Foie gras is made from fatty liver, with the goose being, ah, force-fed. Blech.
And that’s how I feel, mixed feelings, about this writer:
Democrats talk endlessly of courting young voters, but are losing my generation because they miss the point entirely. They don’t just have a young voter problem — they have an attention problem.
It’s not just what they’re up against, but how they’re communicating. Crying “constitutional crisis” won’t win votes — it’s hardly enough to get likes.
In the digital age, attention is earned, not assumed. In 2025, Media Matters reported that right-leaning digital programs commanded audiences nearly five times the size of those on the left — a disparity amplified by placement on social media. As MS NOW host Chris Hayes puts it, “if you can’t be heard, it doesn’t matter what you say.”
I know from experience. I study film and digital media, and as a young voter, I’ve scrolled past lifeless Democratic content, noticing how much more engaging posts from conservatives feel. It’s like eyeing your dinner companion’s unhealthy meal — you know it’s not good for you, but it looks so much better than what’s on your plate. [WaPo]
Why mixed feelings? Been there, done that – that is, felt that politics is entertainment (PIE).
For decades.
I used to have a catchphrase for PIE, but it escapes me. Shame on me. I’m sincere. Just not very good at self-shaming.
Look, I’m not blaming this dude, an Ethan Norton. I have no kids, but I’ll say it anyways: we’ve raised a generation of kids whose value system is predicated on the entertainment value of presentations. More entertaining means they’re more likely to follow along.
Speaking as an agnostic, I’m sure that the devil knows the best dirty jokes.
I’m of two or three minds on whether or not this is inevitable and why. Behavior is shaped by feedback, and, these days, there’s not much dying from picking the wrong ideology to suck in through your earbuds.
This rant could go on for a very long time, but I have to get to work. You’ll have to do your own thinking on this subject.
And be careful of taking a bite of PIE.
