Vice President Kamala Harris’s choice as running mate is Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former teacher and football coach whose straight-talking approach has endeared him to many and helped keep his name entered public consciousness.
Waltz’s public persona has what many call “dad energy.” He makes blunt jokes and often posts photos of his dogs. In a widely shared television appearance, he described Republicans as “weird,” a line of attack that resonated with Democrats. Waltz comes across as a man of modesty, restraint and eloquence.
A few weeks ago, I explained Brat Summer and how the Harris campaign was capitalizing on a cultural moment sweeping certain Millennials and Gen Z generations. Now, let me get right to the point: Tim Waltz is a Midwestern princess.
That became apparent shortly after Harris and Walz’s first rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, when the campaign listed a $40 camouflage-print hat for sale. It has “HARRIS WALZ” emblazoned in bright orange letters, which probably wouldn’t have attracted much attention in the pre-meme era. Camo and orange are standard colors for hunting gear and wouldn’t look out of place in a Midwestern Democrat’s wardrobe.
However, I’m here to tell you that this otherwise modest hat is part of the Harris campaign’s calculation to attract new voters.
Photo: Harris Victory Fund
Last fall, a relatively unknown pop artist named Chappell Roan released her debut album called The Rise and Fall of the Midwestern Princess. Born in Missouri and armored with her Midwestern roots, Ron often reflects on her conservative upbringing and makes no secret of her sexuality in her lyrics. (She identifies as a lesbian.)
Unlike Walz, Rowan had an explosive career spurt this year that thrust her into the public eye. Her merchandise store sells a camouflage hat with orange letters that say “Midwest Princess,” which became popular this summer and came to define her aesthetic.
Roan has had an explosive career spurt this year — unlike Walz
The Harris/Walz campaign knows this. The product description for the campaign hat reads: “You asked, we answered. America’s most iconic political hat” — a possible reference to the circulating meme that puts Waltz’s face on Ron.
The event did not reply to my Questions about the inspiration behind the hat. But it doesn’t need to be. This hat is sold out and won’t be available again until mid-October. teen fashion The hats have reportedly been sold for more than $1 million worth to date.
The camouflage hat is emblematic of Harris’s multiple niche campaigns supported by meme culture. A hunting-themed hat could appeal to rural dads who want their children to have abortions, just like first-time voters who like lesbian pop. The former doesn’t need to know the Chapel Roan reference, the latter doesn’t need to care about hunting. If others don’t understand, they can move on.
This campaign approach is also evident when you look at how the Harris/Walz camp engages with different social media platforms. The caption of a video on Instagram showing Walz joking on JD Vance’s couch was restrained, with just a couch emoji. On the X, the campaign simply quoted Walz alongside the clip. On TikTok, the same video was titled “OMG Tim Walz went there,” along with several laughing emojis.
Carefully tailoring messaging based on who you’re talking to is nothing new for political campaigns. But the Harris presidential campaign appears to be taking this approach to the next level. It’s working: The Harris/Walz ticket caught the attention of young people by using specific colors in several images and is now releasing one-off merchandise.
Anyone with an online business should know that attention is fickle, virality can fade away in an instant, and adoration can quickly turn into backlash. How long can such a stunt last before they tire? Harris’ campaign has attracted the attention of young people. Now, they need to earn and keep trust.
