How to solve a problem like the BBB

Doomscroll 7.13.2025

Jul 13, 2025

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Doomscroll - your favorite newsletter covering all things digital on the right! I hope everyone had a good 4th of July. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve really grown a lot as a person in the last two weeks. Really learned a lot. Taking some time off does that to you. Now I know George Santos isn’t suicidal, for one thing, but Epstein apparently DID kill himself which is making me re-examine everything (thanks a lot, MAGA internet). It’s ok to listen to the president of Iran (It’s Tucker’s world and we’re just living in it!) The Biebs dropped a new album AND Zohran reignited debate about what it *actually* means to be African American. YA’LL IT’S BEEN A SUMMER and it ain’t over yet. Let’s get to some scrolling!

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One Question

Thanks to everyone who answered my One Question about whether or not Zohran Mamdami will prove to be a good foil for Republicans heading into the Midterms. So…50% of you said you expect to use him in your messaging going forward. About 12% said no, and 37% of you said maybe. Some of you had other thoughts. Here are some of them:

He’s every insufferable liberal I ever met in college.
Mamdani will not replace AOC on the oppo totem pole. Yes, GOP digital operators will try since most only throw kitchen sinks and Mamdani is the “current thing.” But it won’t be effective. Mamdani doesn’t trigger the same emotional response in audiences. First, he’s running for mayor of a city gone woke. The crazy is already “baked-in” and, except for NEW Yorkers, I expect there will be a bit of schadenfreude in play (“well… you wanted it, you got it!”). Many folks will almost cheer watching NYC destroy itself, like a type of ant farm. What he does doesn’t affect them. The damage is contained (or will be perceived that way). And if donors don’t fear a thing, they won’t feel inclined to dig deep and take action. Sure, a few will. But higher than AOC he shall not climb.
A few weeks ago we talked about how the DNC is in shambles. They have no vision, no talking points (beyond orange man bad), and have even eaten their own within the party because the establishment leaders didn’t like people speaking out. Democrat voters are itching for a change, and it’s not coming from the national level. That’s where Mamdani comes in. He’s different. He challenges the status quo. He’s exactly what democrat voters are asking for. Maybe not his ideas, but he represents change in the democrat party.

This week’s One Question is about another piece of big news we got in the political world this week: Elon Musk’s new America Party. What do you all think? And what are its implications for Republican campaigns heading into the Midterms? Let me know!

Answer before time runs out!

One Quote

One Thought

The above is from Linda Yaccarino who announced earlier this week, via a post on X (fitting!) that she’s stepping down as CEO. From what I can tell, Yaccarino brought a lot of steadiness to a juggernaut of a company as it was going through, shall we say, uncertain times. She’s exactly right, too. X is truly a digital town square and a powerful cultural signal. You know it, I know it. I’ll leave speculation around the reasoning for her departure to everyone else and instead just go with wishing her the best of luck! ✌️✌️

Who’s Doing What

—Solving the BBB
Ever heard of the phrase “not by your hand, but in your lap”? That’s how I feel about the Big, Beautiful Bill. We didn’t ask for the assignment, but by George we gotta sell this thing anyway. And don’t get me wrong: I’m not mad about the bill itself. But selling it? Messaging on it? That could prove to be a freaking nightmare, especially for at-risk incumbents. Since the BBB passed, I’ve been keeping an eye out for how others on the right are talking about it- especially in certain races. New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli seized the reins head-on and posted a video about it on July 4. Good for him. I think he did a pretty good job explaining the thing. Take Me Home WV Inc is running ads thanking Shelley Moore Capito for supporting Trump’s “America First Agenda,” and the group’s website is making no bones about their support for the BBB. But elsewhere? I haven’t seen a whole lot yet. I did read that the American Action Network is planning to spend $5 million on ads “across the country” promoting the bill, so that’s cool. Hopefully it helps.

But ya’ll…this is only the beginning. We’re going to have to figure out how to sell this thing, and do it fast. The Dems aren’t waiting. In Virginia, a group called Freedom Virginia is already up with spots hitting Glenn Youngkin for supporting “cuts to Medicaid,” and he isn’t even up for re-election! (We all know what the group is really doing, though). Majority Forward Fund is also up with ads targeting Sens. Susan Collins and Dan Sullivan for voting to cut Medicaid and give tax breaks to the rich. Similar ads are being run by a group called Unrig our Economy ($411K on Youtube in the last week) with one simple message: Republicans are cutting Medicaid to fund tax breaks for billionaires.

Let the ad wars begin.

—Saving America…with Bad Ideas?

