Waiting For Joe Is Like Waiting For Godot

Why a Podcast Won’t Save Young Men from MAGA...And What Will

If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you’ve probably heard the growing chorus of pundits and political strategists wringing their hands over one thing: Democrats are losing young men.

“American young men are turning right” scream the headlines.

There are many theories: YouTube rabbit holes, algorithm-fueled radicalization, the so-called “male loneliness epidemic,” and the rise of the “podcast bro.”

And so, many political consultants have landed on what they believe is the fix:

We need a Joe Rogan For Democrats!

I am here to tell you that searching for a “Joe Rogan for Democrats” is like waiting for Godot.

It’s nearly impossible to fight a cultural zeitgeist, especially with a carefully curated knockoff. Young men are shifting right for deeply layered economic and societal reasons. And one major reason is this: As women and marginalized groups have gained more access to power, opportunity, and visibility, some men—particularly white men—feel like they’re losing something.

(By the way: I highly recommend everyone read: The Sum Of Us: What Racism Costs All Of Us And How Can We Prosper Together by Heather McGhee)

Not long ago, being a man (especially a white one) was enough to get you in the room.

Now, there’s backlash. We see it in the romanticization of “tradwives,” the cries to return to “traditional values,” the Trump Administration’s proposal that the government pay a $5000 baby bonus to incentive childbirth, and a MAGA movement steeped in nostalgic white supremacist patriarchy.very much appeals to this.

How do we stop this drift? Definitely not with ANOTHER podcast. We need a cultural shift.

Let’s start with all the screens: iPad kids become algorithm-addicted adults. When we completely outsource parenting to devices, we train kids to be passive consumers instead of curious, critical thinkers. We also get them addicted to screens. We also deprive kids of crucial socialization skills that help build and develop empathy.

Then there’s the classroom. If we keep treating teaching like glorified babysitting—underpaid, undervalued, and overburdened—we’ll keep losing the very people who could actually inspire and support the next generation..

We need to revamp our entire approach to K-12 education: ditch the standardized test obsession and replace it with project-based learning that actually prepares students to think, analyze, and think critically. (I will write more about this in my next post.)

So, in summary:

The antidote to MAGA isn’t a mic.

It’s a movement.

And it starts with each one of us.

Note: I appreciate all your support and it would mean so much to me if you shared my Substack with all your friends:

and ask them to