How to sink the MAGA Armada

Think of the media as a huge, unwieldy ship from a Patrick O’Brien novel. Washington Monthly – An observation post located high in the crow’s nest looks over the horizon.

Again and again, for 55 years, Monthly discovered problems years before they became mainstream stories, such as the overweening power of monopolistic corporations threatened global supply chains, how prestigious colleges are undermining social mobility, and how reckless financiers are creating a housing bubble.

This unsurpassed foresight is a joy to Monthly loyal readership –readership that keeps us afloat.

Donate to Washington Monthly.

After I got on board SS monthly two years ago my editors advised me to look beyond the horizon of history. I delved into how Republican leaders borrowed talking points from jingoistic influencers in the “manosphere” to reach lonely young people. In 2016, “Trump proved the potential of disaffected young people as a growing demographic.” I wroteand his imitators learned to “harness online male discontent in electoral politics.”

Matthew Cooper, our executive digital editor, told me to compare this tactic to what Democrats are doing: nothing. “By failing to articulate its commitment to helping young people, the left has allowed Republicans to fill the vacuum,” I wrote. “They fail to expose right-wing fraud and leave votes on the table.” What might be the political consequences?

My story let me appear on Morning Joe. Claire McCaskill, a former Senate Democrat who lost for her seat in 2018 to Josh Hawley, an Ivy League-educated MAGA enthusiast who has just written a book about masculinity, was another guest on air that day. McCaskill voiced her concern after reading my story about how her party was “leaving out the Joe Rogans of the world.”

Donate to Washington Monthly.

Unfortunately, the 2024 elections proved that her and my warnings were disastrously accurate. Exit polls showed that young people have changed almost 30 points attitude towards Trump compared to just four years ago. On social media, liberals were desperately searching for a liberal figure like Rogan who could reduce testosterone deficiency.

Sometimes you don’t want to be able to say: I told you so. This feeling happens often Washington Monthly. We need your donations to continue our important work during this dangerous time..

Donate to Washington Monthly.

A liberalism that can defeat the MAGA movement needs Monthly. We are entering a new dangerous era, Monthly will continue to cover political trends that other media outlets miss. We will continue to call on the media to listen and the Democratic Party to adapt. We will continue to generate new ideas on issues such as college reform, K-12 education, and health care for our veterans, and we will continue to promote a more equitable approach to international security and fair trade. We will continue scanning the horizon.

But we can’t cope without your help..

We rely on readers like you. Please donate now. A A $50 donation gets you a free subscription to the print magazine..

Thank you.

Will Norris, editor

Connected