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Harris, Walz, and 60-20-20 America
Plain talk about plain truths
Tater tots. If you don’t know about them yet, you will. They are one of the greatest inventions in the universe. They are also a food staple where I’m from — Minnesota — especially in the form of . Not a casserole, a hot dish.
I’m a fourth-generation Minnesotan. I was born in a small farming town in southwestern Minnesota. It was then and still is within the congressional district that elected six times. I grew up a 45-minute drive from where Walz taught at Mankato West High School. Yes, Walz was born in Nebraska, but he moved to Minnesota in 1996 (the home state of his spouse), and he is a quintessential Minnesotan — — caring about one’s neighbors but not getting involved in their personal business.
It’s that combination of being nice but not a doormat that describes being Minnesotan, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. It also describes many Americans regardless of what state they live in, or it at least is the type of decent, wholesome person with whom most people can relate.
I share these things with you to introduce the concept of 60–20–20 America. I’m a professor of social philosophy with a lifelong interest in politics. I try to understand and explain why people think and act the way…
