The Year Democrats Lost the Internet

Perhaps due in part to this strategy of exclusion, the audience that Republicans reached was much more engaged with the content than the Democratic audience. A recent study by People First and Infaze found that conservative-leaning podcasts hosted by the likes of Rogan and Theo Vaughn had 25 to 33 percent more engagement than those on Harris’s appearances, e.g. Call her father.

The circle of influencers who interviewed Trump were not political creatures. Rogan and Vaughn have grown their audiences through their comedy (and in Rogan’s case, sports) careers and within the entertainment industry. Their ideology is amorphous, attracting diverse audiences across the political spectrum. Both Vaughn and Rogan interviewed Trump, but they also recorded conversations with progressive lawmakers like Sanders, which made it easier for each of them to avoid pigeonholing themselves with either party and, as a result, increased trust among their audiences.

“The floor has absolutely fallen off with the online brand of the Democratic Party,” Brock said. “People who don’t care about politics don’t like us. Those who think and act in politics do not know how to represent us. We are seen as completely out of touch, and as more people turn to non-traditional methods of getting their news and media, we are set for a colossal failure without a change in strategy.”

In the wake of the Democrats’ defeat last month, progressive critics of the mainstream media have launched their own startup media ventures or are seeking new funding. Mutual Media CEO Amelia Montuth argues that Democrats need their own culture-focused show online.

“There’s a funnel on the right that I believe starts with barstool sports that reaches a mass audience through pop culture,” says Montooth. “It’s going to require some serious investment, not only from people like progressive groups, but also from people who care about that work and journalism.”

It would also require taking risks—something Democrats, known to shun a party currently led by an 82-year-old.

“Stuck on the same five talking points won’t make you a truly viral moment, and a viral moment doesn’t matter if it doesn’t translate into a larger movement moving forward,” says Brock. “Because with criticism and mockery comes engagement, conversation, inspiring people to defend you and evangelizing others to come to your aid.”