Texas/Gun Control

Benghazi.

Hillary's e-mails.

The stolen election.

You know exactly what I am talking about, even if you don't know the underlying facts, because the Republican party hammered these messages every day for years, they kept them top of mind, they still want Hillary locked up, even though she's a doting grandmother sans elected office.

Abortion?

That was last week's news. Or maybe a couple of weeks back there. How long did abortion stay top of mind? Oh, it's gone folks. People don't dig deep, they hit the headlines and move on, they're trying to cope with their own incoming, we're all overscheduled and overwhelmed.

Back in the old days, twelve to fifteen years ago, the left controlled the internet. There were all these victory laps after Obama got elected. The lionization of nerds who ran the online campaign. Since then? Nothing. As a matter of fact, the Democrats have gone on defense, they can't cope with the incoming, Cambridge Analytica...

This is a messaging issue folks. And if you want to change hearts and minds, if you want people riled up, if you ultimately want change, you've got to start at this grass roots level.

Once again, the music business is at the forefront, the canary in the coal mine.

You see there are too many acts and no universal outlet to expose them. There's no MTV, minting stars overnight all over the world, and terrestrial radio has a fraction of the number of active listeners it had previously, no matter what bogus statistics the industry keeps proffering. So where do you go? ONLINE!

Musicians are everywhere. Labels, having realized their reluctance to license their wares hurt them at the turn of the century, are willing to license anybody who can pony up with big bucks today. They realize what looks like nowheresville today can be absolutely crushing it in a matter of months, and you've got to be ready, be prepared to seize the moment.

Everywhere you go online you see musicians hawking their wares.

You know where else you see this tsunami of hype, and that's what it frequently is, false information...POLITICS! On the right, the left is way behind. Yes, every interactive platform is inundated with right wing acolytes spreading their message. Furthermore, they've falsely accused Facebook and Twitter of being left wing havens, when that's not true whatsoever. Check those Facebook stats, it's always the right wing views that are shared most.

Are you getting this? Not only do Republicans own the sphere, they gain even more power by saying they don't!

That's been the Twitter argument, "free speech."

Well, in truth Twitter is not owned by the government and can do whatever it wants, it's a private company, all the social media companies. And unlike the mall cases of yore, saying they were the public square even though they were private property, there are endless places to spew the same stuff all over online, you can even create your own platform, like Truth Social. The barrier to entry is nil. Just like in music. The mall was the only place in town, online we have Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok...never mind websites. You can get your message out. The question is whether these social media outlets have an obligation to allow you to post. OF COURSE NOT! Come on, when the shoe was on the other foot, when David Geffen dropped the Geto Boys, you didn't see these same right wingers crying freedom of speech, and that was when the barrier to entry in the music business was so much higher!

Are you getting this? It's a full court press, 24/7.

And what do the Democrats fight it with? A circle jerk of complaints about the heinosity of the right wing. And not only does it have no effect, it doesn't even reach the intended targets!

Man, we've got to wipe the dead wood from the Democratic party.

And I'd start with Schumer and Pelosi. Both lauded as political professionals, they've got no idea what is going on in America today, because to know that you've got to be online, like youngsters, ALL THE TIME! And what do we constantly hear from left wing educated boomers? The smartphone is the DEVIL! We've got to limit screen time. Meanwhile, the right wing keeps populating the platforms with information and disinformation. I mean you've got to play to win.

AOC bitched about this. The last election cycle. How candidates have to focus their campaigns online, instead of TV and print. But the oldsters blew back. AOC is right!

Sure, older people vote in higher percentages than younger people. But who do you know under the age of 35 who even sees commercials? Youngsters don't have cable, their computer is their television and they watch streaming services with no commercials. So these TV ads aren't reaching them AT ALL!

But the old school reporters inured to the old game parrot the words of the out of touch ancient.

You don't want to be too progressive. You've got to fight for the center, that's the only way you can win. IS THAT HOW THE REPUBLICANS DID IT?

No, the Republicans realized first and foremost you need to stimulate your constituency, rile them up, and give them hope you can effect change. We don't see the equivalent on the left, AND THE LEFT IS IN POWER!

Oh, we hear Democrats crying about Manchin. Well, the Republicans don't have any problem keeping their elected officials in line. Either you get with the program or you're ostracized. They're trying to achieve goals, they're taking the long view.

