Minnesota Governor and Vice Presidential-hopeful Tim Walz is a bona fide car guy. His teal 1979 International Harvester Scout II has sort of become an icon of the Harris-Walz campaign, and it reinforces his whole “small-town Midwest dad” vibe. As it turns out, that old truck, what it represents and Walz’s DIY attitude are paying dividends with voters. The Los Angeles Times explains:
The choice impresses people like Brandon Ray, a 48-year-old fellow Scout II owner from Phoenix. As Ray tells it, he’d just gone through a divorce 15 years ago when a “bad-ass” yellow Scout II caught his eye. The SUV bore two decals: One said, “Face your fears,” the other, “Live your dream.” He bought the Scout.
“It did what it said it was gonna do,” Ray said. “I faced my fears and lived some of my dreams in that truck.”
News that Walz owns a 1979 Scout II came as a surprise to Ray. “I just don’t picture a blue guy driving a f— Scout,” he said, referencing Walz’s Democratic affiliation.
Of course, being into cars wouldn’t be anything new for the Democratic ticket. Rather famously, President Joe Biden has a green 1967 Chevy Corvette convertible that he has cherished for years. It’s nice to see that trend continue.
This car enthusiast persona isn’t anything new for Walz, either. He’s long been talking about, looking at and working on cars, according to the LA Times.
Amid Walz’s whirlwind journey to the national political stage, his car credentials have become part of his story. Notably, a 2018 video of Walz admonishing Ford over a low-quality headlight harness has resurfaced to the delight of gearheads.
The teacher-turned-Minnesota governor wrenches on cars and goes to classic auto shows, too. But the most obvious part of his pistons-and-pushrods persona is his Scout.
For years, Walz, 60, has taken to social media to share photographs of his Scout, which is painted an arresting glacier blue and sports a license plate that reads “ONE MN,” an apparent reference to his “One Minnesota” political slogan. Of the many American classics still roaming the roads, the Scout is one imbued with particular meaning.
If there’s one demographic Walz will pull in for Harris’ presidential campaign, it’s Scout owners. They love this guy, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Anyone who wants to maintain and keep a ’79 Scout is not your average person,” said Gary Brown, an Orange County software engineer who has restored and sold about 10 Scouts over three decades. “It takes someone with a retro or somewhat older mindset … [who] knows how to tinker.”
“I like guys like that — guys who can fix things,” he said.
As for Ray, who is selling another Scout — a rare 1978 version priced at $59,999 — he didn’t want to talk politics, which he called “a tough topic.”
But, in a nod to the unifying power of cars, Ray imagined a trip he and Walz might take into the wilds of the Southwest: “Maybe he and I can go out in the dunes one of these days?”
I know it probably won’t count for much, but courting truck owners away from Republicans could make some sort of difference.
When Ray expressed surprise over Walz’s ownership of a 4×4, he was tapping into a stereotype: Trucks are for Republicans. It’s a notion that former President Trump has leaned into, singing the praises of beefy American rides, even saying in 2019, “I love trucks of all types.”
“Even when I was a little boy at 4 years old my mother would say, ‘You love trucks,’” Trump continued. “I do. I always loved trucks.”
Time will tell if these things have any real impact on Trump voters. I’m not so sure, but hey, what do I know?
