16 Comments
User's avatar
Internet Archaeologist's avatar

Valid points about the top down vs bottom up approach. Think the RNC is not ready for the defensive. One interesting observation is the total lack of substance from the DNC. Wondering if this initial hype is a bubble

Expand full comment
Huck's avatar

whoever wins, we'd better hope it's by a (incontrovertible) landslide

Expand full comment
TheNeverEndingFall's avatar

He used to feel like subversive force. Without the subversiveness he is just a buffoon. Like Michael Brendan Dougherty noted both Trump and the GOP have assimilated into each other.

Expand full comment
John Fariello's avatar

Dems have always been better at the memes, slogans, jingles, images and generally any creative effort and it's no different now.

Expand full comment
CansaFis Foote's avatar

...will be an interesting next two months from a memewatch stand point...things move so quickly(stupidly) these days that i fully expect the results of this election to hinge on some last second discord chat or kick livestream...we haven't even gotten to the deepfake section of the cycle yet...good times await...

Expand full comment
Jeff Giesea's avatar

Yeah things haven't gotten too toxic yet. Hopefully it will stay that way. Thank you as always for your feedback.

Expand full comment
CansaFis Foote's avatar

...i am picturing elon musk in his meme cave waiting to get a punch in...

Expand full comment
Dave's avatar

Somehow I am doubtful of this. Kamala, as of this posting, hasn't done any interviews or somesuch for at least 20-30 days. While the support she has speaks highly towards the money and coordination of the campaign it means it could have literally been anyone in the seat because Kamala herself has contributed nothing, if not less than nothing. It's a strong political machine, which we've known the democrats have had since Clinton, but not a necessarily a strong candidate.

To contrast this is the Trump/Elon interview.

https://shorturl.at/DyABn

According to this gatewaypundit link, "70% of Audience Sharing Musk-Trump Interview Was from 25-35 Age Group". That's a lot of youth support, not even considering the high amount of views.

And the result is that the interview was so successful that democratic political groups are suing them. It was so well regarded that it is illegal, they claim.

"End Citizens United, a Democrat-aligned PAC, claims that the interview "amounted to a virtual campaign event" for Trump financed by X, formerly Twitter, which would be in violation of federal law."

When the response to popularity is lawfare, that is not a grassroots action.

Expand full comment
Matthew Stanley's avatar

I don’t think appealing to young people is the strategy everyone claims it is — only a handful of states will decide this contest, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Wisconsin. These are states which are losing young people to brain drain, and are dominated by the working class and elderly retirees.

Expand full comment
Eric Ho's avatar

A week is a long time in politics.

Expand full comment
Dronom!'s avatar

The Harris campaign is the most astroturfed, insincere political campaign in American history. Even a worse disaster than Hillary’s “pokemon go to the polls.”

Expand full comment
Tom Lane's avatar

This is pure propaganda

Expand full comment
Michel djerzinski's avatar

The DNC is paying tiktokers..

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Aug 9
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Jeff Giesea's avatar

To address this, you'd need to replace the campaign leadership, update the policy platform, and give young people more reasons to get excited. But I don't think it's fixable because the real issue is Trump himself. IMO, he's a bad candidate at this stage.

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Aug 9
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Jeff Giesea's avatar

He's such a magnetic force in the GOP that I don't think others can shine until he's out of the picture. I'm centrist these days, but I think losing this election is probably the best outcome for the GOP and American Right in the medium/long-term.

Expand full comment
Michel djerzinski's avatar

The GOP will be demographically inundated by 2028

Expand full comment