Over the weekend, Tim Walz, the incumbent governor of Minnesota and a former high school football coach, found himself rounding the bases of online ridicule due to a sizable mishap. As part of his engagement initiative, Walz decided to livestream his video game session, playing none other than the latest installment in the acclaimed Madden house. His gaming companion for the evening was the widely recognized representative from New York, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. The joint gaming session, beamed live across the internet on the platform Twitch, constituted a part of their outreach strategy designed to win over young male voters ahead of the imminent election.
Diving deeper into the event, the two Democrats employed the platform not just to showcase their gaming skills, but also to inspire the viewers to put their weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris’s run for the White House. Following the gaming action, Walz, sportingly attired in a Minnesota Vikings cap with a camo pattern, brought up Ocasio-Cortez’s gaming prowess, stating that she ‘could run a mean pick 6’, a term referring to a player’s ability to intercept an opponent’s pass and return it for a touchdown. ‘We both know when we plan a playbook, we’re committed to employing it,’ Walz added, maintaining the football analogy.
“Run a mean pick 6”.
Being a Try Hard for the male vote is failing miserably.
And this dude supposedly was a football coach? pic.twitter.com/1agLHO5Py5
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) October 28, 2024
However, his alleged faux pas did not manage to escape the eager eyes of critics. Walz’s original post, although subsequently removed, had already sparked a wavy ripple of eyebrow-raising among the more meticulous online audience. The root of their criticism lay in Walz’s perceived misuse of football terminology; as per their arguments, a pick 6 is not something one ‘runs.’
Counted among the critics was Republican vice presidential contender, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. Addressing a throng of supporters at a campaign rally, Vance went one step further in his critique. He delineated the difference between a pick 6 and offensive plays, asserting, ‘You don’t run a pick-six, you run the West Coast offense or the spread offense.’ This statement served to underscore the perceived discrepancy in Walz’s footballing knowledge, despite his past as a coach.
Vance, however, didn’t stop there. He seized the opportunity to make a wider point about the Democrats’ understanding of ‘real-life’ experiences in comparison to Republicans. Drawing parallels between football and work, he claimed, ‘It made me realize that even though they say Tim Walz was a football coach, I reckon I have a better grip on football than Tim Walz. Which, if you think about it, isn’t all that different from my running mate, Donald J. Trump, who arguably understands what it’s like to clock in at McDonald’s more than Kamala Harris does.’
Responding to the online goings-on, a user chimed in, ‘AOC can run a mean pick 6 – and I can change the game plan on a whim. Makes you wonder why they’re struggling to get men backing this team of candidates.’ The intriguing infusion of football terms seemed to reiterate the sentiment that, for this user, there was a disconnect between the democratic ticket and their choice of language.
Adding to the critiques, another user leveled the focus on the credibility of the Democratic leaders’ past experiences. Their comment read, ‘I’m doubtful that Kamala ever punched a time card at McDonald’s, and now I’m starting to question whether Walz ever even held a whistle on the football field.’ An utterance reminiscent of the skepticism that was beginning to surround these instances.
Tim Walz, long before dipping his toes in the political waters of Minnesota and taking on gubernatorial responsibilities, had a career in education. He served as a teacher and coach at two different high schools – Alliance High School situated in Nebraska and Mankato West High School in Minnesota. During his tenure, he strived to impart not only academic wisdom but also lessons from the gritty and strategic world of football to his students.
Walz’s error could be seen as a simple slip of the tongue or an innocent misinterpretation of complex sports terminology. However, in the unforgiving public eye, especially during a heated election period, such faux pas can be magnified and weaponized by the opposition. While not a critical blow, it did present an opportunity for critics to draw into question the credibility of Walz’s past experiences.
The online incident serves as a subtle reminder about the importance, and potential pitfalls, of politicians’ attempts to engage with public sentiment. Their efforts to relate to younger demographics, while commendable, should be handled with care, particularly considering the ubiquitous presence and scrutiny of social media users across the spectrum.
Still, it would be unfair to completely write-off this incident as a total miss. Walz and Ocasio-Cortez’s effort could be seen as an attempt to bridge the gap between traditional political communication and a rapidly evolving landscape of cultural references and digital platforms. The echo of their efforts could resonate with their target demographic, creating an approachable image, even if the execution left some room for improvement.
What this incident most signifies is how modern-day politics has evolved in its communication formats. With the adoption of platforms like Twitch, access to the political discourse has fundamentally changed. Politicians now step into spheres that were unthought-of a generation ago. They attempt to blend traditional campaign outreach with new-age digital platforms to appeal to a broader, more diverse audience.
While there were those that used the incident as a moment of levity, there lurked a deeper underlying theme. The contrast between the worlds of work, gaming, and sports is stark, yet politicians are finding themselves increasingly needing to straddle these cultural divides as they vie for the public’s attention. Despite the mix-up, Walz’s venture into gaming and football metaphor could signify a broader shift in modern political communication.
Despite the slip-up, it is important to consider the intent behind the initiative. Politicians, like Walz and Ocasio-Cortez, are striving to make the electoral process, generally considered austere and intimidating, more approachable by integrating themselves into streams of popular culture. While the tactics might stir up a storm now and then, the broader intent of increasing political engagement deserves recognition.