The Joy in our politics

In his first appearance after joining the ticket, Tim Walz turned to Vice President Harris on stage in front of a packed crowd in Philadelphia and thanked her for bringing the joy back into our politics. It was a striking comment, both for its sincerity and for what it reminded us all about the state of our political process.Since 2016, we’ve all been living on the edge of our seats. Joe Biden took the Democratic nomination in 2020 not because he promised hope or change, but because he stood as a symbol of a return to normalcy and offered a tired electorate the most probably path to victory. Until now, the 2024 cycle hadn’t offered anyone a sense of civic pride or levity. Rather, millions have been living in fear that we may once again be plunged into the bad old days of hatred, chaos, governance by tweet, and toilet paper shortages.(Yes. That all happened.)Now, with a self-described happy warrior leading the ticket and a VP pick so excited to win the election in less than 90 days he’s declared he’ll sleep when he’s dead, can we all get a little happy about our politics again? The election isn’t over yet and no one is advocating taking a victory lap this early. But do we need to be angry or afraid to win this fight, or can we do it happily, knowing we’re fighting for each other, for our rights, our children, and our future?That’s what we’re getting into on this pod, as well as a recap of the Olympics and what it means to have a sense of shared pride outside our political process.We also dig into a new issue we’re all confronting as parents: how to recognize and discuss misinformation with our kids. It’s a great episode, filled with laughs and yes, some joy. Don’t miss it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianhanley.substack.com