The pace of change became so rapid at one point that we barely had time to stop and think about what was happening. Had we tried to do so, we might have already fallen behind the change itself. So we simply chose not to think about it.
When the media began its transition to digital platforms in the late 2000s, many people recognised that this was the future of traditional media. What few expected was how quickly that future would arrive. Social media played a major role, but it was not the only factor. After all, The Huffington Post was founded before Twitter. If we are to credit anyone for this transformation, perhaps the credit should go to Al Gore rather than Jack Dorsey.
Yet the speed of the transition from traditional to digital media pales in comparison with the speed at which political influencers emerged from the simple act of talking about politics on social media.
One of the most prominent examples today is Hasan Piker, a Turkish-American living in the United States. He has reached a level of popularity that puts him in the same conversation as Tucker Carlson — despite Carlson having spent decades building the experience and platform that brought him there.
Piker, however, is merely the latest bestseller of the day. He is a shallow thinker, albeit a fairly effective demagogue. In many ways, he represents a peculiar form of self-help charlatanism: a demonstration of just how famous politics can make you if you learn how to talk about it.
And now, this man is also “speaking” to us from within mainstream media and political organisations.
According to Piker, Democrats should not care about the political centre. In his view, their failure to do so is what has caused them to lose twice to Donald Trump. Apparently, the small detail that Trump defeated Kamala Harris — arguably the weakest presidential candidate the Democrats had put forward since Michael Dukakis — does not matter. Before that, he defeated Hillary Clinton, whose political universe had become increasingly confined to university campuses and whose political instincts belonged to the early 1990s.
Piker’s extraordinary lack of foresight does not end there. Almost everything he says is of a quality that can be crumpled up and tossed into the nearest bin like a failed basketball shot.
His support for Hamas, his comments about 9/11 and his praise of China are among the other subjects that have already secured their place in the internet’s collective memory.
Above all, Piker is neither an analyst nor an activist. He is an influencer — essentially the political version of those Instagram celebrities who tell you that playing padel is cool, that you should take selfies in front of “Tourists Go Home” signs, read Yellowface or A Little Life, watch Heartstopper and laugh at Amy Schumer, while you can never quite figure out what their actual profession is.
He is what happens when that type of celebrity decides to play politics.
And he will probably remain part of our lives until people eventually get bored of him. There is a good chance that we will continue to see him after the 2028 election — perhaps in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, standing alongside Bernie Sanders or supporting a potential AOC presidential campaign — until, eventually, the political world moves on.
I am not making a definitive prediction. I have been around politics long enough, from Brexit to numerous elections in Turkey, to know that Piker could very well end up on the winning side.
But if Democrats lose the 2028 election despite their considerable demographic advantages, the political influencers led by figures like Piker could be one of the biggest reasons why. Not Elon Musk or Donald Trump standing behind JD Vance, but the influencers who have helped shape how an entire generation understands politics.
For people like Piker, politics is a computer game. They have built networks extensive enough to ensure that they will never be unemployed or face serious financial difficulties. At the end of the day, losing an election is unlikely to mean more to them than having their “good mood spoiled”.
But if figures such as Vance or Rubio win, the political agendas they represent could permanently — and profoundly, in the worst possible sense — change people’s lives, particularly across Europe.
As a Turkish person, I am more than familiar with the damage political influencers can cause.
I hope Americans do not have to learn that lesson the hard way.
Be First to Comment