjvX
— Chadwick Moore (@Chadwick_Moore) August 15, 2024

This wasn't the only ridiculous post to come from the Harris-Walz campaign on Thursday, though. Walz's account also posted a video clip in which he tells Harris he likes "white guy tacos." As Harris mentions the rather bizarre combo of "mayonnaise and tuna," Walz clarifies he means "pretty much ground beef and cheese."

When Walz also admits he adds no spices, this brings out one of Harris' signature cackles. He even claims that "black pepper is the top of the spice level in Minnesota, you know."

"I'm the first vice president, I believe, who has ever grown chilli peppers," Harris claims during the cringeworthy conversation, as Walz offers he's "trying to expand his food knowledge," which the vice president says they can do through "some cantaloupes."

The clip also invites users to visit Harris' YouTube page.

Such a post likewise prompted thousands of mocking replies and quoted reposts.

Bonchie at our sister site of RedState, also shared screenshots to point out that as a congressman, Walz in 2016 won first place at then Sen. Al Franken's "Hotdish Off." Walz's dish included ingredients described as "all hotter than black pepper."