Ok, ok, ok I probably shouldn’t be including this because this cause and this group is pretty leftwing, but since they made Steve Schmidt the face of it and sine he used to be prominent Republican…I mad the executive decision that this is fair game. Anyone else heard of the Save America Movement? I hadn’t until I randomly got these texts this week. According to Schmidt’s Substack, SAM is “comprised of a roundtable of Americans who will meet the aggressions of the Trump regime head on.” Nifty. The group’s first ad (watch here) calls on members of the military to “remember your oath” and refuse Trump’s orders. Anyway, I’m very curious to see if the promise to film ICE raids in real time and “expose them to the world” is just a fundraising stunt? Or if this is gonna really happen. Despite the fact that I’m somehow on this text list, I’m obviously not the target audience for Schmidt and his “movement.” ICE officials are ignoring local leaders in California? Uh, yeah? Maybe because those leaders are ignoring immigration laws? I dunno….

—Palmetto Problems

Well, Lyndsey Graham’s re-election campaign got a little more interesting in the form of a primary challenge from former Lt. Governor Andre Bauer. Honestly, I don’t dislike Bauer, but I’m not sure what lane he fills that Graham doesn’t. What’s more, he’s got a long slog ahead of him with the kind of campaign machine Graham’s got. Right after Bauer announced, in fact, NRSC chairman and fellow Sen. Tim Scott clarified his strong support for Graham and Security is Strength PAC started running ads on X touting Graham’s relationship with Trump. So….we’ll see what Bauer brings to the table!

Merch Shout-out

I love some good merch, and this week’s shout-out goes to not one, but TWO groups: RON PAC for its Alligator Alcatraz hat and the NRCC for their Alligator Alcatraz t-shirt. Now you know why I couldn’t pick just one. Love it!

Who’s Spending Where

Facebook

Google

Industry Watch

Kate Holliday (of Powers Interactive and friend of Doomscroll!) has a new Substack called Strategy Memo. Her first post recaps a recent webinar she hosted with Cross Screen’s Michael Beach and Brett Quick of Phronesis DC. The topic? AI, of course! Writes Holliday:

Want to use AI right? Use it to stop wasting time and money. AI can now do in minutes what used to take your team 40 hours:

Audit bill text for changes
Map vote histories
Flag friction points in messaging

It’s your research assistant on Adderall and Celsius. But it’s not your campaign manager. That nuance matters.

“It’s your research assistant on Adderall and Celsius.” Love and totally agree. Another point that stood out? The search funnel, writes Holliday, is collapsing.

Hill staff aren’t Googling your issue. They’re asking ChatGPT. That means your messaging, your content, even your earned placements need to adapt.
You’re not just optimizing for clicks anymore. You’re optimizing for AI driven summaries.

Truer words have never been spoken. The whole thing is really worth a read here.

2025-2026 Watch

Rep. Dusty Johnson is running for governor of South Dakota.
Burt Jones launched his campaign for governor of Georgia.
Speaking of Georgia…Chris Carr announced he raised $1.25 million for his gubernatorial campaign.
And Rep. Mike Collins is still mulling a Senate run in Georgia.
South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette announced she’ll be making a “special announcement” on July 14. Hmmm…what could it be….
And SC Rep. Ralph Norman is set to make his own announcement on July 27th!
Businessman Bill Berrien is running for governor in Wisconsin.
A super PAC called the Oklahoma Conservative Coalition is spending $1.6 million on ads supporting Charles McCall’s bid for governor.
Kansas insurance commissioner Vicki Schmidt announced her bid for governor.
Is Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst going to retire?

The Grapevine

Sen. Lindsey Graham brought out the big guns for his re-election campaign.
I know everyone probably already saw this, but let’s give it up for the Senate Leadership Fund!
Congrats to Spencer Sullivan for joining CiviClick.
Apparently, we’re still spending a lot of money advertising + messaging around healthcare.
H/T Greg Butcher for this. Thoughts and prayers to his wife. 😬
Eric Wilson was quoted in this CNN piece about ActBlue.
“We’re all about post-primary unity, BUT…” That’s a pretty big “but.” Looks like there’s no love lost between the Spadea and Ciattarelli camps in New Jersey… It’s almost like when Trump and Musk broke up. Ok, it’s nothing like that. Nowhere near on that level. But come on, guys! Don’t forget you’re on the same team now!

Got a tip for The Grapevine? Job announcement? Job opening? Email ‘em to me at itsthedoomscroll@gmail.com

Last But Not Least

From the other side of the aisle:

First we had to suffer through the Hakeem Jefferies Photoshop fails, and now this? I know NYC Mayor Eric Adams needs to pull out all the stops to improve his image rating right now…but this video ain’t helping. Either the clock in the background here is broken, or this video is full of lies.

From the other side of the tracks:

Jaguar saw sales drop a whopping 97% this year after that disastrous rebrand. The lesson? Branding matters. Don’t abandon your core customer base. Don’t go woke. Geeze Louise.