Vice President Kamala Harris’s choice for running mate is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a former teacher and football coach whose straight-talking manner has endeared him to many and helped put his name on the public consciousness.
Walz’s public persona has what many would describe as “dad energy.” He makes silly jokes and regularly posts pictures of his dogs. During a widely distributed televised appearance, he described Republicans as “weird,” a line of attack that resonated with Democrats. Walz comes across as humble, reserved and eloquent in every way.
A few weeks ago, I explained “Summer Brat” and how Harris’ campaign was tapping into a cultural moment that has included a certain millennial demographic and Gen. Z. Now, I’m getting straight to the point: Tim Walz is the Princess of the Midwest.
That much became clear Tuesday night, shortly after Harris and Walz’s first rally in Philadelphia, when the campaign listed a $40 camo-print hat for sale. Emblazoned in bright orange letters that read “HARRIS WALZ,” it likely 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 outfit.
I’m here to tell you, though, that this otherwise fine hat is part of a calculation by the Harris campaign to appeal to a new set of voters.
Image: Harris Victory Fund
Last fall, a relatively unknown pop artist named Chappell Roan released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Roan, who was born in Missouri, wears her Midwestern roots as armor, often reflecting on her conservative upbringing alongside cheeky lyrics about her sexuality. (She identifies as a lesbian.)
Roan has seen an explosive and unexpected career rise this year – not unlike Walz – that has catapulted him into the public eye. Her thrift store sells a camo hat with orange lettering that reads “MIDWEST PRINCESS” that has been popular this summer and has come to define her aesthetic.
Roan has seen explosive and unexpected career growth this year — not unlike Walz
The Harris / Walz campaign knows this. The product description for the campaign hat reads: “You asked, we answered. The most iconic political hat in America” — a possible reference to the memes that circulated that put Walz’s face on Roan’s body.
The campaign didn’t respond for me question about the inspiration behind the hat. But there really is no need. The hat has already sold out and now won’t ship again until mid-October. Teen Vogue reports that more than $1 million worth of these hats have been sold so far.
The camo hat is emblematic of Harris running multiple niche campaigns on the back of meme culture. A hunting-themed hat might speak to rural dads who want their kids to have access to abortion as much as it might to a first-time voter who likes sapphic pop music. The former need not understand the Chappell Roan reference, and the latter need not care about hunting. Everyone else can just move on if they don’t get it.
This approach to the campaign is also evident when examining how the Harris/Walz camp is approaching various social media platforms. The caption for an Instagram video showing Walz making a joke about the JD Vance couch is more restrained, with a single couch emoji. On X, the campaign simply quotes Walz next to the clip. On TikTok, the same video has a caption that reads “omg Tim Walz GO THERE”, with some laughing emojis.
It’s nothing new for political campaigns to carefully tailor their messages depending on who they’re talking to. But it looks like Harris’ presidential campaign is taking that approach to a new level. And it’s working: the Harris / Walz ticket has caught the attention of young people by using a specific color in some images and now doing a back-to-back release of goods.
Anyone who operates online should know that attention is fickle, viral moments die, and adoration can quickly turn to backlash. How long can stunts like these last before they feel tired? The Harris campaign has the attention of young people. Now, they must earn and keep their faith.