Antrim: I think that if you look at your media appetite and you think about the election, there’s a whole side of things that you just never got. Like, this idea that Trump is down-the-middle… If you were reading The New York Times the last few weeks, it seems like Trump was deranged and about to collapse on stage.
Malle: Well, let me tell you, my mother is a faithful New York Post reader, and any time I’m over there, I’m astounded at how normalizing it is of Trump.
Antrim: What is your thinking about a media appetite, Jack? What is the way to be an informed person now?
Schlossberg: I don’t know that I’m the archetype of a responsible media consumer, but I will say that a story from this election that is undoubtedly true and going to shape politics going forward, is how social media is now central to political campaigns and I saw that firsthand. Whenever we would go to a governor in Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Pennsylvania—senators, too—they all have these little production companies, or like two 25-year-olds who just like crank out videos and they don’t do traditional media as much anymore. Or they do a podcast, like Joe Rogan, which is not how it used to be.
So, I don’t know where traditional media goes from here. No one that I know watches cable news. You have to make social media videos or they’ll be watching something else.
Malle: Abortion was a major issue going into this election, it was very much top-of-ballot for a lot of people. What happened?
Schlossberg: I think that reproductive rights were extremely motivating during the midterm elections, but during the presidential election, it seemed to be less of a concern and factor in voting preferences. So that’s a big surprise, actually. I think the Harris campaign, to their credit, said, okay, democracy and reproductive rights are the things that we’re gonna hammer. But I think, obviously, a different message resonated this time.
Malle: Ok, what were a few bright spots for Democrats?
Antrim: I mean, I think about North Carolina where Josh Stein beat Mark Robinson.
Schlossberg: Senator Tammy Baldwin held onto her seat in Wisconsin. That’s great. I’m very excited about that. Hopefully, Laura Gillen in New York, in Nassau County, will win.