Non Compos Mentis
Doomscroll 7.7.2024
Well howdy there, friends! It’s me, your trusty Doomscroll cruise director, back from a nice, relaxing maternity leave. Ha! I jest. Nice? Yes. Relaxing? Eh. The sleep deprivation has been real and IYKYK! Question: how many taps on the back does it take to get a gassy baby to go back to sleep at 3 AM? We’ll never know!
Anywho, I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Madison, Andrew, Kate, Jordan and Eric for holding down the fort while I tuned out politics for a few weeks in order to keep a newborn alive and my sanity intact. When I asked them to guest write the newsletter, I told them they had free reign to do whatever they wanted. They delivered! In fact, I’m probably going to steal some of their changes and pretend they were my ideas all along. Yes, yes I am. That’s just how good the last few newsletters have been. So, once again: THANK YOU. Now: Who’s’ ready for some more doom scrolling?
P.S. I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. ‘Merica!
One Question
It’s the Summer of 2024. Election Season is in full swing. One nominee doesn’t know what day it is. The other polarizes vast swaths of the American electorate on a good day. And we’re all calm, cool, and collected, right?!? Yessir!
This week’s One Question requires you to ditch your digital hats and embrace your inner political commentator. I want to know who among you thinks Joe Biden will still be on the ticket in November. Will he be forced out? If so, how? Who will replace him? Seriously, I want to hear everyone’s theories!
Who’s Doing What
—Team Trump Branches Out?
One thing that caught my eye while I was out? Ok, two big things, both related: Team Trump spinning up an Anedot fundraising page and Team Trump spinning up a WinRed fundraising page without the WinRed branding - except for the disclosure at the very, very bottom. Did anyone else catch that? I don’t know how deep into the rabbit hole the Trump campaign is going with Anedot (if you do, HMU!). I get the desire to want to branch out and experiment with another platform; experimentation has always been the Trump campaign’s MO after all. But then… just a few days later, a loyal reader (bless you) passed along a new Trump fundraising WinRed page that looked to totally leave out any reference to the fact that it was a WinRed page at all. Interesting. Here’s my take on these two things fwiw: As someone who has been dabbling more and more in local races, there’s a completely unfounded and bizarre distrust of WinRed among the grassroots activist types on the ground. Quick story time: A local candidate I worked with this past spring was literally told not to send around WinRed links in her district. Blah.
My guess is these voters, who through no fault of their own do not understand our online fundraising infrastructure or how it works, blame WinRed for the massive amounts of donation requests they get. They blame WinRed for ending up on lists they didn’t sign up for. They blame WinRed for getting texts from politicians they’ve never heard of. Etc, etc, etc. Obviously, this ain’t good! And obviously, perhaps, the Trump campaign is getting whiffs of this as well. I hate it because yes, I’ve become a huge proponent of WinRed and what it's done for our party. But Republican donors are a fickle bunch, and I’m chalking this up to being just another hiccup in our 2024 fundraising journey. Will be keeping an eye to see if this type of thing is just limited to the Trump campaign or if we see any other high-profile “experiments” along these lines…
—How do you fundraise off an old, senile man?
It’s the question of the day! How do Republicans fundraise off Biden’s debate performance without looking like they’re beating up an old, senile man? I’ve been keeping a curious eye out for how GOP candidates continue to message around Biden’s legit INSANE debate performance, his obvious mental decline, and his inner circle’s decision to LIE to the American people about the realities of Biden’s non compos mentis.
On July 3, Mike Rogers sent out an email highlighting that EVEN Hillary Clinton says Biden’s age is a ‘legitimate issue.” His CTA is interesting, though. It’s not an ask to help defeat his opponent and send him to the Senate; it’s an ask to donate to defeat Joe Biden (but the donation goes to the Rogers campaign, of course).
