There has been news seeping out that Minnesota Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz is struggling to sway voters within his own bloodline. This is an evolving event on social media; however, finding much about this from the news networks is more than a challenge. It is rather notable, given the history of these same blowhards on the matter of other political family divisions.
What has been made apparent is that when a politician’s family members come out to provide vocal opposition, there is an expectation of garnering camera time if they are doing so for the benefit of Democrats or criticizing Republicans. Yet right now, when the Walz family is showing a rift, there is little to zero interest from the news outlets.
It began with a report that Tim Walz has a brother, Jeff Walz, who has come out and stated he opposes the policies of his brother. Well before Tim was tabbed as Kamala’s running mate, Jeff made Facebook posts — over a year ago — declaring he has nothing in common with Tim’s policies and positions. He has since clarified things further, cementing that opposition to what sounds to be his estranged sibling. This did not generate breathless coverage on the cable news nets. (Newsweek even went the “pounce and seize” route, stating this was ”praised by MAGA.”)
Then we saw across social media accounts the posting of a group photo of Walz family members sporting t-shirts in support of Donald Trump. Despite the punctuation-challenged printing on their chests, this was a valid post from Walz’s home state of Nebraska, and those were, in fact, blood relatives in his clan.
Tim Walz’s family members in Nebraska are voting for Trump. pic.twitter.com/CmBrx1APMm
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) September 4, 2024
So, does this family division get nighttime coverage and hyperventilating punditry about what it all means?! No — we got fact-checks. The Associated Press went running to Tim’s sister, who declared she did not know who this group was. Despite this declaration, they are in truth related. It turns out they are second cousins, descended from the brother of Tim’s grandfather. So apparently, this means they do not count.
In the grand order of politics, these familial disputes do nothing to move the needle. In truth, it trends to the unseemly. There is no reason for anyone to begrudge family over something like politics. I have immediate family who are politically polarized, but it would never enter my mind to harbor resentment over a position they hold. But we frequently see on social media stories of those who have cut off family for having the “wrong” political positions; it seems more frequent on the left, when some level of Trump devotion or members who watch too much Fox News are declared a relationship breaker.
Yet, highlighting these blood feuds out of political expediency is something frequently seen in the press. Let’s recall, the holiday disputes have been highlighted in the media and provoked by Democrats for years now — since the Obama administration. (Recall the pajama soy boy used to promote healthcare talking points to your family?!) And this has only been ramped up after Trump rose to the White House, with Democrats delivering arguments to use against your MAGA uncle at the Thanksgiving table.
The press has only promoted this family divide. Trump’s distaff niece, Mary Trump, has been featured to such an extent by the news nets that she has garnered multiple book deals — her third is dropping next week. When Paul Gosar was running in Arizona, those of his siblings who opposed him were heavily promoted. Just last month, the Kennedy clan had part of their brood escorted on the airwaves to denigrate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for endorsing Trump.
So, ultimately, it comes down to this: The highlighting and promoting of these family divides for the sake of scoring political points is corrosive, and it is not at all healthy. But I ask, since the press has now established this as their preferred method of bloodline therapy, when will these divisions seen in the Walz family become a banner news headline? Or – as we have come to expect – is it considered (D)ifferent in this instance?
