In a move aimed at reaching young male voters, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) took to Twitch, the popular streaming platform, for a gaming session. On Sunday, the duo streamed their gameplay on AOC’s Twitch channel, engaging in a virtual game of Madden NFL. Ocasio-Cortez chose to represent the Buffalo Bills, while Walz opted for his home state’s team, the Minnesota Vikings.
The stream served as a platform for political discourse, with topics like Social Security, the control of the House, and the sentiments of left-wing voters being discussed. However, the conversation took a heated turn when the duo reacted to a video clip featuring comedian Tony Hinchcliffe making derogatory comments about Puerto Rico during a Donald Trump rally.
In the video, Hinchcliffe can be heard saying, “I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” adding, “It’s called Puerto Rico.”
Immediately after the clip ended, Walz exclaimed, “Who is that jack**d? Who is that guy?” AOC, who is of Puerto Rican descent, also expressed her disappointment, stating that the derogatory comments reflect the attitudes towards working-class communities in the U.S.
Their reaction highlights a key strategy of Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign – to engage young male voters, a demographic often associated with Twitch. Harris has also launched her own Twitch channel. This initiative comes after the first and only vice-presidential debate between Walz and Republican Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio.) left voters divided.
Meanwhile, AOC has been vocal about her views on the treatment of working-class communities. Last week, she criticized both Elon Musk and Trump for their belittling attitudes toward these communities.
The recent Twitch collaboration comes at a time when the latest polls in the presidential race show Harris and Trump neck-and-neck. This makes engaging voters crucial in the final stretch of the campaign. The Twitch strategy is a bold move by the Democrats, aiming to tap into a segment of the electorate often overlooked in traditional political campaigns.
