A broadcast from the front: The current state of America's Influence Wars
The right has gained ground in tech, while the left makes surprising advancements on music and sports.
Good evening, America. You have no doubt experienced the culture wars, but as the battles have raged on, I regret to inform you that the conflict has expanded. And what’s up for grabs? The opinions of normal people, who would rather focus on their own lives. However, turning these individuals into rabid, ideological participants is the fuel that keeps the conflict going, until it can result in real-world consequences.
These are the Influence Wars, where left and right fights for the soul of America. Will one side win decisively on this memetic battlefield, or will the stalemate lead to upticks in violence and authoritarianism? Find out in our latest correspondence from Link Klickmann.
Link, what can you tell us what you see from where you stand as an embedded journalist in the Influence Wars?
Well, the conflict is surely heating up. Both sides are pushing on multiple fronts to get an edge in November, which may serve as a crucial victory. That said, both camps said the same thing four years ago and here we are. The good news is that most of the conflicts are isolated to digital battlefields. While it’s certainly challenging for me to be on the frontlines each day, the lives of many Americans haven’t been directly impacted.
But surely, Americans know the how large the war effort is to determine who holds sway over the various cultural spaces in this country?
Oh, they get bits and pieces of it, sure! An Instagram story here, a Tweet there. Everyone knows a few family members who are actively waging this war on Facebook every day. Their politicians are influenced by it, but it rarely translates to legislation.
Other than a few awkward holiday conversations, or some lawn signs, most Americans can close their phones and forget the conflict.
Isn’t that a good thing, Mr. Klickmann? Shouldn’t we want most Americans to live their lives as normally as possible?
Well sure, it does sound nice to focus on yourself and your loved ones, rather than the ever-divisive Influence Wars. I sure wish I could do that, but it’s too late for me. My family left me months ago because of this job! I am simply too online.
The same can be said for the war’s most ardent fighters. However, both war camps are increasingly adamant that this conflict won’t come to an end until everyone has chosen a side. In their eyes, the only way to get anything done is to shame and subjugate the other half of the country. To do that, they need everyone influencing, commenting and posting as much as possible.
Well, that’s certainly one way to put it, Link. Anyways, where do both of those sides sit in the cultural conflict today?
We’ve certainly seen some surprises. With both sides unenthused by their generals for November’s skirmish, I’ve tracked many indirect movements that saw each side attempting to galvanize and gain support in new ways.
For example, the right has made a strong push into the technology sector, hoping to gather fans among those who have been common punching bags for the left. They’ve even landed a few advancements in television and movies, with last year’s success of Yellowstone and Top Gun. That said, those wins can only stand out due to some struggles on the left, with numerous left-aligned theatrical and TV releases failing to reach the audiences that they hoped for.
The left, meanwhile, has had a shocking win in the world of sports with Taylor Swift making inroads among NFL fans and Middle America. Her tour has been the hottest ticket in town, and her romance with a super bowl champion has helped her garner more power than ever in the Influence Wars.
We have also seen a surprising retreat on the social media front. The left has increasingly abandoned X, formerly known as Twitter, due to being convinced it was losing relevance. On a platform the left once held sway over, the right is regaining a foothold on a medium that was once pushing them to the fringe. Instead, warriors on the left have fallen back to Mastodon, Threads or BlueSky, platforms where mainstream influence isn’t even up for grabs.
Well that is surprising. Can you remind us where each side is strongest?
The left still still operates from headquarters in media, education and among residents of big cities. And of those in the big cities, their rising economic power is apparent. So many of them benefit from technology clusters and post-graduate education, helping them out earn many on the right. In terms of political donations, the left has continued to outspend the right by activating their base for fundraising efforts.
The right is strong in rural, law enforcement, and religious sectors. This combination of conversion and enforcement helps them tighten their influence over small towns and suburbanites that see liberal city mismanagement everywhere on the web. The right has also firmly won over a majority of trade workers, completing a multi-decade reversal kicked off by the loss of unions and those individuals feeling increasing amounts of scorn or neglect from left. This is one battle that doesn’t seem impacted by policy, but rather what the online warriors dub as “vibes.”
And which sectors look like ones to watch ahead of November?
Comedy continues to be anyone’s to win, with jokesters on both sides rising in their ability to influence others. Joe Rogan appears headed to a Trump or third-party vote as the world’s most popular comedic podcaster. Meanwhile, Jon Stewart returned to Comedy Central in time to strengthen the left’s ability to make people laugh. As a recent upstart, Shane Gillis feels like a wild card, with him succeeding among blue collar workers and the Saturday Night Live audience alike.
I’ve also got my eye on the right’s grasp on local news and the always-weird crypto sector as battles that could play a role in this election before it’s all said and done.
Okay, Link, last question before you sign off. Who is actually winning? Who wields the strongest influence over Americans?
Oh, that’s impossible to tell! Laughable to think of really. I’ve fully given up on trying to make sense of it. Every day brings something new and the impact of each battle gets smaller and smaller. Online warriors are increasingly rabid, and some may even call them mentally unwell. Yet most of the conflicts are invisible to the average citizen, so their energy is spent on increasingly ideological spaces that are unlikely to bring new converts.
Quite frankly, the masses seem more disengaged than ever. It may turn out to be a healthy thing for Americans, but it makes it increasingly hard for me to understand how this war will be won. The most rabid of supporters on each side continue to stir themselves up into a frenzy, but it’s hard to know how many Americans are listening, and of those, how many are convinced by the online engagements at all.
For Nuance Node, this is Link Klickmann signing off. Until next time!