That actually proves my point about social media helping them. They're smart guys, there's no denying that. I know people on the left hate Shapiro, Walsh, and Knowles, but they're not simpletons, they're pretty skilled in the art of debate.
Are they though? I don't pretend to be able to poke holes in everything they say....but I don't see a lot of strong arguments.
But as you mentioned, people are not aware of anyone willing to engage them or who can stand toe to toe with them in a debate. That actually has happened at events like PolitiCon and on a few occasions, on some televised interviews. The ones where they're "owning the libs" are the ones that go viral on social media. The ones where it's a pretty even match against someone like Chris Hahn or Hassan Piker
I don't know Chris Hahn....but I would be shocked see Piker actually do well in debate. I've never seen it and I've seen a fair bit of his content. I'm curious about what the topic was....because certain things never get debated....though they take priority as left wing issues.
get largely ignored (because there's no benefit in right leaning folks posting videos of "Chris Hahn stumps Michael Knowles")
Again....haven't heard of Chris Hahn. Since you brought him up twice, I looked at the first video of him and Knowles. They weren't debating, but they were arguing about DeSantis, Disney, Don't Say Gay, etc. Hahn had exactly 1 substantive point....that deceiving Democratic voters is good because it doesn't matter what means are used towards Democratic Party ends. I'm dead serious....that was the basis of his only argument. He gave a dismissive opinion of Disney regulation, and then proceeded with a very mild but predictable personal attack on Knowles for opposing anything gay people want to do.
I don't know what sort of things were discussed at Politicon....but good grief.
Cenk Uygur (while I'm certainly not his number 1 fan, and don't agree with him on a lot) gleefully debates these types of guys on the right.
You're correct....I actually forgot about Cenk. He typically also defaults to emotional appeals, personal attacks, and trying to speak over his opponent. Generally....it's nothing to hold in regard. I think I've seen him score a point or two before....but he's generally awful.
He's done formal debates against Ben Shapiro, Dinesh D'souza, Tucker Carlson, Charlie Kirk, etc... Those don't get social media buzz (or if they do, it's 20 second clips of the instances where his opponents are getting the upper hand)
Well is there a debate he's ever done well in? I've watched at least one full debate of his...and he's terrible.
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The DailyWire has been able to build an entire brand (and a quite successful one) thanks to conservative leaning social media.
Again, I think you're misattributing their success as something other than the failure of guys like Cenk. If Cenk could pull 10 clips from a debate where he made his opponent look dumb....he would.
But that's not good exposure...I was using that as a comparison to how social media has shined a light on bad behavior by showing people acting the way they would if they think they're in a "safe place"
Aka....what they actually think.
So much like a cop may be willing to bend the rules when they think they're around people who won't publicize that fact to a wider audience (but viral cell phone videos change that), LibsOfTikTok shows the kinds of things far left progressives say and do when they think they're in the safe place of a far-left echo chamber.
Well that may be....obviously I don't know if they're dumb enough to think TikTok is a far left echo chamber.
You're sort of making my point for me though....if showing the left at its most honest is negative coverage, then you can understand why they struggle in a debate.
Charlie Kirk....somehow able to brush off college students like lice.....lost a debate with actual white supremacists. These political talking heads on the right aren't exactly dumb....but how do you lose to actual white supremacists.
I'll put it to you like this....I've found one debate on the merits of CRT. 1. It's super short about 10 minutes. It's a grad school critical gender studies finishing his masters (I think) vs a girl with a bachelors in biology I think.
That's weird when you consider that this theory is basically taking over social sciences and social issues on the political left. They can't stand up to Charlie Kirk? Groypers can beat Charlie Kirk in a debate. I'm not calling these people stupid....but they're a far cry from being able to form strong arguments.