Politics Is (Still) Downstream from Culture
By Caroline Downey
The day after the “red ripple” midterm election, Christian Walker railed against Republicans on his Instagram.
“So yesterday Gen-Z, my generation, is part of the reason why there was no red wave. They showed up, voted 63 percent for the Democrats, and ended the red wave. You want to know why? Because of culture,” the Instagram influencer and son of Georgia senate candidate Herschel Walker declared with indignation. “Something the GOP SUCKS at.”
People over the age of 40 voted for Republicans by seven points on Tuesday. Fifty to 64-year-olds voted for them by nine points. And the GOP won by 12 points among people over the age of 65. However, Democrats dominated among the 18-29 and 30-44 age groups at the ballot box, according to a CNN National House Exit Poll, stopping the Republican sweep in its tracks.
While typically theatrical, Walker’s words were an indictment of the Republican party and its failed outreach to young people. For years, the GOP has been aloof to Gen-Z as a voting demographic, banking on the boomers to deliver their wins each Election Day.
Leading up to Tuesday, the GOP hammered Democrats on policy failures like sky-high inflation and rampant crime. Right-wing outlets like Fox News aired interviews of middle-aged Americans complaining about rising costs, but younger voters weren’t asked to weigh in.
David Hogg, the anti-gun activist who rose to prominence after the Parkland shooting, snarked on Twitter, “Millennials and Gen Z made the red wave a red ripple. You’re welcome.”
Young people, unmarried, childless, subsidized by their parents, without major responsibilities, don’t feel the economic urgency of towering inflation and plummeting 401ks. This delayed adulthood has left Gen-Z with little stake in society.
Kids used to hold part-time jobs to learn financial independence and the value of work. People used to get married and have children in their early 20s. Today, they’re bar-hopping and racking up body counts instead of committing to one person. Today, young women work for soulless corporations that offer egg-freezing and paid travel for abortion, rather than generous maternity care, to extend the shelf life of their labor.
Gen-Z is not cooking or acquiring family-oriented skills; they’re ordering Postmates and calling Ubers. They’re not speaking at school board meetings; they’re sounding the alarm on the so-called climate emergency and the fate of abortion. They didn’t have a vendetta against politicians who closed their kids’ schools for two years, causing crippling learning loss. They don’t have kids. They worked from home, glued themselves to TikTok, and paid no mind to the societal collateral damage happening outside their windows.
Nihilism and narcissism pervade our culture, glorifying the worship of self-identity and self-affirmation. It’s no wonder Democratic credos of convenience and identity consciousness are dangerously attractive to Gen-Z. The Democrats' hysterics over threats to “democracy” are not unfounded to them. Between TV shows, Youtube, and movies, the vast majority of content young people consume reaffirms progressivism. When it comes to culture, the GOP is asleep at the wheel.
Since former president Trump’s rise, organizations like Turning Point USA have boasted that they are evangelizing conservatism to Gen-Z. Pundits and right-wing meme account owners take the stage at conferences multiple times a year, rallying young audiences of a few thousand. But outside those echo chambers, Gen-Z doesn’t recognize those influencers as thought leaders or icons. There are exceptions, like the Daily Wire’s Jordan Peterson, who has revived some respect for gender roles and traditionalism.
Overall, our movement has failed to capture the increasingly morally bankrupt culture.
“Tuesday was the first major test on Gen Z’s electoral impact, and Republicans failed miserably,” GOP New Hampshire senate candidate Karoline Leavitt lamented.
“#GenZ is growing daily AND moving further Left - this will continue to be a colossal challenge for our party if we don’t change young hearts & minds.”
Conservatism will always be harder to sell. It challenges people to live for others and their communities. Our culture emphasizes neither. Abortion may be reprehensible to the religious and some Republicans, but to young people it’s the modern luxury that ensures their flexible lifestyle. While social spending is sinking America, it’s dishing out free money. In the words of the late Rush Limbaugh, “It’s very difficult to defeat Santa Claus.” Colorado keeps getting bluer because, well, young people like their weed. Self-interest is king.
While our loss is depressing, it’s important to remember that despair is a sin. Counter-cultural ventures like The Conservateur are the best chance we have to combat the corruption in our society and reclaim Gen-Z for the Right. While the GOP could have improved its slate of candidates this cycle, it really needs to redeem the hardened hearts and lost souls of our young generation.
The wisdom of the late Andrew Breitbart still rings true: “Politics is downstream from culture.”
Caroline Downey is the Editor-in-Chief of The Conservateur and an education reporter at National Review. She can be found on Twitter @carolinedowney_.
