Welcome to Nebraska the home of Vice Presidents.

Tim Walz joins Gerald Ford and Dick Cheney as the latest vice presidential candidate to be born in the Good Life State. And while it’s true all of them left the state before they got the gig, that doesn’t stop a lot of Nebraskans from having a little bit of hometown pride in what he’s accomplished.

You can take the boy out of Nebraska but you can’t take the Nebraska out of the boy. He may live in Minnesota but he’s Nebraska Nice. As a friend of mine, who I don’t believe has ever voted for a Democrat in his life said to me, “Tim Walz is the kind of guy who will stand on the front porch during a storm and say ‘We needed this.’

This friend is going to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. This friend of mine used to be very active in the Republican Party. I don’t believe that he ever changed his registration, but he can’t stomach the idea of voting for Trump. He agrees with Liz Cheney that you can change bad policy, but you can’t get democracy back once it’s gone.

Years ago I wrote a book called “There’s No Business Without the Show.” It was a book where I showed how a salesperson could use the same techniques that great entertainers use to increase their sales.

Donald Trump is a great salesperson and a great entertainer. In fact I mentioned him in my book. But that doesn’t make him a great President and I have to wonder if his act has gotten old.

As a student of showbusiness I know that it’s a rare entertainer that can stay at the top for long. Those that do, have to periodically reinvent themselves. How long would Tom Hanks’ career last if he just kept reprising the character from Bosom Buddies or Turner and Hooch? Madonna was shocking and provocative back in the day, until her antics got old.

Trump’s antics have gotten old. He keeps repeating the same song over and over. The Beatles stayed on top because they kept doing new stuff. The music from “Meet the Beatles” is substantially different than what they were doing on the “White Album” or “Abby Road.” Not only their music but their look changed.

But even they couldn’t stay on top forever. Tastes in music change. The individual Beatles had different degrees of success after the breakup but everything they did was different from what they had done before.

What has the Trump campaign done this time that is different from what he’s done before? I’ve been to Trump rallies over the years and it was like a rock show. Just like Deadheads or Swifties, the crowd showed up to be around other fans and be part of the scene. They came to hear the hits. They want to chant, “Lock Her Up!” and shout obscenities at the media.

When the crowds show up at a Rolling Stones concert they know they are going to hear the same old songs but it will be in a different environment. The stage show will be different. There will be some new songs or rarities they haven’t heard in years. There will be fireworks, or gigantic inflatable dolls and confetti. But even the Stones have had to change their act. For instance, they won’t perform “Brown Sugar” anymore because the times have changed and it is no longer appropriate.

Politically in America the times are changing. There is a new act in town. Just as Disco was replaced by Hair Bands and Hair Bands were replaced by Grunge. The torch is being passed to a younger act singing a different tune. And so far this new act is getting rave reviews.

The early crowds for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have been huge. The box off ticket sales (i.e. campaign donations) have been enormous. The audience was looking for something new and when Joe Biden stepped down Kamala Harris stepped up.

Will it last? Or are Harris and Walz just a flash in the pan? A political Vanilla Ice if you will. Only time will tell. But early indications are her crowds are growing while it must feel weird for Trump to be playing to more and more empty seats. The Kamala Harris show, costarring Tim Walz is on the road. A lot can happen between now and awards season in November. But right now they are the feel good hit of the summer.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.