Culture Eats Strategy: 5 Digital Truths That Will Increase Voter Turnout in 2026
The “Digital Splash” Strategy Is Dead
Welcome to The Democratic Dilemma where we stop debating what needs to change and start building how to win.
This is Unfiltered Campaign Marketing for a New Generation — we demystify the how: winning in every district, defining real victory, building media that moves people (not algorithms), and developing leaders who ignite movements. Our mission? Floodlight the path forward. Justice doesn’t win elections, people do. We help you win real power, votes, volunteers, and small-dollar fuel on your terms, in your community.
🎙️ Join Mary Noone & Josh Stanley: Gen X Meets Gen Z — The Unlikely (But Brilliant) Power Duo
Think of us as the political equivalent of a 90s mixtape meeting a TikTok algorithm — we’re the odd couple who actually make the whole thing work. Mary’s has the playbook; Josh’s has the vibe. The future of politics isn’t about one generation leading the other, it’s about both showing up, bringing their best, and creating something that works for everyone.
Subscribe. Learn. Win. The future’s being built block by block —> by folks who refuse to ask permission.
Let’s get after it.
Here’s what Old Politics doesn’t want you to understand: the culture has already shifted. The question isn’t whether you’ll adapt—it’s whether you’ll adapt fast enough to win.
Last week, I sat down with Josh, a marketing expert and my partner in all things messaging - who’s watched consumer trends reshape every industry (including ours, whether we like it or not). What we covered should terrify you if you’re planning to run the same campaign your predecessor ran in 2024, in 2022 and in 2020. Because the voters who stayed home in 2024? 19 million of them. They didn’t vote for Trump. They didn’t vote for Harris. They stayed on their couch.
Our job isn’t to rant about it. It’s to get them from couch to polls. And that requires understanding five hard truths about how campaigns actually win in the digital age.
Takeaway #1: The GOP Owns the Digital Airwaves (And They’re Paying Top Dollar For It)
Here’s a story that should keep you up at night: During the 2024 election, influencer Maria Comstock was approached by both parties to create content. Same time commitment. Same production value.
The Democrats offered her $2,000.
The GOP offered her $36,000.
Let that sink in. The right understands the value of this space. They understand that narrative control isn’t something you outsource in the final six weeks—it’s something you build, own, and defend from day one.
As Josh put it: “There’s someone actively fighting against you.” When a voter has one great conversation with you at their door, then sees your opponent’s message seven times online, where do you think they land?
The fix: Stop treating digital like an afterthought. Start treating it like the battlefield it is.
Takeaway #2: The “Digital Splash” Strategy Is Dead (And It’s Been Dead Since 2022)
Old Politics tells candidates: Hold your money. Wait until the final six weeks. Then flood the zone with TV ads and digital spend.
This is wrong.
Here’s why: 2022 was the benchmark year where the curve was coming. In 2025 - the flip happened. For the first time in political history, 47% of people got their news and media from streaming services (Roku, Spotify, Hulu, Disney+). Broadcast TV fell to 18%. Cable fell to 22%.
And if you’re thinking, “But I’ll just target older voters on TV,” consider this: In Indiana,
➡️ Only 16% of 18-24 year olds showed up to the polls in 2022 and only 24% of 25-34 year olds.
➡️ 48% of 18-24 year olds and also 48% of 25-34 years olds showed up to the polls in 2024 ~ (Number of Voters as a Share of the Voter Population, by Age)
That’s the exact demographic we need to move from couch to polls. They’re not on broadcast TV. They’re on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook—76% of them get their news from social media.
The fix: Start early. Build awareness before you ask for votes. The funnel is real: Awareness → Action (email, follows) → Education → Volunteers → Voting. Skip the middle steps at your own peril.
Takeaway #3: Social Media Listening is a Gold Mine (And It’s Free)
Remember when campaigns used to send mail surveys and make phone calls to figure out what voters cared about? Josh’s take: “That was the 70s and 80s.”
Now, voters are telling you what they care about in Facebook groups, Next Door threads, and Reddit communities. They’re talking about utility bills, data centers, school boards, and dog parks. The data is there. You just have to listen.
The caveat: Don’t listen to one angry voice and assume it represents the whole room. Look for patterns. Look for what keeps coming up.
The fix: Before you write a single policy position, spend two weeks listening. Join the local mom’s group. Watch the Next Door conversations. What are people actually triggered by? That’s where your campaign starts.
Takeaway #4: Your Messaging Frame Is Your Campaign (Not Your Issues)
Here’s the mistake I see candidates make every cycle: They pivot from issue to issue, never letting anything penetrate. Voters don’t remember what you stood for because you didn’t stand for one thing long enough.
Look at Zohran Mamdani’s campaign. His frame wasn’t “democratic socialism.” It wasn’t even a list of 12 policy positions. It was affordability. Every issue—rent, buses, childcare, grocery stores, even halal food cart prices—filtered through that frame.
Josh put it perfectly: “The frame is not your issues. The frame is how you frame your issues.”
Think of it like a stained glass window. The light comes through one side as the sun, but it comes out the other side as purple. Your frame is the glass. Every issue that passes through it should come out the same color.
The fix: Before you launch, answer this: What’s the one thing voters will remember about you? If you can’t answer in one sentence, you’re not ready.
Takeaway #5: Organic Reach Makes Paid Media Sing (But You Have to Start Now)
Amanda Litman says the number one thing you should do if you ever want to run for office is start a social platform right now. Not when you file. Not when you announce. Now.
Here’s why: Organic reach takes time. The algorithm needs to learn who you are. Your audience needs to learn who you are. If you wait until three months before Election Day, you’re already behind.
But here’s the good news: You don’t need to be a content creator. You need to be a communicator. As Josh said: “Influencer is a great model for our politicians.” Not the Sephora sponsorship kind. The kind where you let your audience drive what you talk about, then communicate your values through that.
The fix: Pick your platforms based on your district’s demographics (not your personal preferences). Start posting. Start listening. Start building. The algorithm rewards consistency, not perfection.
The Bottom Line
Old Politics profits from your confusion. They want you to think you need permission slips, expensive consultants, and a six-figure budget to compete.
You don’t.
What you need is clarity on who you’re talking to, what they care about, and how you’re going to frame every conversation around that. The candidates who win in 2026 won’t be the ones with the most money. They’ll be the ones who understood that the digital space isn’t optional—it’s where elections are won or lost.
As I always say: It’s not about why you’re running. It’s about why voters should care.
🗣️ Build your frame. Start early. Own your narrative. And let’s get after it.
Want to see the full conversation? The recording dives deeper into each of these takeaways—including the redistricting fight in Indiana, how to build a Venn diagram of voter values, and why Cardi B’s approach to Instagram captions should inform your campaign messaging.
Subscribe. Learn. Win. The future isn’t waiting. It’s being built, block by block, by the people who refuse to ask for permission.
SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION!!
THURSDAY- MARCH 5 —> AT 1:00PM ET JOIN US
🔗 🔗 SIGN UP: https://thedemocraticdilemmapowerhour.me/VICTORIAHD55
🔗 BLUE INDIANA
