In an effort to appeal to more male voters ahead of the upcoming election, Vice-Presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez teamed up to play Madden NFL on the live-streaming platform Twitch. The two politicians engaged in the gaming session on a Sunday afternoon during NFL games to discuss the importance of the upcoming election.
Ocasio-Cortez revealed that they had planned the live-stream a few weeks prior when Walz expressed interest in playing a game together. They chose Madden because of Walz’s background as a football coach and his familiarity with the game from playing with his children in the past. Walz, sporting a camouflage Minnesota Vikings hat, joined the stream after 30 minutes, just before heading to a campaign rally in Nevada.
During the live-stream, the duo took the opportunity to criticize former President Donald Trump and stress the significance of Democrats gaining control of the House and maintaining majority control of the Senate. Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the urgency of defeating Trump as her top priority for this year’s election.
The conversation between Walz and Ocasio-Cortez extended beyond the game, touching on potential plans for a Harris-Walz administration. Walz hinted at eliminating the filibuster, a Senate rule that allows a minority to block legislation pending a supermajority vote. Ocasio-Cortez expressed her support for ending the filibuster and highlighted the importance of issues like Social Security, drawing on personal experiences of losing their fathers as teenagers.
Walz shared a personal anecdote about his mother relying on Social Security checks to sustain herself, contrasting it with the perceived lack of concern from Trump and his affluent associates. He projected that under a Harris presidency, a hundred million Americans would benefit from a tax cut. The game ended with a 0-0 score, with Walz playing for the Minnesota Vikings and Ocasio-Cortez for the Buffalo Bills.
The Harris-Walz campaign has made efforts to engage male audiences through initiatives like “Athletes for Harris,” which includes prominent figures like NBA players Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, and Magic Johnson. Despite facing challenges with male voters, Harris remains focused on reaching out to all demographics and addressing concerns that may affect voter support.
Overall, the live-stream gaming session served as a unique platform for political figures to connect with a younger audience and discuss critical issues in a more casual setting. By leveraging popular platforms like Twitch, politicians like Walz and Ocasio-Cortez aim to engage voters in a more interactive and relatable manner, showcasing a different side to traditional campaigning efforts.
