The Memes Will Continue
Doomscroll 1.25.2025
Welcome to another edition of Doomscroll - your favorite newsletter covering all things digital on the right! By the time you read this, I’ll probably be knee-deep in ice, covered in frostbite, and waving the white flag. Help! I don’t have enough bread or milk!
Ok let’s get to some scrolling.
Thanks to everyone who answered last week’s One Question about how YOU would handle a $20 million contract from DHS to run some ICE recruitment ads. I gotta say, this was one of my least popular questions. To the handful who answered: Thanks. To everyone else: Sorry. I now realize it was too much to ask on a Sunday evening. Someone did put some good thought into this comment:
Digital ads leaning heavily (say 50%) on Facebook and LinkedIn as they have a more 'mature' audience. Themed on patriotism, law and order, protecting the border, back the blue, keeping the country safe, myth v. fact and recruitment. Hit the other platforms as well but with a toned down message focused more on stopping human trafficking, videos explaining the mission, videos explaining why we wear masks, and regional wins.
Good stuff. This week’s One Question is simpler. I always enjoy the emails from our friends at X (Hi, Caroline and Matt!) and this week’s was no exception. What’s more, their tip about advertising on X during Super Bowl Sunday was duly noted. Apparently Super Bowl Sunday is the single biggest day for convos and engagement on the platform, so let’s see a show of hands: Who’s planning on advertising on X during the Super Bowl??
The above quote comes from a very concerned Georgetown law professor by the name of Anupam Chander, during an interview he gave to the New York Times about the TikTok deal. Look, I’d be remiss - REMISS! - if I didn’t mention the TikTok deal somewhere in this newsletter today to mark the end of this very long, arduous saga. You can read the details of it here if you like. A lot of the narrative around this deal has focused on the fact that Larry Ellison is involved and he’s ::gasp:: friendly with Trump. Is Ellison going to use his power to pull the algorithm levers to favor rightwing propaganda?!? ONE WONDERS. Look, I have long been anti-TikTok - and quite public about it. People are asking me now if I’m going to change my tune given the new structure around an American-ified app. To those asking: Maybe. Sure, I could see myself softening my stance a bit when it comes to whether or not a candidate should get on the platform. If you’re a Republican running for office and your security concerns are now assuaged, then go for it. But at the end of the day I still stand by the fact that there is more than one way to reach the youths of America, TikTok isn’t simply a box to check, and you better put some thought into your content. I’m sure I’ll have more to say on this later (Oh look, I did!). Just a thought.
—What’s in a meme
The White House, this week, posted a “meme” of an ICE protestor after she was arrested in Minnesota. But I guess it depends on what our definition of “meme” is. Are we calling any AI-doctored or photoshopped image now a meme? We might be. I thought memes were supposed to be funny, but I’m an old so what do I know, right? No matter, THEY WILL CONTINUE. Not that I have any sympathy for this weirdo protestor. If you think storming a church service is an acceptable way to protest, then you deserve whatever you’ve got coming to you online, IMO. “Turn the other cheek” doesn’t apply in politics, am I right? Anyway, the White House is, yet again, drawing a bit of backlash for its “combative, flippant tone” on social media and to those who are outraged, I say this: have you never met a 13 year-old girl? Do you think the White House social media accounts are somehow above the standards of the perpetually online Generation Z youth? Have you no compassion for those whose entire job it is to spark engagement and gather eyeballs online? All I know is the baddies are going to jail, the memes are here to stay, and reality is fluid. There.
—Senate race shake-ups
There were some big developments this week in the world of Republican senate races. Let’s start in Minnesota, where former sports journo Michele Tafoya threw her hat in the ring for the state’s open seat! Her launch caused quite the splash - one I definitely didn’t see coming. But as I looked at her and her candidacy, it’s not hard to see why. She’s got charisma. She’s got presence. Must be that media background; think Kari Lake but without the crazy (wait, did I say that!?). All the charisma, none of the conspiracies. ANYWAY…her announcement video is really great. A tad long, but great nonetheless. It does a nice job of introducing her to voters. The other notable thing? It doesn’t mention Trump. It doesn’t seem like one long pitch for an endorsement. Not saying good or bad on that as a strategic decision…just saying she’s definitely going to need to walk this tightrope carefully. Still, she’s got the NRSC in her corner already - always interesting to see the committee play in primaries! But as much as I like her launch video, I’m a little disappointed in her website. I don’t get the logo. Don’t love the purple. And I’m disappointed that there’s literally zero policy on there - and no merch store! Hey - I call it like I see it! ;) Hopefully those things come. Also something I noticed with Tafoya - and with other launches this cycle: no ads. Is this a thing now? Launching with zero ad spend (that I can find?). I find that a slightly odd and troubling sign. Anyway, as a candidate, it’s obvious that Tafoya’s got all the potential in the world to knock this thing out of the park. Time will tell!