On July 2, Tim Sheehy sent an email blasting Jon Tester for saying Biden is “100% with it,” and asked people to donate to “hold the liars accountable.” On June 30, Dave McCormick sent a similar email, tying Bob Casey to Biden and calling them both “career politicians who have failed us.” One under-the-radar candidate, Eric Hansen (a client of mine, full disclosure!) - who’s running as the Republican Senate candidate in Delaware(!) against Lisa Blunt Rochester - did this as well. The day AFTER the debate, LBR went on Twitter to say she “couldn’t be more proud” to support Biden. WTF. So what’d we do? We hit her in a fundraising email for it.
This is probably the tact I’ve seen the most, and I dig it. Hold every single Democrat candidate accountable for propping up and defending a verifiable corpse for as long as they have. Make them answer for it - and see if donors respond!
Who’s Spending Where
P2P
Industry Watch
Nice little heads-up from Instagram about how they’re now prioritizing sends in the algorithm. Via Social Media Today:
As outlined by Mosseri, with more people now engaging within DMs in the app than they are with feed posts, Instagram is now actively seeking to amplify content that prompts more sharing behavior i.e. posts that inspire more users to tap on the “Send” icon and forward it to their friends.
So how do you make content for Instagram that’s share-worthy? Focus on evoking strong emotions, duh! (seriously, though). In politics, that general means outrage and horror. Yay!
2024 Watch
This is where I make note of a few other things that caught my eye this week.
Not a whole lot to note here this week that doesn’t have anything to do with Joe Biden!
The Grapevine
You guys: We have a HUGE treat today, courtesy of Kate Holliday (she’s the gift who keeps on giving!). Kate went out on a limb for Doomscroll and snagged this Q&A with Maria Giannapoulos, who’s been serving as the Director of Marketing and Digital for the 2024 Republican National Convention. Many of you probably already know Maria, but here she breaks down what it’s been like to prep for this year’s convention in her beloved state of Wisconsin! Thank you so much Kate and Maria!!
1.Maria, many of us know you from your previous industry roles. It was huge news when you accepted the role as Director of Marketing and Digital for the 2024 Republican National Convention. How are you doing, and how’s life back in Wisconsin?
Hellooooo from Wisconsin! (cue That’s 70s show)
I am thrilled to be back in my home state as the Director of Marketing and Digital for the 2024 Republican National Convention. As a born and raised Wisconsinite, I can’t wait to have everyone in the gem I call home for the biggest event in politics.
It has been such a treat to be only an hour from my hometown— Sheboygan, WI. My mom still lives there and I have been able to see her about once a week since being back. We highly recommend brunch at Sweet Diner then a trip to the Bobblehead Museum in the 3rd Ward.
It may have been a surprise to some that I would leap back into the political world from Google. However, I couldn’t think of a better role that brings my passion for digital, politics and love for Wisconsin to life. Plus, there may only be one time in my life that the Convention is in my home state. That was an opportunity I was not willing to let pass me by.
2. How are you feeling about the convention just a few weeks away, and what are your top priorities as the Digital Director?
We are under 30 days out from the Convention and I am PUMPED. After building toward this major milestone for almost a year, I am extremely proud to bring this event to life with my team.
As far as goals - Our audience is vast and the objective is clear: to leverage the power of marketing and digital tactics to tell the story of a blockbuster Convention where people consume media the most– online.
To expand that audience even further, I am thrilled to spearhead the Convention’s first ever Creator Program. With hundreds of millions of followers combined, content creators from across the country are poised to create viral moments and reach voters through the creators they trust right at their fingertips. My priority for our creators is to reach new audiences that typical political accounts and broadcasters may not be in front of.
3. From a digital perspective, are there any new tools or tech the convention is using to boost digital engagement?
Today, content is King. Memes and videos are no longer just silly anecdotes to share with friends, but rather a content engine that drives political discourse.
The 2024 Republican National Convention is the first political event and organization to adopt Content credentialing and utilize the certificate publicly. This new technology creates a permanent record of where an asset originated and what changes have altered or manipulated the image or video with AI and other tools. Our team looks forward to pioneering online content credentialing on Convention assets to ensure that voters can trust that photos, videos and other produced content is authentic to the Convention.
4. What has surprised you the most about your role?
One of my favorite parts about my role is the ability to dream up big ideas and see them come to life. You’ll have to wait and see at the Convention, but there are some incredible moments in store.
