Red Bull, Elon Musk, and Matt Gaetz: Politics and the attention economy.

[eilen]

Article

A lot of people have goofed on Matt Gaetz for this statement: “If you aren’t making news, you aren’t governing.”

But he’s right. Or at least, right in his conclusion that Republican party politics now behave according to attention economics.

Does it matter to his future political prospects that Matt Gaetz doesn’t advance legislation? Does it matter that Madison Cawthorn staffed up his office with comms people? Does it matter that Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn’t have committee assignments?

Well, these quirks would matter in a system where legislative accomplishments influenced voter behavior. But the preponderance of evidence suggests that Republican voters don’t care about tangible government outcomes.

Read the whole thing. This explains the entire Trump voter Qanon mystery. I think knowing this calls for changing Democratic approach in some races and additionally, the way media is being used.... or at least media centers decision making and can change the way we decide to use social media.

[brer cat]

1. That's an interesting, but very sad read. nt

[andym]

2. PT Barnum understood the new attention economy before it existed in its modern form

He might have been the first trillionaire if he lived in our times, or President for life.