With just a week left before Election Day, I finally gave in and turned on CNN’s election coverage—a move I had largely resisted since Vice President Kamala Harris launched her presidential campaign. As I watched, I was startled to see Charlamagne Tha God, host of The Breakfast Club, discussing the election alongside Anderson Cooper and political commentator Angela Rye. They analyzed Charlamagne’s recent sit-down with Vice President Harris, a conversation that somehow became a key moment in the election cycle.
I grabbed my phone and tweeted:
“Why is Charlamagne Tha God on @CNN giving political commentary? Was Ja Rule not available?”For those familiar, this was an inside joke referencing Dave Chappelle’s For What It’s Worth (2004), where he mocked MTV for asking rapper Ja Rule about 9/11, pointing out the absurdity of relying on entertainers for serious political analysis. Nearly two decades later, that satire became reality.
Charlamagne, Joe Rogan, and other celebrity influencers shaped political discourse in ways that overshadowed substantive policy debates. What did it say about our democracy when celebrity commentary was as significant as—or even more influential than—actual policymaking?
The Power of Celebrity Influence Over Substance
In modern politics, style eclipsed substance. Democrats and Republicans alike relied on celebrity endorsements and viral moments rather than detailed policy proposals. John Legend pushed vaccines, Kerry Washington channeled Olivia Pope at the Democratic convention, and Beyoncé delivered impassioned speeches for Vice President Harris. Meanwhile, former President Obama rapped Lose Yourself onstage with Eminem, and Taylor Swift’s endorsement provoked a meltdown from Trump.
However, notably absent from these moments was any substantive discussion of issues that impacted voters’ lives. Vice President Harris faced criticism for her lack of a clear progressive stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, yet the focus remained on her celebrity supporters rather than her policies. Democrats leaned into star power to energize their base, yet polls stayed tight in key battleground states.
Trump: The OG Celebrity Politician
Donald Trump’s rise to power fused celebrity and politics. Name-dropped in rap songs for decades, he parlayed his reality TV persona into the presidency, proving that in the modern era, political acumen took a backseat to branding. Democrats attempted to counter him using a similar strategy, stacking their rallies with A-list endorsements, but this approach missed a critical point—Trump was the show. His celebrity wasn’t just a tool; it was the foundation of his appeal. Fighting fire with fire only reinforced the shift away from substance.
The Real Issue: What Was at Stake?
While media narratives focused on Black male voters’ supposed “mass exodus” from the Democratic Party, the real threat to democracy lay elsewhere: a coordinated right-wing strategy of voter suppression, gerrymandering, and political delegitimization. Trump rallies energized his base with conspiracy theories, ballot drop boxes were targeted for destruction, and progressive policies remained stalled in gridlock.
If Democrats wanted to win, they needed to offer more than viral moments and celebrity endorsements. Where did they stand on Palestine? How did they address the housing crisis that made homeownership unattainable for millennials and Gen Z? Did they fulfill their promise to cancel student loan debt?
But they didn’t. And in the end, when it was all said and done, politics remained what it had become—entertainment. The moment passed, the election ended, and we were left with the same lingering question: Where’s Ja?
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