I was listening to a podcast recently, and my ears perked up when they played a clip of Joe Rogan offering praise for the Harris-Walz campaign. He detailed how the campaign has taken off since the switch to Harris, and, appropriately, gave her credit for a debate win. Well, he praised her “handlers”, which was his subtle way of being sexist, but he was rather effusive in that praise. This led me to wonder, what was it that Joe Rogan, of all people, found relatable about the Harris-Walz campaign?
It is neither easy, nor fun, to crawl into the mind of Mr. Rogan, but I felt it worthwhile for this exercise. What is clear is that the former host of Fear Factor, deeply unfunny comedian, and current podcast host appreciates Alpha personalities. His shows are, more or less, extended testosterone fests with the host and guests explaining how much smarter they are than the rest of us. I’m not here to judge, but he has a type. So, what was it that compelled him to praise Harris and Walz? I believe it’s the simple fact that they have acted like the Alphas since their campaign kicked off formally at the DNC.
Let’s be clear here, I’m not talking about an Alpha in the sense of a toxically masculine godhead selling some overpriced supplement, or promising riches if you “just follow their system”. No, I’m talking about Alpha in the sense of the poise and assuredness, that Harris and Walz exude. This is an arena where Donald Trump has considered himself, and behaved like, the bully for years. Trump was able to easily appear more vital than an age-diminished Joe Biden, but that advantage for Trump has withered away, even as he has survived two attempts on his life, because of the Harris-Walz campaign.
Harris and Walz have accomplished this by working two different avenues; first, Harris has excelled at presenting herself as calm, confident, rational and prepared. She is, you know, generally presidential. Tim Walz has done his part by inhabiting a space generally reserved for the Republican party, the gun-owning, blue-collar, Carhartt® wearing, car repairing, father. This has put Trump and Vance on the back foot, and quickly. Trump is plainly incapable of being calm, rational, or prepared, although he certainly is confident. The contrast between Tim Walz and J.D. Vance is even more obvious, with Walz being the walking embodiment of everything that Vance, only pretends to be.
When Harris took it to Trump at the debate, you could literally watch him deflate as the night went on. He was baited, he was fact checked, he was forced to admit he still didn’t have a healthcare plan. He failed, and he looked weak and lost. What could possibly be more difficult to process for a man whose sole obsession is his own image? That fact that Harris accomplished all this without so much as raising her voice, or appearing antagonistic, just hammered the point home, she is poised, she is presidential. If you saw her at the DNC, or have seen her on campaign trail, the demeanor doesn’t change. She’s been preparing for this job her whole life, and she’s ready for the challenge.
Governor Walz has spent time on the trail recently visiting college fraternities, talking to young men, and trying to understand why that constituency has shifted slightly towards the Republicans. One of the central themes at these campaign stops: “What is a real Alpha?”. Governor Walz speaks very eloquently of his work as a teacher, coach, congressman and governor, explaining to these young men that a real Alpha doesn’t punch down, they lift people up. He explains the importance of having a football coach as an LGBTQ+ ally in his High School, lifting a community that felt outcast, up. He spent his career inspiring people to learn and better themselves, and THEN went to Washington and THEN back to the Governor’s Residence, because he wanted his neighbors to have a better life, not for personal enrichment. Oh, and he can teach you how to be a marksman, whereas Republicans can teach you how to performatively pose with your AR-15 for a Christmas card. He can fix your car, he’ll bring you a casserole, and when he wears a flannel and jeans, it’s authentic, because as President Obama said, “It’s been through some stuff.”. That was the message, that being a real Alpha means being there for your family, helping your friends and neighbors, and lifting your community up.
Now, I’m not delusional, and I know we’re not going to see great gains in support from Joe Rogan and his followers. But let’s be honest, the messaging from the Democratic Party had veered a little elitist recently, and the resulting loss of blue-collar voters is causing concern. What Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have, and have in abundance, is relatability and authenticity. That plays well with the small percentage of swing voters likely to decide this election. People want a strong leader, they don’t want a strongman, leading our nation. What Trump is doing now is what all strongmen do when they are diminished, thrashing wildly, grasping onto power by any means necessary. There is no lie too vile, no insult too low, and no party safe from his invectives. It is time to turn the page, from a fake Alpha, a narcissist, acting out his pathologies, online and off, to hide his fear. It’s time to turn our eyes to the future, with new leadership that is calm, confident, rational, and prepared. It’s time to vote for a ticket that has redefined, and reclaimed, the term “Alpha”. It’s time to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
