Why Independent Creators Must Elevate Progressive Candidates in Congressional Primaries

The legacy media has failed us. The people have abandoned it in droves. They’ve come to new media because they want something different. We are doing our audience a disservice if we continue to abide by the practices of the past.Today, we find ourselves living in an era of abuse and criminality that was brought on by a lack of accountability for powerful men.We are confronted by economic terrorism. Our backs are against the wall. Our children do not have access to housing, healthcare, or education.Yet, many of the former members of legacy media that have fled to independent media have brought with them the outdated ideology that brought us here. They appear to be cashing in on their ill-gotten celebrity in order to take us back to a status quo that didn’t work for anybody.Many celebrity news personalities are only on this platform to take the air away from new voices. If they were sincere, they’d be elevating new voices rather than suppressing them. These individuals are already sitting on piles of money. It’s not about profit for them, it’s about maintaining their power.This is a form of economic censorship. The same oligarchs that own legacy media also own our corporate candidates. That’s why these old school journalists are disinclined to cover congressional primaries.If our fourth estate actually did its job, it would be a threat to authoritarian power. Naturally, progressive action is the type of thing oligarchs tend to oppose.But it seems obvious to me that interviewing congressional candidates is the perfect means for our platform to gain credibility. The legacy celebrity journalists are thinking in the outdated past. Those of us who are new voices are firmly rooted in the future.Think about it!We can use this platform to gain visibility for a new form of government. Through our action we can get new candidates elected. We can see people of integrity elevated to positions of power.Why wouldn’t every single creator on this platform jump at that opportunity?The only reason I can see is that many of them are plants placed here to sabotage the emergence of a new order.For the last few months, I’ve been using my platform to elevate progressive candidates for Congress. It started when I met Laura Benjamin at the local cultural fair. I simply introduced myself to her and asked if she wanted to have a conversation. She agreed, and through her I met many other candidates.It’s a simple fact that a robust primary is healthy for democracy. It’s good to have multiple candidates canvassing a district and activating the population. They’ll often attend small gatherings with only a couple dozen people. Naturally it’s advantageous to their campaign to be able to sit down and have a live conversation with a creator who has tens of thousands of followers.When I started this, I expected many of the other big creators to follow. When they didn’t, I had to reconsider my assumptions about their purpose here.Why would a legacy media personality refuse to interview an up and coming candidate? These are the same personalities that already have hundreds of nameless, faceless supporters. Could it be that many of these “old school journalists” are still being supported by the legacy media that claims to have abandoned them?Every week, I meet more candidates. It’s convenient for people to interview me on their phone while they’re waiting for another speaking opportunity to begin. Our modern platforms allow ease of access like nothing we’ve ever seen before.Why aren’t more candidates out there?More than once, I’ve had candidates thank me for paying attention to them. Unfortunately, it’s long been the standard of legacy media to disregard primaries. Again, this is the same legacy media that’s owned by the oligarchs that already own our politicians.Think about it.They don’t want competition.I have an email list of every newspaper in my state. I’ve found that most of these publications don’t offer much information about non-mainstream candidates. The result is that voters are unable to make an informed decision.So, I’ve sent my interviews to every local paper and given them permission to share the link. As of yet, I’ve received no takers.This feels less like incompetence than it does deliberate suppression.I’ve talked to multiple candidates who have told me they’ve received phone calls from high ranking Democrats. “We think you’re a great candidate, but we already have our choice for your district. Our person is a better fundraiser.”“Why don’t we let the people decide?”That’s not the answer the establishment wants to hear.What’s become abundantly clear is that we have fallen into a standard where the entire American population is indoctrinated to disregard the primaries.“That candidate can’t win.”“That candidate isn’t electable.”“The stakes are too high.”“We know better than you.”All of these are lies by which we are deprived of our right to choose. I’ve also learned that it’s often the case that political donors will sponsor candidates from both parties.On the ballot, the word Democrat or Republican is next to their name, but they’re both owned by the same corporate overlords.Because of the mechanism that’s in place, it’s a lot easier to buy up the primaries than it is to buy up the general election. Again, the people have been conditioned not to notice, and the members of the legacy media have brought that mindset to their newsletters.But we don’t have to put up with that anymore.We can no longer be satisfied with general elections that only offer the illusion of a choice. Occasionally a grassroots candidate like Mamdani gets through and gives us a glimpse of what is possible.You can have that in your district.We can have that in our country.The only thing stopping us is habit and indifference. If you are deliberate and if you stop listening to old money, we can make a change.Aren’t you getting tired of the fact that we constantly encounter opposition from both the establishment Democrats and the out of control Republicans? It’s clear that the current structure exists to prevent people from ever having the opportunity to even hear about the people of integrity who would faithfully fulfil the purpose of their office.Celebrity journalists come to new media and are only concerned with concepts like “click rate.” This is why we are subjected to fifty articles