I have also been pleasantly surprised at the countless people willing to lend a hand for the Convention. Whether it is someone who has been to the past five Conventions, a business owner here in Milwaukee or readers like you who stepped up to volunteer, make a connection or lend an ear on the phone, the outpouring of support has been unmatched and I truly appreciate it.
5. As Doomscroll readers, industry colleagues and @greekmaria fans, how can we help promote the convention's message and digital strategy?
Our team is working around the clock to showcase behind the scenes footage and spark memorable moments both on stage and off. Make sure to amplify videos from @gopconvention, but also showcase authentic content to your followers through your own lens.
And last but certainly not least, follow @greekmaria for Fits at Fiserv– the Outfit on the Hill series here in Milwaukee for some inspo fits for Convention.
6. What’s the most fun or crazy story you can share with us about the 2024 convention so far?
The coolest part of the Convention for me is being so integrated with the local community. We’ve been blessed with some incredible partners on the ground in Milwaukee who have made being home even more fun.
Have you seen this season of Top Chef? If not, it was filmed on the ground in Milwaukee over the course of the past year. Watch this season of Top Chef and you may see some of our team in the episodes!
7. For any Doomscrollers attending the convention give us some insider tips! Where can we find the best Greek food downtown?
@greekmaria’s Convention Bucket List
Squeak some cheese curds from Lakefront Brewery
Savor a Bloody Mary from the West Allis Cheese Company at the Milwaukee Public Market. The Milwaukeean has the most cheese on top!
Enjoy a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned from Who’s on 3rd. (Typically, they will ask you if you want it sweet, sour or press)
Grab a pull tab and order the Greek Freak Brat from Milwaukee Brat House
Stop for a quick lunch at 600 E Cafe and check out the giant Giannis mural
Drink a Milwaukee Mule at Central Standard
Take a pic with the Bronze Fonz
Embrace your inner Greek at Avli (if you want to venture outside of downtown my family has a diner type restaurant called Family Table in Brown Deer!)
Make sure to venture outside of downtown to go to a Supper Club or a Friday Fish Fry
Have a BLAST at Convention
8. Are you still looking for last-minute volunteers? Where do we sign up?
Let’s take this one out. Sadly, we’re not accepting any more volunteers.
Alternative question: We hear your birthday is the day after Convention. How are you planning to celebrate?
Excited to ring in my birthday at midnight the last night of Convention. My biggest birthday wish this year is for the Convention to go off without a hitch! With so many friends being in town, I hope to be able to celebrate with them with a party on the lake.
9. What’s the best convention swag this year?
My favorite merch item is an Uncle Sam Foam top hat. You bet that I’ll be wearing one all four days of the Convention.
10. Can I get a styrofoam cheese hat
The Wisconsin state society has a tradition of passing down a cheese crown to each year’s Wisconsin Cherry Blossom Princess. Kate– sounds like the perfect time to make you an honorary cheese queen and get you a cheese crown stat!!
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:
Several weeks ago I noted that the Biden team had spun up a new Facebook page to run ads from called The Daily Scroll - an attempt to run pro-Biden ads without it looking like a typical campaign ad. Looks like they aren’t stopping there. A couple other pages have popped up since: “Headlines 2024” and “The Voices of Today.” Take a look:
It’s a smart strategy, and I’m digging the face-to-camera ads on The Voices of Today - even if the messages are totally delusional. Yeah, sure buddy, you’d rather take a senile old man over Donald Trump. ::insert mega eye roll:: Still, I don’t even know if these people are legit influencers are just random Biden stans filming ads (maybe?), but they’re good. And well executed. And for the most part, you’d never know they are actual campaign ads. Sigh.
From the other side of the tracks:
According to The Verge, Meta’s Threads is “thriving”. But is it, though? Who here posts on Threads regularly - or at all? I know everyone wants (wanted?) Threads to replace X and put Elon Musk in his place, but I just don’t see it happening. Not anytime soon, anyway. Nonetheless, Happy Birthday, Threads!
That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading! Did you like it? Consider forwarding to your friends!