Well, folks, it seems like the Harris-Walz campaign has found their new strategy: rope in the Cheneys and hope no one remembers that little thing called the Iraq War. Yes, you read that right. While Tim Walz and Kamala Harris campaign alongside Liz Cheney and proudly promote an endorsement from none other than Dick Cheney, Jon Stewart—ever the voice of the common sense left—just couldn’t resist poking holes in this bizarre coalition.
Appearing on The Daily Show on Monday, Walz found himself in a tight spot when Stewart questioned the campaign’s strategy of selling voters on the idea that the Cheneys, of all people, are somehow going to “save democracy.” Stewart, in his usual fashion, didn’t mince words, asking, “The Cheney thing—do we really have to do that?” It’s a good question, Jon. Do we?
Walz, ever the politician, tried to pivot by lumping Dick Cheney in with Bernie Sanders and—wait for it—Taylor Swift. Yes, because nothing says unity like putting a 9/11 warmonger, a socialist, and a pop star in the same sentence. Stewart quickly stepped in to remind Walz, “You can’t Dick Cheney or Taylor Swift,” before pointing out the obvious: Taylor Swift never led us into an endless war.
Let’s take a moment to remember who Dick Cheney is. This is the guy who not only pushed the Iraq War based on faulty WMD intel but also brought back spying on Americans and was a proud supporter of torture. Cheney was so disliked when he left office that his approval rating was a whopping 13%. But sure, Tim, he’s the perfect person to reach those libertarian voters, right? You know, the same libertarians who despise the Patriot Act, which Cheney championed.
Walz insists that the Cheneys will help draw in libertarian voters who value constitutional rights and freedom. But if you’ve paid attention at all to what Dick Cheney stands for, you’d know that’s a hard sell. The man practically wrote the book on government overreach and was a vocal supporter of the Patriot Act, which allowed the government to spy on ordinary Americans in the name of fighting terrorism. Walz’s pitch to libertarians is about as convincing as asking a vegan to endorse a steakhouse.
Tim Walz just defended embracing Dick and Liz Cheney’s endorsements, claiming they ‘give permission’ to libertarians, constitutionalists, and ‘don’t tread on me’ folks to cross over.
This is beyond parody. We’ve always despised the Cheneys. pic.twitter.com/NlMLELZ8Hu
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 22, 2024
Walz, in true politician fashion, tried to calm fears by claiming that while the Harris-Walz team might use the Cheney name, they’re not adopting Cheney’s policies. “We’re not going to take their foreign policy decisions,” Walz promised. Stewart, visibly unimpressed, could only whimper, “Promise?” with his head in his hands.
This whole situation would be comical if it weren’t so outlandish. The idea that libertarians, or any conservatives for that matter, are going to flock to the Harris-Walz-Cheney circus is laughable. Pop stars, former war hawks, and Democratic socialists aren’t exactly a dream team for anyone who values small government and personal freedom.
But hey, at least Walz got to wear his Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelets while trying to sell this bizarre coalition. Because if the friendship bracelets don’t win over the libertarians, maybe nothing will.
