CNN: The World of Political Influencers

I opened my phone this morning to see my own name as the first two words in a CNN article about political influencers.

Whether you like it or not, creators are becoming pivotal to political messaging. Let’s look at the stats.

- Nearly 50 million Gen Z Americans will be eligible to vote this November.
- 71% of young adults get their news from social media daily.
- 41% of Gen Z turn to social platforms first when looking for information, ahead of traditional search engines at 32%.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating for the campaigns, the firms, and the consultants still turning a blind eye to creators: just because you find the battlefield undignified doesn't mean you get to opt out of the war.

The people who are winning right now understand something the old guard hasn't caught up to. This isn't a scripted ad buy. It's an independent media ecosystem with its own audiences, its own trust, and its own rules… and if you're not building real relationships with the people operating in it, you are ceding ground to whoever will.

Also, let’s talk money. We have confirmed Russian funding flowing into right-leaning influencer networks. Not only is it a national security problem, it’s a wake up call to the left. The answer isn't to retreat from influencer strategy because it feels messy or beneath the work. The answer is to INVEST, structurally, in credible, homegrown voices on the left before that vacuum gets filled by someone with worse intentions.

Sure, you can sit this one out and keep lighting money on fire with a 10th radio ad buy. But the war doesn't wait for anyone's dignity to catch up.