We’ve got a banger of a Buffoon of the Week face-off between wanna-be tough guy Tim Walz, and Karine Jean-Pierre, the ex-White House press secretary now trying to out-Tapper Jake Tapper in this year’s “Book Grifter Olympics.”
Welcome back to Buffoonology 101, where co-hosts Gene Berardelli and Ross Galloway nominate two public figures whose absurd behavior earns them a shot at our dubious distinction: Buffoon of the Week.
Last time out, Ross claimed victory as voters chose former FBI Director James Comey over NJ Rep. LaMonica McIver in a holiday-shortened showdown.
New here? Visit our Buffoonology 101 hub to learn the rules, the science behind the Sharpton Buffoonery Matrix™, and track past nominees and winners.
🥊 Ross’s Pick: “Tampon Tim” Walz – Minnesota’s Wanna-Be “Bully”
Ross kicked off this week’s showdown with Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s VP pick and Minnesota’s top executive. Walz channeled his inner tough guy in a fiery speech before the South Carolina Democratic Party. Walz called Donald Trump a bully and encouraged Democrats to fight back by “bullying him right back.”
That’s right—Minnesota’s own virtue-signaling voice of reason thinks the path to political salvation is through more name-calling and division.
As Ross correctly notes, Walz—who once ran on unity—has a long resume of questionable moments, including:
- Letting Minnesota burn during the 2020 riots
- Misrepresenting his military service (stolen valor alert)
- Being unable to load a hunting rifle during a photo-op
- Claiming camaraderie with school shooters
- Making bizarre references comparing MAGA voters to cultish sports fans
Gene scored this knucklehead with delusions of grandeur via the show’s patented Sharpton Buffoonery Matrix™, which is a visual representation of the relationship between a nominee’s personal Buffoonish Nature (BuN) based on years of observing his/her political life, and the Buffoonish Action Magnitude (BAM) of Walz’s advocacy for meanness:
- BuN (Buffoonish Nature): 75 (Walz’s record pretty much)
- BAM (Buffoonish Action Magnitude): 625 Mega-Sharptons™ (I mean… it’s a’ight. But nothing earth-shattering)
📚 Gene’s Pick: Karine Jean-Pierre and her Newfound “Independence”
Not to be outdone, Gene nominated Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden’s former White House press secretary, for her post-administration pivot into literary hypocrisy and gaslighting.
KJP is hawking her new book, Independent, while claiming she’s leaving the Democratic Party and becoming independent herself and promising to provide a look inside a broken White House from—get this—outside of party lines.
Just as a quick reminder, this is the same KJP who spent years denying Biden’s obvious cognitive decline, spinning White House narratives with MSNBC-flavored flair, and blaming “cheap fakes” for video proof of Biden’s stumbles now wants to lead a movement based on truth and transparency.
Now she wants to lead a “truth and transparency” movement?
KJP’s gaslighting may actually be worse than past winner Jake Tapper. Unlike Tapper, Jean-Pierre had daily proximity (and a front row seat) to former President Biden’s mental decline and, arguably played a larger role in shaping—and distorting—the public narrative.
Gene called her “Jake Tapper on steroids,” making her a natural successor to Tapper’s previous Buffoon of the Week title.
While scoring Gene’s nominee, Ross also noted that “The book grift is so strong, Gene even spent time tonight hawking his own book!” during his presentation.
(By the way, Gene wanted me to remind you that his book Schnooks, Crooks, Liars & Scoundrels is still available!)
- BuN (Buffoonish Nature): 75.1 (That extra tenth of a point tho!)
- BAM (Buffoonish Action Magnitude): 50 Giga-Sharptons™ (KJP to Tapper: Hold My Chardonnay!)
Do you Ride with Walz or With KJP?
Once again, it all comes down to your thoughts and your votes. Who earns your vote? Is it:
- “Tampon Tim” Walz, the awkward beta who thinks he’s an alpha trying to channel toxic masculinity to salvage progressive politics? Or
- Karine Jean-Pierre, the propaganda professional trying to reinvent herself as an independent truth-teller?
👉 Vote in our poll, which you can see right above. Or head over to YouTube and/or X and you can duplicate your vote there!
No ID required, just your finest instinct for sussing out stupidity. Vote now for your Buffoon of the Week!
