Happy Warriors (And Why We Need Them)

“Does anybody remember laughter?” So uttered singer Robert Plant during a Led Zeppelin show at Madison Square Garden in 1976. Yes, it’s pretty 70s cringe (as even Plant admits), but it’s a message for the particular time we’re living in.

Ever since Donald Trump came down that Trump Tower escalator in 2015, America has been infected with fear. Trump’s “brand” involves intimidating, threatening, insulting, saying how bad everything is. At his early rallies, he encouraged attendees to beat up protestors. As president, hate crimes spiked dramatically. Then came Covid; between the rising death toll and shock to our daily lives, America was soaked in fear.

With the election of Biden in 2020, we felt a brief injection of hope. But right after, came the violence of January 6, followed by Trump’s relentless dark presence. The fear, negativity, and general nastiness has been so pervasive in our lives, it’s like being in an abusive relationship.

Now comes Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Biden’s selfless decision to step out of the presidential race and put his Vice-President forward was controversial. But in recent weeks, the decision has proven to be genius in more ways than one. It completely threw the Trump campaign off balance and injected a new enthusiasm into the political scene.

Secondly, it brought back laughter. Both Harris and Walz are turning the tables on Trump’s trademark meanness with judo-like efficiency. Trump has tried to make an issue out of Harris’ belly laugh, but it only highlights his absolute lack of humor and inability to take a joke.

Former Vice-President Hubert Humphrey (1965-69) was dubbed “the happy warrior,” someone who genuinely enjoyed being a public servant. Barack Obama featured the word “Hope” in his iconic campaign posters. Chants of “Yes, we can” energized the crowd and put him in the White House for two terms. Joe Biden is in that same category, as well as Harris and Walz. At his introduction in Philadelphia, Walz thanked the VP for “bringing back the joy” in public service. In their own ways, these happy warriors have spent their careers doing work that improves people’s lives. The satisfaction of helping others and their communities is something that both Donald Trump and JD Vance will never understand.

The sheer exuberance radiating from the Harris/Walz ticket is deeply healing. After 10 years of Trump Toxicity, we’re realizing just how bad it’s been.  The enthusiasm right out of the gate has taken both the Trump campaign and the pundit class by surprise. This is not naïve optimism: both Harris and Walz have proven that they know how to turn campaign promises into reality. But mostly, they remain decent and kind while they’re doing it. We sense their authenticity and that’s like stepping out of fetid slaughterhouse into clean, fresh air.

The power of sincere joy and optimism is underrated in politics, but it’s proving to be the secret weapon that America has been hungering for. So, get excited and be hopeful; it’s the kind of energy we need to ensure a Harris/Walz victory in November and support their administration. Be a happy warrior -- and remember laughter!

Cindy Grogan is a writer, lover of history and "Star Trek" (TOS), and hardcore politics junkie. There was that one time she campaigned for Gerald Ford (yikes), but ever since, she's been devoted to Democratic and progressive policies.