about the Kardashians, or a hundred articles featuring the latest deranged comments of unqualified, uneducated, extremist right-wing politicians.Maybe fewer people click on an article containing a rational perspective, but that’s what the people need to hear. That’s what a responsible media needs to cover.Right now the people need to hear about the importance of the primaries.However, it’s a huge undertaking. There are 435 seats and there can be as many as 10 candidates running on either side of the ballot. One creator can’t cover it alone. But with the combined effort of hundreds or thousands of journalists, we can overcome the influence of legacy media and inform the people.We have to educate the American public. We can’t surrender the messaging war. We have to offer a glimpse about what’s being discussed and what kind of society we could actually have.As you look through the landscape of new media, be mindful of the creators who are out there elevating the new voices we claim to want but which nobody seems to be supporting. Creators with huge followings especially have a responsibility to promote people of integrity who are running for office.Stop giving air to the bottom feeders. It’s time for the good people to rise!We the people are done with the outdated model of an oppressive and disinterested representative. Over the last few months, I’ve been stunned but the quality of the people out there running for office. These are women and men who know the struggle of economic hardship. They’re worried about their kids. Like me, they feel overburdened with the complexities of life.That’s what we need to send to Washington. Not silver spoon jerks who don’t even know how the handle to a dump truck works.We’ve got to shake off the inclination to defer to disinterested multi-millionaires who have no idea what it means to come home tired after a hard day of work. Why should we be led by men who have never faced any kind of struggle or consequences in their lives?It’s discouraging to see how readily people default to this ingrained and conditioned mindset of submission. We need to pause for a moment and reconsider what we want our representatives to look like. I’d much prefer to listen to a young mother than a man laughing at me from a sportscar while wearing a five thousand dollar suit.The creators on new media who have already built large followings can bring legitimacy to the new type of candidate. We can make the argument to demand public servants that are actually committed to serving us!When you propose that today, people often snort and say such a thing is “impossible.”That’s the reaction we have to change. We do have the power to change that, it’s a matter of finding the will.Let’s try and turn this into a substack trend. Let’s pressure the creators we follow to interview at least one progressive congressional candidate every week. Let’s overcome the indoctrination to ignore these races. The fact of the matter is that we can have a representative with the qualities of Mamdani or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in every district.Forget about the midterms. The primaries are where the battle will be won. We can rouse the people and encourage them to participate in our democracy. Cast a vote with your heart for a change. Don’t be bludgeoned into selecting the lesser of two corporate owned candidates.The primaries are the way!The best part is that whether these good candidates win their primaries or not, we still win. They gain name recognition and they’re able to run in subsequent races. We have to shift our focus from the presidency and congress and instead look at city, county, and state elections.We win through community and community starts at home.Community requires participation.Bit by bit, we’ll start to see the elevation of decent people who will use their power for the greater good. The only reason the general population thinks that all politicians are corrupt is because they’ve never made a real effort to elect any good ones.Listen to me.Politicians don’t have to be corrupt. But don’t take my word for it. Go and listen to some of the candidates I’ve interviewed. You will be able to recognize integrity when you see it. We have an obligation to the future to ensure the elevation of decency for a change.Hate and incompetence have dominated the headlines for far too long.What we’re trying to build here will continue to be relevant beyond these primaries or these midterms or the next presidential election. This is the mindset we must carry forward until the end of time. Let’s participate in our democracy. Let’s support the candidates we deserve!The primaries allow us the opportunity to cull the corporate owned candidates from the field. But before we can make the change in politics, we have to change the mindset of the media. Make the deliberate choice to only support platforms that elevate decent people.If you notice a celebrity creator fails to elevate diverse perspectives, then understand you’re looking at an agent of fascism. They may be somebody you like. They may be somebody you even respect. But if they’re not doing the work to create a better future, you should not support them.For too long the news has attempted to dictate what we believe. Their job is to report, not put their finger on the scale. Everyone in media has an obligation to cover all the candidates running for office.Do not censor. Do not suppress. Do not omit.Report, and let the people decide.Above all, overcome your inclination to grasp at the coattails of celebrity journalists who are bringing a status quo mentality to our new mechanism of communication. They only inherited their notoriety from a corrupt system. There’s nothing they can teach you.Instead, embrace a new path that gives us a chance at victory. The next time you have to determine who to support, look for the people who are elevating the marginalized and the oppressed. If all you see are fancy haircuts and expensive suits, understand that’s not a group that will ever work for you.Multi-millionaires are more interested in chasing shiny objects than uncovering the hidden gems we’ve all been conditioned to ignore. The road to collective prosperity can only be found in the community of good people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work.You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. 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