As the new year unfolds, many of us – on both sides of the Atlantic – are still reflecting on the 2024 elections. At the very least, we are grateful that they are in the rear view mirror.
Results aside, as a commentator on both the American and UK elections, I have been considering how some campaigns leave more of an impression than others.
Election campaigns, wherever they happen, are a mixture of spectacle and hard scrabble politicking. But, when it comes to overt pageantry, celebrity endorsements and pure extravaganza, the US is arguably the most over the top.
So, when the teenage son of vice-presidential nominee for the Democratic Party, Tim Walz, outshone the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder at the party’s national convention, the whole country took note.
Brimming with adoration for his father, 17-year-old Gus Walz, who has a learning disability, was captured tearful and waving on camera declaring “That’s my dad!” as his father watched with pride from the podium.
Walz senior emanated joy and a deep love of his family during what was a rancorous, divisive presidential campaign. His son’s brief public display of affection was mirroring those feelings.
The convention clip went viral, with many celebrating the scene as an antidote to widespread political negativity during the campaign.
The brief moment was significant far beyond the celebration of a father and son or a family. It shone a blazing spotlight on something large swathes of the population know little to nothing about, or whose understanding is shaped by archaic notions.
The attention on the teenage Walz triggered headlines about the need for greater understanding of learning disability.
Positivity versus stigma
Yet the positive and open-minded reactions were diluted by stigmatising and demeaning responses. There were incidences of online mocking, including disparaging memes.
Katy Neas, chief executive at The Arc, a learning disability organisation, remarked: “This is just one example of how our society continues to perpetuate deep-rooted stigmas about people with disabilities.”
On seeing the convention clip, Republican firebrand Anne Coulter posted on X “Talk about weird…” (a response to Walz senior’s description of Trump and his supporters).
Coulter took down the post after a backlash but her comment was a prime example of the powerful punching down.
When Trump mocked a disabled reporter at a rally during the 2016 election campaign, he was met with widespread condemnation – and rightly so. Yet people at the rally cheered and he went on to win the election regardless.
Propagating and reinforcing stereotypes is far from a thing of the past. Campaigners, including in the UK, continue to challenge entrenched prejudices and degrading depictions.
It was significant far beyond the celebration of a father and son. It shone a blazing spotlight on something many people know little to nothing about
Despite this, all too often attitudes spill over into criminal behaviour. Hate crimes are one of the most extreme manifestations of ingrained stigma.
UK government figures for the year to March 2024 showed a fall of 18% in disability hate crimes from the previous year in England and Wales. While this is good news, almost 10,000 offences were recorded in a 12-month period. Some estimates suggest that as many as nine out of 10 people with learning disabilities experience bullying, harassment or hate crime.
As with the UK and elsewhere, disabled activists in the US have a long, stellar history of not only securing rights but also calling out and fighting stigma. Indeed, many British activists drew encouragement from early campaigns in America which, among other things, brought in the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
The outpouring of love and solidarity directed at the Walz family last year far outstripped the mockery – and that’s to be celebrated. Nevertheless, vigilance is essential.
The fight is far from over.
