Minnesota Governor Tim Walz catapulted onto the national scene as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris at least in part due to his artful rhetoric—including his deployment of the word “weird.” In one cable news hit after another, he’s used the word describe Republicans, inspiring other Harris surrogates to do the same and earning him praise as a plain-spoken Democratic communicator. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Whatever the outcome of the competition to be Harris’ number two, however, Walz will continue being influential in one particular area, thanks to his rhetorical skills: in recent years, he has become one of the country’s most skillful climate communicators, even as he has remained relatively unknown to the average American. I got a first-hand view of Walz’s abilities in 2023 when I moderated a discussion with him on the opportunities and challenges in the coming climate-shaped economy.