Opinion: Republicans’ ‘Tampon Tim’ joke about Walz is already backfiring

Los Angeles Times ^ | Aug. 7, 2024 2:27 PM PT | Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Before Tuesday, vice presidential contender Tim Walz was hardly a household name. Now that the Minnesota governor has been the subject of round-the-clock news interviews and viral videos, he has also picked up a new nickname. Enter “Tampon Tim,” conservatives’ response to the 2024 state law Walz signed that requires public schools to provide menstrual products in student bathrooms.

It hardly feels like much of a “gotcha” moniker, though. Periods have been a mainstream public policy priority for the better part of the last decade. And California has been at the forefront. Since 2017, the Legislature has passed a series of laws — including ones that eliminate the state sales tax on menstrual products; mandate the provision of menstrual products in all public school restrooms for students in grades 6-12, as well as at California state universities; and require county jails and state prisons to provide free access to tampons and pads to people who are incarcerated.

California has also proposed legislation to improve public health disclosure requirements around the ingredients in menstrual products — an especially timely effort in light of recent headlines: A study last month out of UC Berkeley shows that toxic chemicals including lead and arsenic were found in several name-brand tampons.

While California is a leader, it is hardly an outlier. It is one of 30 states that have scrapped the “tampon tax” in the past eight years; the latest to join the roster is Texas, with a signature from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on a bill that garnered notable bipartisan support. Across the country, 28 states also mandate the provision of menstrual products in public schools; another 25 states require the same in their jails and prisons.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Corporate gaslight press article presented under topic "humor" to grant it the respect it deserves.

[bigdaddy45]

They totally missed the point. On purpose of course.

[jmaroneps37]

Says who now?

[HYPOCRACY]

Totally working.

[vpintheak]

Hey leftards, it’s referring to tampons in BOYS bathrooms. Get it? 🙄

[Biblebelter]

Los Angeles Times called for a clean-up in Aisle Two.

[cgbg]

“They totally missed the point. On purpose of course.”

They managed to ignore the transvestite elephant in the room dressed in rainbow colors.

That is hard to do!

[Sgt_Schultze]

They know.

That’s exactly why they avoided saying it .

[Indy Pendance]

Tampon Timmy is hurting them, they want to switch the topic back to commie la’s husband.

[DoodleBob]

The best man in talk radio today, Andrew Wilkow, refers to such things for guys/people with XY chromosomes as MANpons.

[Trailerpark Badass]

She is the leading voice on America for equity on menstrual products.

[drSteve78]

the transvestite elephant in the room dressed in rainbow colors.

WithSparkles🧔‍♀️🐘💥💥💥💥💥

[Trailerpark Badass]

I want equity in deodorant and jock itch products.

[cnsmom]

How much did Walz pay for plumbing repairs to the boy’s clogged toilets?Probably more then a month of tampons.

[Luke21]

Sure it is. They moved onto “Stolen valor.” The Times liars won’t like that one either. I check a second source if they tell me the Dodgers score.

[Trump_Triumphant]

Works for me.

[workerbee]

response to the 2024 state law Walz signed that requires public schools to provide menstrual products in student bathrooms.

No, no, no Leftists! NOT "student" bathrooms. "Boys" bathrooms. As in, "males". As in, "people who do not menstruate."

Filthy propagandists, and they don't even bother pretending not to be.

[HamiltonJay]

Watching folks on both sides trying to trade barbs over their VP folks is comical.

No statistically relevant number of voters are going to be swayed by either of these VP candidates.

Shapiro would have almost certainly put PA into play.. but MN brings nothing new to the table and is a purely need to solidify the base move.

I knew Shapiro would not be dumb enough to get covered in this administrations excrement

[T.B. Yoits]

Totally working.

Exactly. The moniker "Tampon Tim" isn't going away.

[1_Rain_Drop]

What's wrong with tampons in a boy's bathroom?

Gotta train them early for when the wife asks the husband to go buy her a box.

Imagine a high school girl asking her boyfriend if they have any tampons left in their stalls because there are none left in the girl's bathroom.

Other than that, it's the dumbest law ever.