Andrew Breitbart famously said, “Politics is downstream from culture.” His insight is crucial here. The left’s dominance in the media, academia, and Hollywood has allowed them to shape cultural norms and define public discourse for decades, and conservatives haven’t been able to make a dent. But there are now signs that conservatives are finally making strides in the culture war.
In a recent interview with Semafor, Kamala Harris' deputy campaign manager, Rob Flaherty, said that the Democratic Party is losing its dominance of culture as alternative media sources like podcasts are becoming more prominent.
“Campaigns, in many ways, are last-mile marketers that exist on terrain that is set by culture, and the institutions by which Democrats have historically had the ability to influence culture are losing relevance,” he told the outlet. “You don’t get a national eight-point shift to the right without losing hold of culture.”
This is a significant admission. While he may not have been talking about conservative counterculture specifically, the waning influence of the traditional media naturally provides conservatives with an opening to break through the left’s monopoly on popular culture and has a measurable impact on the national discourse.
If this trend holds, it’s a great sign that conservative values, which the elite establishment long disregarded, may finally be taking root in the broader culture.
Flaherty acknowledges that the traditional institutions that once served as the left’s cultural apparatus are losing influence. People are turning to alternative sources of information, like podcasts, which have become powerful platforms for the right. These spaces allow for more open discussions and uncensored opinions, giving conservatives an opportunity to bypass the gatekeepers of establishment media.
That’s a game-changer.
Flaherty’s concerns about the shift to the right in American culture are particularly telling when you consider the increasing influence of sports culture. He pointed out how the right has successfully integrated itself into the sports world, making it difficult for Democrats to continue their cultural dominance.
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“That’s not to say Steph Curry and Steve Kerr and LeBron [James] and all them coming out wasn’t impactful or important,” Flaherty said. “It was more impactful because it had gotten so much harder. But certainly the culture that has been associated with heavy sports-watching has become associated with right-wing culture in a way that makes it harder for us to reach people.”
This is especially evident in the Harris campaign’s struggles to book interviews with sports podcasts. What once seemed like neutral ground is now a space where right-wing values resonate more strongly, reflecting a broader cultural shift that could have huge implications.
Flaherty’s comments serve as a reminder of how far things have come for the right. While the left has long controlled the cultural levers of power, it is now on the defensive. This is a critical moment. As conservatives continue to expand their cultural footprint and break through the old media strongholds, we have to take advantage of this moment to use our influence on culture to impact the political landscape in our country far beyond the 2024 presidential election.
