"Don't platform them!!"
...is how you lose elections.
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American voters are diverse. We vary by age, sex, race, orientation, gender, religion, height, eye color, and gut biome.
To win elections, candidates must capture the largest share of us. But as Trump has shown, a majority isn’t required. You can win elections with a plurality of the popular vote, a plurality of a swing state, or even by losing the popular vote.
My point is that today’s elections are won on the margins. You must seek all votes. There are two ways to do it: Expand support among the current electorate or add new, previously unengaged supporters to the electorate.
Trump’s strategy in 2024 was the latter. Barron Trump gets credit, but it was really this guy. (Here are some New York Times think pieces about it.)
As a result, Trump flipped six states he lost in 2020. In Georgia, Nevada, and Wisconsin, Harris won more votes than Biden did in 2020 — but Trump’s gains still eclipsed hers.
Trump accomplished this by pitching voters who follow shows that touch politics but aren’t political. Shows hosted by comedians Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and Andrew Schulz. Influencers/boxers Jake and Logan Paul. YouTube pranksters the Nelk Boys. Twitch (live) streamer Adin Ross. Former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. Superstar golfer Bryson DeChambeau.
Standup comedy, boxing, football, pranks, golf — every frat boy’s (and frat man’s) FYP.
I bring this up because a few days ago, Pete Buttigieg (who has been making regular Fox News appearances for years) went on one of those shows, Andrew Schulz’s FLAGRANT, to reach a young male audience. A group that lurched right in 2024 and rarely gets exposed to liberal ideas anymore.
How did he do? Read the YouTube comments. His (nearly three-hour) appearance generated 1+ million views on FLAGRANT’s YouTube, 1.5+ million on its TikTok, and 10+ million on its Instagram. This doesn’t include clips shared by other accounts (like random posts on X with 1.7 million views) and doesn’t include the listeners of, you know, the actual podcast (on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon).
One response is to say ‘woah, a liberal (gay) man went on a straight bro-centric show and left with newfound respect from thousands (if not millions) of potential voters? Cool! Another is to admonish Buttigieg for platforming Andrew Schulz — a comedian whose platform dwarfs Buttigieg’s (and most Democrats’). For merely suggesting Buttigieg try to reach a new audience this way, I received DMs like these.
I can understand the frustration at Gavin Newsom for creating a platform and inviting controversial figures onto it (although Charlie Kirk did share the whole episode with his subscribers). But a Democrat going on a right-leaning show to pitch liberal ideas and expand the party’s support, and this is the reaction?
Obviously Schulz is not without controversy. Last year he was blasted for a joke he made about Black women. It was disrespectful and, coming from a white male comedian, racist. The backlash was swift. Kendrick Lamar called him out. Schulz apologized, then joked that if he and Kendrick shared a cell he would rape him in prison. The Internet took it as a reference to ‘buck breaking’ which Schulz vehemently denies. Some Kendrick fans began threatening Schulz’s family. It was a lot.
I don’t know Schulz and I’m not enamored by his comedy. As far as I know he’s made two gross and/or racist jokes and apologized for them, kind of. In an ideal world someone like him wouldn’t have a huge platform. But we don’t live in that world, and we haven’t for some time. The idea of ‘platforming’ someone implies you can control their reach. That may have existed with TV, radio, and newspapers — but unless you run a multinational tech company it doesn’t with social media, YouTube, and Substack (thanks for reading, BTW).
Tens of millions of people listen to FLAGRANT and the other shows Trump went on. Candidates would be silly to skip opportunities to be on them, especially given people’s attitudes toward the parties right now.
Americans need to stop viewing a guest appearance as an endorsement of everything the host has said or done. If it were true then no candidates would go on Howard Stern, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, or Bill Maher (who have all apologized for their past controversial jokes).
Democrats can either pitch the voters they wish existed or the ones who actually do exist. Given their favorability, they don’t have a choice.
It isn’t ideal that flawed people have loud megaphones. But you have a choice: You can borrow their megaphones to win over voters, gain power, and build a future that protects your kids and the vulnerable groups you care about, or not.
It’s your call.
If you liked this newsletter please subscribe and check out my book What Does the Constitution Actually Say?. And if you live near Los Angeles my next live event/book signing will be on May 15th at franknews (details here).