Erick-Woods Erickson
I may be destroying my career here. I might be, but if Michelle Obama does become the Democratic nominee for president, you can stop listening to me. I don’t think it’s going to happen for a lot of reasons, including the number of Democrats who really believed Joe Biden was going to be a one term president and behind the scenes are deeply resentful of him and also resentful of Obama for paving the way for Trump. They wouldn’t stand for Michelle Obama, but it is neither here nor there.
You should understand there are people online, on podcasts, online prognosticators, pundits, telegram groups, and the like who are pushing the idea and seeding it into people’s minds that Michelle Obama — the Democrats are going to pull a bait and switch and make her the Democratic nominee. If that’s the case, I don’t believe it is, you can stop listening to me.
But please, please for the love of God do me a favor. If she’s not the nominee come November, please remember who told you she would be the nominee and unfollow them on social media.
Delete their podcasts. Stop listening to them. This gets me to the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce thing. There’s a huge rumor started that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, they’re not actually dating. It’s that it is a PSYOP campaign, psychological operation, by the Department of Defense or others to help Joe Biden. They’re dating not because they’re in a relationship or in love, but it’s to help Joe Biden get elected. It’s all about politics. It’s all about Joe Biden.
If you do believe this, you are the definition of a dumb ass. I just need you to know that and I’m sorry if that offends some of you with me saying that so bluntly, but you really are if you believe this. Here’s the thing. Most of the people online selling you this bill of goods, and it is a hyper online affair, they don’t actually believe it. They’re hoping you do. It’s not a coincidence some of the loudest voices about this conspiracy theory were the people in the QAnon Pizzagate conspiracy.
They didn’t actually believe it, but they hoped that some people would. In fact, some people did and showed up and tried to shoot up the place because of the conspiracy theory. They don’t care about the fallout. They care about themselves and their power. It’s a nihilism that’s happening on the right. They don’t care about the ends. They don’t really even care about the means. They care about the giggles and the clout. They care about you talking about what they started.
They care about getting into your mind and getting you to believe something. It’s all about power for them in the same way critical theory is about power for the left. Now what’s going on here? It’s not a coincidence many of these are young men on the right who are social media influencers and they claim to be some sort of consultant to get people on social media. What happens is they talk about this stuff and other people then begin to talk about it and link at it saying, “Look at this idiot who believes this stuff.”
They don’t care that they’re being called an idiot. What they care about is you’re linking back to them. Notice I’m not doing that. You are mentioning their name. Notice I’m not doing that. You are elevating their platform so they can then go to candidates and donors and say, “Look how influential I am. Look at all the people talking about me. Look at the impact that I’m having in the arena and write me a check. Give me a job.” That’s what this is about for them. They don’t care about the fallout of it.
They don’t care that someone actually went to that pizza restaurant in Washington, DC, and tried to harm people. They don’t care about that. They care about being able to get the influence. Therefore, they were able to get the political consulting contract. They got the donor to fund their cause because they’re a social media influencer and they run people’s social media accounts and look at all the attention they can get for you. You won’t be surprised to learn how many of them are also tied to Turning Point USA.
Meanwhile, there are dumb people who live sheltered lives who fall for it and get taken advantage of. There are people who decide to do something about it and take action. They don’t care about any of that. They don’t care about you. They’re willing to lie to you. Don’t believe the lies. They themselves are awful people. They’re terrible people who really should be shunned online. You should stop following them and stop listening to them and stop platforming them and stop elevating them.
Put it to you this way. Taylor Swift is, now that Queen Elizabeth II is dead, the most popular woman on the planet. She’s popular among Republicans. She’s popular among Democrats. She’s popular among everyone. The NFL is the most watched thing on television, and the Kansas City Chiefs games are some of the most watched NFL games because Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are in a relationship. Kelce is the most popular tight end in the NFL. He’s very good at his job.
You’re talking about the NFL and Taylor Swift, two things that poll in the 80s in public approval, and these nihilist Republican, right-wing online strategists want to turn Republicans against them? Really? You want Republicans to be against Mom, apple pie, and the flag as well? You might as well because that’s what this is about. Again, they don’t care about the fallout. They care about people talking about them and giving them attention and them showing their ability to control a narrative.
Never mind that it hurts Donald Trump. Never mind that it makes the Republicans look deeply unserious. Never mind the political fallout. On a day that Cori Bush has been targeted by the Justice Department, a Democrat progressive targeted by Joe Biden’s Justice Department, we’re all having to talk about the Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce thing because of what these idiots have done online. Part of the problem here is that many of these young guys on the right who do this stuff are hyper online.
They have defined themselves by their online identity. They have defined themselves by what they do online, who talks about them online, how much engagement they get online. They don’t have offline personalities. They are creatures of online. You don’t be that way. Stop listening to them. Ignore them. Block them. Understand you are being played by them. Maybe go touch some grass. They need to go touch some grass and get offline. They don’t care. They don’t care what happens.
They don’t care that what they do may reflect poorly on Donald Trump and cost him the election. They simply don’t care because they figured out how to cash in on the loss. They’re charlatans, frauds, hucksters, and grifters. They care about money. They care about their clout. They don’t care about you. They don’t care actually about Donald Trump despite how performatively they hump his leg. They just care about themselves. They are self-centered nihilists who are perfectly happy to watch the world burn as long as they can make money off of it. You probably should turn off the computer and go touch some grass if you believe them.
