Comedy Central's The Daily Show’s temp host of the week, Michael Kosta, welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris’s selection of Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday by praising Walz’s liberal record as governor of Minnesota. Even jokes nominally about Walz were more about Midwestern stereotypes than Walz.
Kosta began by hyping, “But since you guys have probably never heard of this guy before, I Googled him in a panic on your behalf this morning. And what I found out is that Tim Walz has got a lot done as governor. He legalized marijuana, passed family—yeah, it is a weed crowd. He passed family and sick leave, he codified abortion rights. And provided free meals for all school kids.”
He also noted, “Which makes him an ironic VP pick. Democrats said, "Man, you've done so much as governor. We'd like to promote you to a position where you'll do absolutely nothing." But if you ask me, his appeal to this ticket isn't just his record as governor. It's his overall vibe. You know? And that vibe, it's Midwestern dad as [bleep].”
After playing a video of Walz in his car discussing DIY repairs, Kosta played a second clip of Walz’s vegetarian daughter passing on a corn dog. After Walz suggested turkey instead, his daughter informed him that turkey is also a meat. Kosta reacted, “Aw, he's trying so hard! He's trying so hard. ‘You don't eat meat? Well, fish isn't meat, and Turkey's kinda like fish! Let's get a cheeseburger.’ I will say, it makes it harder for the alt-right to call you a soy boy when you're like, ‘Bison is a vegetable.’"
Kosta also hyped Walz’s time as a high school football coach before discussing another photo of Walz’s dietary choices, “Oh my god, he was a small town high school football coach? And he's been married for 30 years? And he's eating a bucket of cookies? Leave it to Minnesota to measure cookies by the bucket. This guy is almost too Midwestern. Even his bad stuff is still Midwestern.”
Even when Kosta turned to Walz’s moral failings, he still managed to make the joke about something else. After playing a clip of a reporter recalling Walz’s DUI where he was going 96 in a 55 MPH zone, Kosta added, “Well, yeah, of course he was driving that fast. He had to get home before he hurt anybody driving drunk! He's from the Midwest, I should know! So yes, Tim Walz has a DUI arrest. But just one. So, no wonder voters elected him governor. He's the most responsible driver in the whole Midwest.”
Tame jokes about Walz’s love for cookies could be compared to jokes about how JD Vance’s beard makes him look like a Civil War reenactor, but missing from Kosta’s collection were any jokes that would be comparable to Vance's cat ladies remarks, couches, or left-wing policies.
Here is a transcript for the August 6 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
8/6/2024
11:02 PM ET
MICHAEL KOSTA: But since you guys have probably never heard of this guy before, I Googled him in a panic on your behalf this morning. And what I found out is that Tim Walz has got a lot done as governor. He legalized marijuana, passed family—yeah, it is a weed crowd. He passed family and sick leave, he codified abortion rights. And provided free meals for all school kids.
Which makes him an ironic VP pick. Democrats said, "man, you've done so much as governor. We'd like to promote you to a position where you'll do absolutely nothing." But if you ask me, his appeal to this ticket isn't just his record as governor. It's his overall vibe. You know? And that vibe, it's Midwestern dad as [bleep].
…
KOSTA: Aw, he's trying so hard! He's trying so hard. "You don't eat meat? Well, fish isn't meat, and Turkey's kinda like fish! Let's get a cheeseburger." I will say, it makes it harder for the alt-right to call you a soy boy when you're like, "Bison is a vegetable."
And Tim Walz is not just a Midwestern dad now, he's been a Midwestern dad his whole life! He served in the National Guard. He has his own award-winning tater tots hot dish. How much more Midwestern can he get?
ANCHOR: In 1994, he married fellow school teacher. They moved to Mankato in the mid-'90s where he began teaching and coaching football at Mankato West High School.
KOSTA: Oh my god, he was a small town high school football coach? And he's been married for 30 years? And he's eating a bucket of cookies? Leave it to Minnesota to measure cookies by the bucket. This guy is almost too Midwestern. Even his bad stuff is still Midwestern.
ANCHOR 2: In 1995, Tim Walz was arrested in Nebraska for driving under the influence. He was driving 96 miles an hour in a 55 mile per hour zone.
KOSTA: Well, yeah, of course he was driving that fast. He had to get home before he hurt anybody driving drunk! He's from the Midwest, I should know! So yes, Tim Walz has a DUI arrest. But just one. So, no wonder voters elected him governor. He's the most responsible driver in the whole Midwest.
