Wednesday night’s episode of MSNBC’s The ReidOut was a particularly “joyful” one. Seriously. Host Joy Reid’s obsession with how “fun” the Harris/Walz Democratic ticket is in comparison to the “frightening” Republican ticket of Trump/Vance was reflected in how many times she mentioned the word “joy” (i.e. far too many).

Reid opened with a bizarre commentary on the “enthusiasm” that had apparently returned to American politics due to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and recent running mate pick Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D). Perhaps she was talking about the frenzied welcome he received from the regime media or, just maybe, she was alluding to the excitement coming from TikTok “influencers” who were paid $3,000 to $10,000 (and upwards) to post scripted videos in support of Democrats:

And we begin tonight with joy. No, not–not me, Joy, but the feeling joy. The joy felt by Americans backing the Harris/Walz ticket. A joy that is palpable and pervasive, as illustrated by the massive crowds greeting VP Harris and Governor Walz at their rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan, today. It feels like we're experiencing another 2008 Obama moment, the energy, the excitement, the enthusiasm. It feels fun. Imagine that. American politics. Joyful again.

 

 

“It's the tale of two tickets. One radiates joy. The other is dour and, frankly, frightening,” Reid continued and listed the different ways “Republicans are freaking out about it,” including attacking what she called “an infectious, energizing belly laugh, the literal display of joy.” 

It seemed as if Reid was scrambling to prove to her viewers just how relatable the Democratic ticket is, reassuring them that Harris “is a foodie…and she is amazing with kids,” just like Walz, whose “former students love him. He was a popular and successful high school football coach. He made ‘weird’ happen. And he's a Midwesterner with big dad energy, who will offer tips on how to fix your car and save money to boot.”

Reid further explored “the beer question in U.S. politics, a thought experiment…which says that voters will generally elect the candidate they would rather have a beer with,” suggesting that victory would go to the more “likable” ticket:

Who would you rather have a beer with? Kamala Harris, who dares to laugh, and Tim Walz, the plain-spoken fun uncle who will defend the people he loves? Or, (laughs) Donald Trump, who rambles about sharks and hatred, who makes fun of people, and who smirks, but who rarely laughs, and who doesn't seem capable of talking to a child, even his own grandkids. And his cat-lady hating sidekick J.D. Vance. This guy is really weird, ya’ll. So weird that the couch meme won't die.

Reid made a ridiculous observation about the contrast between the tickets, pointing out that the Republican nominees were “loved by billionaires” while the Democratic candidates “actually feel like regular, normal middle-class folks.” 

“Yes, they are living extraordinary political lives, but due to hard work, not connections or riches,” she added, which was ironic since numerous sources, like The Federalist’s Mark Hemingway, would suggest otherwise, indicating that Harris’s affair with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown was directly responsible for her political successes. 

Reid ended her rant with a final warning about what she firmly believed Republicans brought to the table: “a hateful vision that all people should fear, reflected perfectly by the two men who want to execute it.”

The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:

MSNBC’s The ReidOut
8/7/2024
07:01:27 PM EST

JOY REID: And we begin tonight with joy. No, not–not me, Joy, but the feeling joy. The joy felt by Americans backing the Harris/Walz ticket. A joy that is palpable and pervasive, as illustrated by the massive crowds greeting VP Harris and Governor Walz at their rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan, today. It feels like we're experiencing another 2008 Obama moment, the energy, the excitement, the enthusiasm. It feels fun. Imagine that. American politics. Joyful again.

[Cuts to video]

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: In this fight, as Tim Walz likes to point out, we are joyful warriors. (Cheers and applause). Joyful warriors. Because we know that while fighting for a brighter future may be hard work, hard work is good work. Hard work is good work.

[Cuts back to live]

REID: It's the tale of two tickets. One radiates joy. The other is dour and, frankly, frightening. And this is how you know the Republicans are freaking out about it. Vice President Kamala Harris is criticized for her race, gender, and parental status but, also, for laughing. As if an infectious, energizing belly laugh, the literal display of joy, is a bad thing? 

She loves to laugh with her sister, especially. She is a foodie, trust me. She and I have talked about food, and it is a passion. “Cooking With Kamala” is a thing on the internet. She will show you everything from her go-to roast chicken to a potato curry with dosa. And she is amazing with kids. 

Walz, too. A joyful guy. His former students love him. He was a popular and successful high school football coach. He made “weird” happen. And he's a Midwesterner with big dad energy, who will offer tips on how to fix your car and save money to boot.

[Cuts to video]

GOVERNOR TIM WALZ (D-MN): This, right here, is the headlight harness on a 2014 Ford Edge. Ford, this is unacceptable. It burned out hot on the connecter. So for $7.99 at NAPA Auto Parts, here in the city, you can replace this. Just clip off the back, use some shrink wrap connectors on there, tape it back together, and put it back in. It's about a five-minute fix, and you're back on the road safe and sound.

[Cuts back to live]

REID: (Laughs). Okay. That was a very real throwback video, by the way, just 11 days before Walz won the 2018 election for Minnesota governor. Some of you may be familiar with the beer question in U.S. politics? A thought experiment to often utilize by the media or in polling which says that voters will generally elect the candidate they would rather have a beer with. Because victory in American politics often goes not to the candidate who better articulates their platform, but rather who is more likable. 

You be the judge. Who would you rather have a beer with? Kamala Harris, who dares to laugh, and Tim Walz, the plain-spoken fun uncle who will defend the people he loves? Or, (laughs) Donald Trump, who rambles about sharks and hatred, who makes fun of people, and who smirks, but who rarely laughs, and who doesn't seem capable of talking to a child, even his own grandkids. 

And his cat-lady hating sidekick J.D. Vance. This guy is really weird, ya’ll. So weird that the couch meme won't die. Now he's basically stalking the Democratic ticket, stunning reporters, today, by attempting to confront VP Harris and Governor Walz on the tarmac when their planes arrived in Wisconsin at similar times. 

Here he is on the tarmac after walking the long stretch toward the vice president's plane, telling reporters, quote, “I just wanted to check out my future plane.” What? Like, walking up to the vice president and air force two is not a thing, dude. That is not a thing that normal people do. Thankfully, he did not interact with the vice president herself, and we have Secret Service to thank for that, I'm sure. 

Vance's weirdness aside, this race is also a reversal of how the parties are normally framed. The Republicans love to attack Democratic elites. But Harris and Walz actually feel like regular, normal middle-class folks. Yes, they are living extraordinary political lives, but due to hard work, not connections or riches. Harris went to Howard University, an HBCU, and the University of California Hastings College of Law. And Walz attended an open admissions teacher's college in northwest Nebraska. 

Quite the opposite of what we're seeing on the Republican side with Trump/Vance being the Ivy League ticket, loved by the billionaires. It’s quite the elite conundrum for the Republican Party, the so-called populist MAGA movement now bankrolling a celebrity, who inherited his wealth and sits on a golden toilet. And who is not out there campaigning, but is instead golfing at his exclusive, ritzy resort. 

And the vice presidential candidate anointed by super-weird tech investor Peter Thiel. It's a ticket backed by billionaire tech bros that wants to unleash Project 2025, the brainchild of rich people, on the American people. As we often say on this show, it is a hateful vision that all people should fear, reflected perfectly by the two men who want to execute it.

(...)