The nomination honeymoon for Harris-Walz is coming to a close, and that's a good thing—voters can't pay rent with "good vibes."

‍

The campaign’s focus on joy, laughter, and positive energy was a clever contrast to the Trump campaign’s negativity, characterized by name-calling, irritability, and distrust. Walz’s down-to-earth appeal made politics feel more accessible and even fun. As David Sirota pointed out in Jacobin, "Unlike many of his peers, Walz seems to understand the perils of Democrats’ technocratic politics and obsession with making everything complex and annoying."

Emotions are contagious. Positive energy creates a feedback loop where others mirror those same feelings, making interactions smoother and more pleasant. Negativity spreads just as quickly, with harmful consequences. However, good vibes alone don't address material conditions—ideological salience and radical democratic policies do. Still, regardless of election outcomes, the material impacts of capitalism continue to shape people's lives.

This is not a call for cynicism. As Jamil Zaki writes in Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, "Cynicism deepens social problems: when we expect the worst in people, we often bring it out of them." Cynicism also reinforces the status quo, benefiting those in power. The challenge is to find a balance between optimism and cynicism amid our socio-political conditions.

So, if not good vibes or cynicism, then what? Zaki advocates for "hopeful skepticism," which acknowledges human strengths while directly confronting our flaws. I believe we must continue organizing for radical transformation, electing policymakers who come from and serve their communities, and harnessing the power of narrative to confront fascism, oppression, and systemic injustice head-on.

‍Citations

 filling, Sean, and Jamil Zaki. "Why Cynicism is Bad for You." The Gray Area, 2024. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-cynicism-is-bad-for-you/id1081584611?i=1000668856931

 Sirota, David. "Harris-Walz's Good Vibes Aren't Enough." Jacobin Magazine, August 2024. https://jacobin.com/2024/08/harris-walz-populism-neoliberalism-vibes.