Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz embodies everything liberal women see in their own fathers – except for their political views. For some, it makes them hopeful but also very sad.
He’s got jokes, enthusiasm and a smiley face that’s not even remotely trying to hide how he’s feeling. He’s Tim Walz- and he’s bringing major Midwestern dad energy to the Democratic ticket.
At least that’s how many white women feel when they see Walz in videos, riding the Slingshot at the state fair with his daughter, signing legislation to give kids in Minnesota free lunches or tweeting about his pet cat.
It’s in stark contrast to what some see in their own fathers - who often have more conservative political views.
“He is silly. My dad used to be very, very silly and goofy,” Pamela Wurst Vetrini, a woman who recently compared Walz to her father, said in a viral TikTok video.
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“A lot of us had moderate to conservative, educated, sensible fathers that we lost to Rush Limbaugh. That we lost to Fox News. That we lost to Donald Trump. And the cult of conservatism that has grown and grown and grown has driven a wedge between millennial woman and her father,” she said.
I haven’t spoken to my dad since the pandemic when he rode the anti vaxxer bandwagon. He was also deeply into Trump, Putin and all that 5G spreading COVID conspiracy shit. At the time my spouse worked in hospitality and we were on the edge of our seats every day wondering if some douchebag customer would give us COVID. Eventually that’s exactly what happened but of course that didn’t matter to dad. I’m so tired of this extremist right wing ideology being normalised as a type of conservative - doesn’t seem very family oriented to me when you beat your wife and alienate your traumatised adult kids.
The real truth that people don’t like to admit is that this isn’t a “type” of conservative. This is what conservatism is at its core.
It literally exists to prevent progress, it’s right in the goddamn name. They sure as shit ain’t conserving the environment.
It may express itself in different ways, but it’s purely reactionary, and thrives on this kind of generational strife.
My dad did this stuff too. My mom was going through chemo and he refused to take the smallest precautions like just wearing a mask. I don’t think I’d ever been angrier in my life. I’m appalled by this kind of behavior, but maybe try to talk to him. You or your siblings (if you have any) are probably the only people who can talk him down. Also, life is short and anything can happen. Losing your father on your current terms would suck.
Tried talking to my family. Only got more trauma. Am very happy when they die and I feel safe. Maybe some sort of compromise works for you but not everyone works the same.
Shit, I’m sorry about that. I understand that not everyone’s situation is the same. Sorry if my comment came off as offensive - I really wasn’t trying to be.
Thanks for that. Genuinely. I see sentiments like yours so often and I’m very happy for every person for whom this works but it’s so dangerous to tell it to randos on the internet with so much certainty when we don’t know their story and circumstances. I’m glad people slowly wake up to different people having different familys. Cheers
I think the idea many of these right wing people have about family is a very authoritarian one.