Why Attempting a Left-Wing Joe Rogan Equivalent May Miss the Mark

In the aftermath of the November elections, a recurring idea among Democrats is to develop a "liberal Joe Rogan" or establish a network of left-leaning podcasters to counterbalance the influential right-wing podcast scene.

This desire is not rooted in admiration for Joe Rogan himself—whose controversial remarks on transgender issues and race alienated many liberals, especially after Senator Bernie Sanders accepted his unexpected endorsement in the 2020 presidential race. By 2024, Kamala Harris distanced herself from Rogan, who instead endorsed Donald Trump. What Democrats seek is the level of influence Rogan commands, amplified further by a new wave of male podcasters he has supported, now rivaling his reach. In response, several prominent liberal organizations have launched initiatives, including a for-profit startup aiming to raise $70 million to support online influencers, and others linked to former tech executives.

However, these strategies are likely to falter due to a fundamental misreading of the nature of these podcasts and the reasons behind their popularity.

Two decades ago, Andrew Breitbart famously stated that "politics is downstream from culture." Today, that dynamic has evolved: culture itself has become politics. The rise of podcasters—often dubbed "bro-casters"—exemplifies this shift.

Like Rogan, comedians such as Andrew Schulz, Tim Dillon, and Theo Von have built their followings through humor rather than political expertise. They lack a clear political agenda or detailed policy insight. Illustrating this, Schulz and Von recently expressed surprise upon learning that 27 million Soviets died in World War II, a fact they found astonishing and rarely discussed.

Therefore, attempts to manufacture a left-wing counterpart to these bro-casters—crafting spokespeople who vocally champion liberal causes—are unlikely to succeed, as these personalities resonate precisely because they are not spokespeople for any particular ideology.