The ‘Weird’ History of Tim Walz’s Political Put-Down

Two inauguration days ago, aft Donald J. Trump had been sworn successful and delivered a earthy diagnosis of “American carnage,” his predecessor George W. Bush walked disconnected the Capitol dais and said to Hillary Clinton, arsenic she reported it, “Well, that was immoderate weird shit.”

It was a prescient observation! Strange things person taken spot successful America lately, and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, whom Vice President Kamala Harris selected arsenic her moving mate connected Tuesday, has made calling them retired a rallying cry. “These guys are conscionable weird,” helium told the “Morning Joe” kaffeeklatsch a fewer weeks ago, the archetypal of galore assertions of abnormality that helped propel a erstwhile obscure authorities person to the nationalist ticket.

May I concisely observe however funny it has been — however weird, if you similar — to spot this pithy word embraced truthful quickly? As a substance of governmental communication, weirdness tin beryllium a almighty epithet. But arsenic a substance of taste prestige, weirdness overtook normality agelong ago.

It is not truthful overmuch successful the oculus of the beholder arsenic the believer, and determination are bully weirds and bad. Are you fonder of the glamorous weird of Björk oregon Lady Gaga (who performed astatine President Biden’s inauguration, for crying retired loud), oregon the peculiar weird of Pee-wee Herman oregon Napoleon Dynamite? Are you, my beloved weirdo, much similar the bowling-alley oddballs of “The Big Lebowski” oregon the banana-nosed, chicken-besotted Muppet named Gonzo? Weirdness, arsenic a taste marker, is simply a designation of irregularity that is progressively self-declared and celebrated. To crook it backmost to an accusation, arsenic Mr. Walz has done, is wondrous strange.