Let’s now travel south to Louisiana, where Julia Letlow launched her primary bid against Sen. Bill Cassidy. Look, I have no dog in this fight and no issue with Cassidy per se, but she does seem like the real deal. Her launch video isn’t bad, but I’ll be honest…I don’t love the whole “let’s put our candidate on a stage and make her stand in front of a giant screen” aesthetic choice. Where Tafoya declined to even mention the president, Letlow made him and his endorsement front and center - probably a good call. One thing I will say…it doesn’t totally seem like she has much of a social strategy yet. She posted the video on X on January 20, for example, and (as of this writing) it’s been crickets ever since. Not a good look. I am also supremely disappointed in her website. If you have time to make a 2-minute announcement video, you have time to make a decent website. Hers is not. Honestly, it might be the worst website I’ve seen for a major Senate candidate at launch time. Maybe that’s because her announcement was rushed? But then again…video. So…someone make it make sense? This race will also be interesting to watch for us politicos if for no other reason than it’ll pit the NRSC machine against the White House. The committee protects its incumbents - for good reason. So can they beat the president in Louisiana? Do they even *really* want to? Especially if Cassidy’s $26M promised spend didn’t scare Letlow off? We shall see! Sure, Louisiana is probably safe R no matter what, but sometimes red states have the ugliest primaries so I’ll be keeping an eye on this one, for sure!
Let’s continue on our journey to the midwest, where South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds officially launched his re-election campaign. He did it with a three-and-a-half minute video, and honestly? I love it. I know it’s long, but for some reason I don’t care. Maybe it’s because I have a soft spot for former governors from the Midwest. Whatever the case may be, this is a great video for an incumbent. He speaks to camera, he gets personal, he touts local wins and makes the case for why he’s earned another term. What’s more, he talks about his support for (and from) President Trump without making his entire candidacy ABOUT TRUMP. Nicely done, Team Rounds. P.S. His website is also pretty nice.
A couple stories caught my eye this week!
👩👩👦👦 Our white whale: Some tips for improving organic social media reach
📺 Honestly, I think this is an under-covered trend for 2026: How platforms are angling to turn social video into living room TV. Here’s a nugget from this piece in Digiday:
If 2025 was the year YouTube really turned the screw on traditional TV, 2026 is shaping up as the year the rest of big tech does the same. …
Given that short-form videos predominantly live on social media, together these formats take the lion’s share of consumer attention – far more than any other type of media.
Platforms want us scrolling on our phones still of course, but when we do take the time to look up at that giant square thing on the wall in the living room…they want to be there, too.
He’s back! Elon Musk dumped $10 million into a super PAC supporting Nate Morris in Kentucky.
SLF is making a huge investment ($42M!) into Susan Collins’ re-election in Maine.
One Nation is spending $5 million on Susan Collins
Pres. Trump endorsed Barry Moore for Senate in Alabama
Chuck Perdue might run for Congress in Florida’s 2nd congressional district
Retired Navy Seal Chris Shea is running for Congress in Connecticut
Businessman David Atchley is mounting a primary challenge against Rep. William Timmons in South Carolina’s 4th congressional district
Former Rep. Chris Collins of New York (yes, THAT Collins) is now running for Congress in…Florida.
Former Rep. Mo Brooks is running for Congress again in Alabama
State Rep. Ed Diehl is running for governor in Oregon.
Former gov candidate Chris Dudley is also thinking about running again for the governorship in Oregon
A group called Michigan First Principles is running an interesting attack ad against John James.
Alexandra Kingston, former staffer for Sens. Ted Cruz and Tommy Tuberville, wrote an op-ed in The Hill this week that got a lot of attention about America’s “$10 donor recession.” TL:DR - Americans’ continued perception that the economy is not all right is causing donors to hold back. But voter engagement is still high, so once those fears are eased, small-dollar donors will come back.
Is she right? John Hall writes that sure she is - but there’s more to the story:
The result is a donor pool that is stagnant and, in some cases, shrinking, while the number of campaigns and committees asking for money keeps growing. That is a recipe for burnout even in a strong economy. In a weak one, it becomes brutal.
…
The Hill op-ed is right that the sentiment around the economy is causing a slowdown. But the deeper truth is that we built an ecosystem that only works when conditions are favorable. Now that they are not, the cracks are showing.
Got a tip for The Grapevine? Job announcement? Job opening? Email ‘em to me at itsthedoomscroll@gmail.com
From the other side of the aisle:
Since we’ve talked about so many videos already this week, what’s one more? This announcement video, from Nancy Lacore, is really good. She’s running to replace Nancy Mace in South Carolina’s first congressional district. She probably doesn’t have a shot, but who knows? She’s got a compelling back story and military backgrounds matter a lot in this district. But aside from that - and as much as I hope this seat stays in Republican hands - her video is excellent. And I’m usually critical of videos that show a candidate literally running while talking about “running” for office. Like…it’s been done so many times. But this one works! The visuals are interesting, the narration is good…love all of it. But she definitely has awareness of the red district she’s running in. If you were only going off this video or her website (which isn’t bad considering it’s Squarespace), you’d never really know she was a Democrat until clicking on the donate button and seeing that it takes you to ActBlue.
From the other side of the tracks:
He’s ALSO back! After 10 years, the Most Interesting Man is making a comeback. Love it! I like this. Sure the company may be recycling old tricks, but this is a great example of storytelling in advertising. Watch and learn:
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