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Oliver Buchannon
Kyle Tharp
The Texas Senate race through the eyes of a mega-influencer

Mar 3, 2026

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11 min read

The Texas Senate race through the eyes of a mega-influencer

Carlos Eduardo Espina, a popular Spanish-speaking social media creator, has boosted Texas Senate candidate James Talarico for months.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
The State of the Union split screen

Feb 24, 2026

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9 min read

The State of the Union split screen

As Donald Trump delivers his annual address to Congress, Democrats are eager to direct Americans’ attention to anywhere else...including Robert de Niro?

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Josh Shapiro, Influencer Governor
LockSimple

Feb 18, 2026

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11 min read

Josh Shapiro, Influencer Governor

The Democratic rising star and potential 2028 candidate has given digital creators white-glove outreach for years. It’s paying off.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Can populist candidates save the Democratic Party?

Feb 10, 2026

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17 min read

Can populist candidates save the Democratic Party?

A Q&A with Tommy McDonald of Fight Agency on a growing slate of anti-establishment populist candidates running in the midterms.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Behind the scenes of the @KamalaHQ rebrand
LockSimple

Feb 5, 2026

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6 min read

Behind the scenes of the @KamalaHQ rebrand

Democrats are rebranding the viral account as “Headquarters” and will use it to blast out original progressive political content ahead of the midterms

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
The rise of the "Lemon Head"

Feb 3, 2026

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11 min read

The rise of the "Lemon Head"

How the former CNN anchor assembled an independent media brand that now sits at the center of his feud with the Trump administration

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Top conservative influencers cheer Greenland takeover

Jan 20, 2026

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13 min read

Top conservative influencers cheer Greenland takeover

As Trump considers blowing up the post-WWII order, right-wing voices online are his biggest cheerleaders, citing “manifest destiny.”

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Meet liberals’ right-wing media listening club

Jan 14, 2026

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11 min read

Meet liberals’ right-wing media listening club

Hundreds of progressives have been gathering twice monthly for “Unfortunately Not A Sound Bath,” a virtual club to better understand right-wing media dynamics

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Nonprofit funding flooded right-wing media in 2024

Jan 6, 2026

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10 min read

Nonprofit funding flooded right-wing media in 2024

New data shows more than $260 million in 501(c)(3) charitable contributions flowed to conservative media projects in 2024.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
New data: The biggest political YouTube channels of 2025

Dec 29, 2025

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9 min read

New data: The biggest political YouTube channels of 2025

From Megyn Kelly to Meidas Touch, these are the channels where more Americans than ever watched political content on YouTube.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
What Dan Bongino lost

Dec 19, 2025

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9 min read

What Dan Bongino lost

The soon-to-be former deputy FBI chief gave up his online clout for a role in government. Can he build it back?

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
The year Democrats pivoted to audio

Dec 16, 2025

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14 min read

The year Democrats pivoted to audio

In 2025, the party’s rising stars and potential presidential candidates tried to talk their way out of the political wilderness, one podcast at a time.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
The biggest online political moments of 2025
LockSimple

Dec 9, 2025

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15 min read

The biggest online political moments of 2025

2025 has been an especially chaotic year in American politics. New data shows the topics that actually broke through online.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Liberal media’s big year online
LockSimple

Nov 25, 2025

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19 min read

Liberal media’s big year online

This year has seen Democratic operatives pitch donors on more than a dozen new efforts, while established left-of-center outlets grew faster than ever.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Can Democrats’ off-year winning streak extend to Tennessee?

Nov 17, 2025

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11 min read

Can Democrats’ off-year winning streak extend to Tennessee?

In the heart of MAGA media country, a low turnout special Congressional election is giving Democrats hope

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Gavin Newsom is having a very good year, online and off

Nov 12, 2025

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11 min read

Gavin Newsom is having a very good year, online and off

New data shows that for many Democrats, the ambitious California governor has become a rare source of momentum in a party still reeling from its 2024 defeat.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Bigger than 2017?

Nov 6, 2025

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13 min read

Bigger than 2017?

Eight years ago, thousands mobilized against Trump as part of a “resistance.” Democrats’ election wins in 2025 could be a far bigger deal.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
"The Groyper Squeeze"

Nov 4, 2025

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12 min read

"The Groyper Squeeze"

Election Day is here, and the conservative movement is fighting a Civil War.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Here’s exactly why Democrats lost in 2024*

Oct 30, 2025

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15 min read

Here’s exactly why Democrats lost in 2024*

Competing hundred-page post-mortems detail what went wrong for Democrats in 2024.

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
This popular election resource is funded by far-right donors. Does it matter?

Oct 22, 2025

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15 min read

This popular election resource is funded by far-right donors. Does it matter?

Since its founding, Ballotpedia has received tens of millions of dollars from the most powerful donors on the right. What’s their endgame?

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Youtube is eating cable news

Oct 15, 2025

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10 min read

Youtube is eating cable news

The video platform’s biggest political voices are increasingly appearing on TV as cable bookers look to reach younger audiences

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
New data: How politics shifted on YouTube last quarter

Oct 9, 2025

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2 min read

New data: How politics shifted on YouTube last quarter

These were the fastest-growing political YouTube channels in Q3

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Could Democrats actually lose New Jersey next month?

Oct 7, 2025

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12 min read

Could Democrats actually lose New Jersey next month?

In the Garden State’s gubernatorial race, a milquetoast moderate faces off against a MAGA rising star

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
How the emerging TikTok deal could scramble politics on the platform

Sep 30, 2025

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11 min read

How the emerging TikTok deal could scramble politics on the platform

Under new ownership, TikTok’s political landscape could be transformed in more ways than one

Kyle Tharp
Kyle Tharp
Opinion: The Right knows how to shape public opinion. When will Democrats catch up?

Sep 24, 2025

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7 min read

Opinion: The Right knows how to shape public opinion. When will Democrats catch up?

New polling from Priorities asked voters about Kimmel and free speech

Kyle Tharp
Danielle Butterfield
Kyle Tharp, +1
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A newsletter about politics, media, and online influence in Democracy’s chaotic era. Written by Kyle Tharp.


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