📣 Stop Trying to Make a Liberal Joe Rogan Happen

I’m begging Democrats: stop trying to make a liberal Joe Rogan happen.

There’s a New York Times piece going around about how Democratic funders are entertaining pitches to create a mythical, left-wing version of Rogan. And honestly, it perfectly captures how badly large parts of the party are missing the moment.

There isn’t a liberal Joe Rogan. There isn’t a conservative Joe Rogan. There isn’t going to be any clone—because there’s only one Joe Rogan.

He’s an entertainer. Sure, a lot of what he says leans right—but plenty of it leans left, too. He talks about universal health care, the drug war, and government corruption. He’s even called out Trump for illegal deportations. He’s not pushing a party line—he’s just talking to people and having interesting conversations. That’s why the show works. That’s why people trust him (whether or not they should is a whole other question).

And the wildest part? Most of the people trying to “counter” him haven’t even watched a single episode.

That’s the real problem. Democrats sat out huge parts of the media ecosystem in the last election. We avoided Fox News. We ignored podcasts. We ghosted YouTube. We played it safe. No risk, no edge. We were too afraid of our own shadow.

I’ve said it before: Kamala Harris should’ve gone on Joe Rogan. That audience mattered—it still does—and could’ve made a meaningful difference. Instead, Donald Trump went on Joe Rogan. He went on Theo Von. And we had no answer for it. The Harris campaign missed the mark. So did most top Democrats. Sure, Pete Buttigieg and Mark Cuban stepped up—but for every one of them, Republicans had twenty.

By the way, Trump messed up by not going on shows like Call Her Daddy. He left votes on the table with people who are pissed off at us, because he insulated himself with friendlier media—the only difference is he didn’t need the votes as badly as we did.

That all said, if you’re a Democratic donor reading this, here’s how I’d spend your money instead:

1. Stop Looking for a Liberal Joe Rogan

Invest in hundreds of personalities. Think like a VC.

Back 100+ people—political and non-political—from all kinds of backgrounds. Most will fail or say something that makes you uncomfortable, and eventually a few will break through.

We don’t need a mirror image of Rogan. We need authentic voices who move culture, not just politics.

2. Build Permanent Organizing Infrastructure

Stop launching last-minute organizing efforts two weeks before an election. Build real, long-term power in Black, Hispanic, Asian—and yes, White and rural—communities.

That means hiring people from those communities. People who live there, know the ground, and can build trust and influence that moves votes.

Drop the parachute approach. It doesn’t work.

3. Register the Hell Out of Some Voters

Let’s just say it: we need to spend a shit ton of money registering voters in these communities.

Republicans beat us in key races last year because they invested in voter reg and tapped into the rage people were feeling toward Joe Biden.

Let’s find the people who are pissed off about what Trump and J.D. Vance are doing to this country—and get them to the damn polls.

We’re not losing because we don’t have our own Joe Rogan. We’re losing because we keep thinking that’s the answer. It’s not.

The answer is long-term investment, real community organizing, backing voices who actually reflect the country we’re trying to win, and, yes, engaging with personalities like Joe Rogan so we can reach their audiences about how we’re going to help them.

That’s the play. Everything else is just expensive, feel-good nonsense.