Human Touch
Governor Walz and The Boss
Sunday, August 25, 2024 Entry #182
I didn’t know much about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz when Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, selected him to be her running mate in the 2024 presidential election. However, as soon as Walz began to speak at their first rally together on the day of Harris’ veep announcement, he seemed instantly recognizable to me. As a former public school teacher and football coach, Walz exuded a type of familiarity. Moreover, because I have spent a lot of time in Northern Minnesota (See Entry#126), I know many people with a similar accent and the same folksy manner as the governor. I liked him right away.
I liked him even more when at that same rally, held in Philadelphia, Walz told the world that he was a big fan of Bruce Springsteen! When it was Walz’s time to speak, he acknowledged Josh Shapiro, the governor of the host state (who himself had been in heavy contention for the running mate position), and told the audience:
“I have to tell you, and I know this from experience, there is nobody you would rather go to a Springsteen concert with in New Jersey than that guy!”
That night, Governor Shapiro shared proof on social media that he and Walz (along with well-known Texas politician Beto O’Rourke and the governor of New Jersey) had indeed attended a Springsteen show together:
The very next day, the New York Times published an article with this enticing headline:
The story went on to explain:
”Last year, a blue state governor signed a proclamation declaring March 5 ‘Bruce Springsteen Day.’ The state was not New Jersey. Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, an enthusiastic fan of The Boss…marked the rocker’s concert in St. Paul last year with effusive praise and a day of honor… ‘Springsteen’s music is a source of inspiration for many people in Minnesota, reminding us of the values we hold dear, including kindness, compassion, and fairness,’ the proclamation signed by Mr. Walz said. With Mr. Walz expected to lean on his working class appeal…it is fitting how strongly he has embraced the bard of the working man….Mr. Walz, in at least one respect, is like many of Mr. Springsteen’s legions of fans: Namely, in having experienced the difficulty in securing a ticket. ‘Anyone manage to get an extra Bruce Springsteen ticket today? Asking for a friend,’ Mr. Walz posted to Twitter on a day that tour tickets went on sale in 2022. But it would appear that Mr. Walz had no trouble attending the show, as he was seen sporting a Springsteen concert tee from the most recent tour at the Minnesota State Fair last summer.”
As for Harris and Walz’s opponent Donald Trump, the NYT article noted his response-”I’m not a huge fan,” he said of Mr. Springsteen, (long a vociferous Trump critic), “I have a bad trait. I only like people who like me.”
As it turns out, Walz has been posting about Springsteen for a long time. For example, he tweeted the following status update a decade before he became the vice presidential nominee:
Back to 2024. On August 15, Kamala Harris interviewed her new running mate. The duo posted a video of their conversation to the campaign’s YouTube channel. As you can hear in this snippet, Governor Walz’s devotion to Bruce Springsteen came up once again.
More Springsteen-Walz moments occurred later in the month at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which was held in Chicago. Walz chose two Springsteen songs, “Born in the U.S.A” and “We Take Care of Our Own” to be played when he and his family entered the arena on the convention’s final day. A commenter on X watched the scene and posted, “Watching Tim Walz singing to Bruce Springsteen right now and just looking like a guy you would love to hang out with.” Incidentally, it was a three-Springsteen song convention this year. Former President Barack Obama selected “Land of Hope and Dreams” as his walk-off music following his speech at the DNC. “Born in the U.S.A.” was played another time at the convention as the New Jersey delegation pledged its support for the Harris-Walz ticket during the official state-by-state roll call.
Bruce Springsteen went on from the summer to play a further and more active role in the 2024 election cycle. But it was because of Tim Walz, the amiable “dad-rock” enthusiast (to see the Springsteen selection in the “Ultimate Dad’s Rock Playlist,” see Entry #181) and my new favorite governor, that The Boss was first injected into the race.
