Why Vibes Now Matter More Than Ideas In Recent Elections

The midterm elections proved a painful truth about today’s electorate: many Americans are evidently suffering from TikTok brain rot. This should have become clear with the recent bouts of hysteria accompanying the Lindsay Clancy trial, the Cornell Seven case, or a joke about women’s gym clothes, in which masses of people flew into a senseless rage and adopted positions that contradicted all available evidence — all because influencers online pressured them into these stances with an unceasing stream of short video content. No doubt, something similar happened in this last election. Although voters could cite many actual reasons for voting for Democrats — high gas prices, an unpopular war in Iran, feckless Republican leadership — most of them likely succumbed to the constant bombardment of videos normalizing socialism and Islamism, anti-Trump conspiracy theories, and empty slogans about free health care and affordability. While pundits and commentators were debating foreign and domestic policies, most Americans ignored them and passively consumed uninformed propaganda from influencers masterfully stimulating their dopamine receptors. Hence, the successful campaigns were the ones that effectively tapped into this energy. They realized that many voters, even older ones, no longer listen to speeches or read articles about politics. In truth, they hardly think about these issues in the abstract, but increasingly respond to vibes. Habitual doomscrolling has conditioned them to feel, not think, that voting for Republicans was wrong — or, as they would put it, the GOP gave them the “ick.” A Post-Literate Society According to columnist James Marriott in his new book The New Dark Ages: The Death of Reading and the Dawn of the Post-Literate Society, this situation has been in the works for decades now. While Americans and most Western nations enjoyed highly literate populations with vibrant civic cultures for close to three centuries, this has since come to an end. The practice of reading, and by extension thinking, drastically diminished as the rise of screens monopolized everyone’s leisure. As a result, instead of reading, cultivating friendships, going on dates, volunteering, spending time with family or even forming families, people would just watch television. Naturally, this dumbed down public discourse, atomized households, and gradually eroded people’s ability to detach themselves from issues and think critically. Emotion replaced reason, forcing institutions to adapt or die. Obviously, these problems have become even worse with the invention of the smartphone and emergence of the attention economy. Now, there is no escape from the screen, and every waking minute is spent on addictive digital content. People are influenced, not persuaded. They watch and consume; they don’t read and think. This is why reading rates are plummeting everywhere and most of the younger generations are turning out less intelligent. Political Parties’ Differing Approaches In such an environment, it only makes sense that the people who know how to use TikTok and Instagram will prevail, even if they are incompetent radicals with no relevant experience. Although Marriott, a secular leftist, believes this evolution (or devolution) has mainly favored right-wing leaders like Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele, most conservative politicians are still reliant on older media and loyal voters who still have some capacity to reason. They believed that pointing out the flaws of the left would be enough for these reasonable people to vote for them. Meanwhile, Democrats made no such assumption and fielded younger, cooler, more photogenic candidates equipped with the proper vibes. Sure, they held radical views, lied constantly, and hardly bothered with any proposed solutions to the challenges Americans were facing (aside from boycotting Israel and defunding ICE), but they seemed like fun, nonthreatening people. They would rizz their way to making life better for everyone, and it was imperative for people to join the rest of the herd and go vote for them. Not that any of this excuses the avoidable mistakes made by Trump and the GOP, but it should at least put these mistakes in perspective. Even if these mistakes had not happened, it is still quite likely that Democrats would win in most of the midterm races, especially if people were basing their votes on their feelings. Lessons for the GOP Either way, the Republicans and the conservative movement need to learn from this election if they hope to win in the future. In the short term, this means mastering new media and fronting candidates who know how to use it. Trump won in 2024 because he and his supporters knew how to go viral and reach the lizard brain of voters. As social critic Marshall McLuhan memorably said, “The medium is the message.” Trump relied on simple messaging, humor, and relatability that could translate to short videos and memes that would galvanize voters. He was interesting and iconic. Many of the left felt like he was cheating because he was so good at it. No one would say the same about GOP candidates Mike Rogers, Susan Collins, Ken Paxton, or Greg Abbott. All of them were subdued, conventional, and, well, boring. Even if they were far more qualified than their opponents, they could not hold anyone’s attention, which is fatal in today’s political arena. For the foreseeable future, Republicans need to imitate the Democrats and start seeing themselves more like influencers than as statesmen. It’s no longer feasible to rely on one’s record, even a good one, to win over voters. One must build a brand and inspire action. Once this is established, they can then distinguish themselves from Democrats by also being principled and sane — Vice President JD Vance and Rep. Brandon Gill are both helpful models in this regard. In the long term, conservatives need to respond to the literacy crisis and promote the intellectual life. Vacuous platforms like TikTok should only be used as a means to bring in converts, while those who are already conservative should ultimately leave these platforms and become readers. This will help all conservatives have a deeper appreciation for their values, build up their communities, and adopt better habits and live fuller lives. They can let the left waste their time scrolling and making themselves miserable. Even after suffering a brutal defeat in the midterms, there is still a way forward for conservatives and thus good reason to be hopeful. While some soul-searching is certainly appropriate right now, it is also important to realize that most Americans are not so introspective. They will grow bored of this newest crop of politicians too, and this will present a great opportunity for more patient and better-read conservatives if they are ready to capitalize on it. Auguste Meyrat is an English teacher and freelance writer in the Dallas area. He is the founding editor of The Everyman, a senior contributor to The Federalist, and has written for essays for The American Mind, The Stream, Religion and Liberty, The Blaze, and elsewhere. He is also the host of "The Everyman Commentary Podcast." Follow him on X. 2026 electionBooksDemocratsGOPinfluencersJames MarriottliteracypoliticiansReadingRepublicanssocial mediaTikTok