As for the Democrats? They've got no plans and are just waiting for the future to play out. I don't recognize my country, but the Greatest Generation? They've never seen anything like this. Disputing election results. Conspiracy theories. Listening to Q. Taking the voting power out of the hands of the public and giving it to legislatures and elected officials. This is nuts. And what is the left wing plan? I can't even see one!

Every week Bill Maher said that Donald Trump wouldn't leave office quietly, he'd do his best to stay. And what did the Democrats on his program say? THAT CAN'T HAPPEN! But that's exactly what did!

So the majority of Americans want meaningful gun control.

But what have we got? More and more states allowing open carry.

It's like we're living in bizarroland.

The public will get behind leaders hammering a point. As for the usual suspects on TV and in print, who can believe in those people?

It's not like we haven't seen this movie before, this is not our first school shooting, it's not our first rodeo. But all the Democrats can do is say they can't do anything. To the point where their constituency is completely demoralized.

You want change?

You've got to keep the story alive. And today you do that online. And it's only going to be more so, forget that b.s. about streaming services and their ads, the overwhelming majority pay. You've got to go WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE!

At every level.

The Republicans play the long game, fifty years of trying to get rid of Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, along the way, abortion rights are tightening, pro-life people are surrounding clinics and killing doctors... Believe me, we've got the same passion on the left, if only they believed they could make a difference!

There are so many ways. The recent California law allowing individual citizens to report gun manufacturers for shirking their responsibilities. Yes, you can force gun companies to cower.

A vigil. That's endless. We did this during the Vietnam era, reading the names of the dead.

We see this time and time again in music. The biggest bands have ARMIES! Remember the KISS Army? And Lady Gaga's Little Monsters? And BTS fans? Cross them, say something negative about their beloved, and they'll track you down and inundate you with hate, over something you wrote/said about a musical act! But do we have these equivalents in politics? Oh yes, on the right, but not the left. If I write anything political I immediately get e-mail from those on the right, they're the first ones in, and they keep at it, no matter what. The left? They respond later, if at all. They're asleep at the wheel.

Hollywood has been completely disrupted, it's not business as usual. And you know what the cause of that was? THE INTERNET!

And 4G/LTE allowed new apps to appear, like Uber.

But when it comes down to Democratic politics...IT'S THE SAME AS IT EVER WAS! It's like the internet didn't even happen.

So if you're a Democrat, I've got to tell you, you're the lobster, you're the frog, you're already in the pot and the water is beginning to boil. But since you're not yet cooked you believe everything's groovy. BUT IT'S NOT!

What did James Carville so famously say? IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!

And he was and still is completely right, everybody in America is selfish, they're watching their money first and foremost and want more. Yes, the right is famous for fighting culture wars, which they ultimately lose, but they know it's not truly about culture, it's about winning elections. Which they are very very good at, whatever it takes.

IT'S THE INTERNET STUPID!

Go on Reddit. Find those OnlyFans women. That's right, sex sells and they want some of that cash. So what do they do? They cross post! They don't post in only one category, but any one they even remotely qualify for. And they post each and every day! Frequently multiple times a day!

That's what YouTube and Instagram "influencers" do too.

Democratic politicians? How do they expect to influence anybody if they don't even play. You decide on your message and hammer it everywhere each and every day, to the point it becomes conventional wisdom, like Biden has dementia, can't put two sentences together, and has accomplished nothing in office. THAT'S COMPLETELY UNTRUE! But the right wing has hammered this everywhere each and every day to the point where even the left wing outlets repeat it. Like the fact that Republicans are gonna win big next November. Where's the campaign to say the opposite? Oh, that's right, the rule tells us it's an off-year election and the other party...

Come on, that's not a rule.

Yes, the Democrats are playing by rules that don't even exist.

And for the right, it's a FREE-FOR-ALL!

And the Republicans are working the angles to boot. I hate to tell you, all those professional sports teams, even college, they're working the angles. Did you see Nick Saban accusing his competition of buying players?

But the left is afraid.

No wonder the right is winning, AND THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WIN!

--
Visit the archive: lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, Unsubscribe

To change your email address this link

No comments:

Re-Slim Dunlap

Slimbob Dunlap was one in a million. The outpouring of love for him here in Minneapolis since the news broke is overwhelming. Everyone has a...