CHICAGO — When Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, called MAGA Republicans "weird," it's unlikely he knew he was kicking off a meme that would worm its way into the imaginations of millions of voters. He probably didn't even realize it would drive Donald Trump even more bonkers than usual. The word also made journalists a little nuts, because it lacks the specificity that every writer learns from an early age is supposedly necessary for clear communication. But it turns out "weird" is less vague than it is broad, with enough connotations to cover everything wrong about Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, from their speeches about electric sharks to their sniping about "childless cat ladies."
Walz hit the "weird" theme again during his speech Wednesday night. Describing Trump's agenda, he said, "Is it weird? Absolutely. But it’s also wrong. And dangerous." In contrast, he said, "When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people you love." Or more straightforwardly, to MAGA: "Mind your own damn business."
