By Tasnim Oyshi
Staff Writer
With the New Jersey gubernatorial election and the New York City mayoral election coming up on Nov. 4, you might have seen clips on TikTok or Instagram from debates or even political advertisements that criticize specific candidates. Whether it’s Zohran Mamdani being questioned about legally purchasing marijuana or the “High Tax Jack” ads, my feed has been filled with memes, ads and edited clips from the campaigns for the past few days.
This was the case in 2024 as well during the presidential election season. It seems that over the years, political campaigns have become more and more of an online event. With the widespread access to phones and online platforms, this is not necessarily a surprise. However, combining social media with political campaigns appears to have brought on a new kind of attention to them.
While there are still people who feel passionate about elections and take them rather seriously (as they should), recent campaigns have taken on more of a humorous tone in online environments. This is most clear in the NYC mayoral race, with candidates having been the inspiration for viral moments, such as Mamdani’s rapping about his grandmother or Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa’s criticisms of Democrat Andrew Cuomo.
It is not just voters who have contributed to the meme-ification of politics nowadays. Elections have always been about making one candidate look more desirable than the others. This may be why many politicians seem to have taken a more relatable approach to promote themselves.
Mamdani, in particular, has been very successful in utilizing TikTok to talk about the issues he wants to address as mayor and being interviewed by influencers on the app, such as Kareem Rahma from the series SubwayTakes. Sliwa has also been known for being blunt about his opinions on Cuomo and his passion for the city. His signature red hat and ownership of several cats has also made him a recognizable figure in the election.
This can be a good way for candidates to familiarize voters with their policies and gain new supporters. It is not dissimilar to doing interviews with news stations. It just so happens to be a less serious method, which can be helpful in getting the attention of younger voters who appreciate the casual and transparent tone recent candidates seem to be using.
There is the concern, however, of whether or not politics intertwining with online culture will come with consequences. For one, it could make people take the elections less seriously if all they see online is memes of the candidates rather than their actual views and policies. Candidates being vague about their policies is not a new critique but focusing on showing voters a relatable personality can take more focus away from the actual issues at hand.
Of course, there will also most likely be people who vote based on how funny they think a candidate is, instead of looking at their actual opinions. This seems to already be happening with Sliwa, who has gained a substantial amount of online fame after clips of him from the mayoral debates have gone viral.
Although it is true that Sliwa’s comments are appealing to the humor of Gen Z and his attitude and love for New York is respectable, he is still a politician first. While many comments online understand that and joke about him becoming a “court jester” or “getting a TV show,” there are certain people who have begun to want him as the new mayor of New York solely because they find his phrase “slapping fannies and killing grannies” funny.
Politicians understand that being personable, while it might not be the deciding trait, is an important factor in gaining support and ultimately, winning the race. This allows for people online to build a one-sided and rather parasocial relationship with them. I’ve seen reels on Instagram that talk about how “babygirl” Sliwa or Mamdani are and though this can be entertaining, it can contribute to erasing the line between politician and a regular celebrity.
Ultimately, politicians are not influencers. Therefore, they should not be held to the same standards that one might typically expect of an influencer or celebrity. We need to see politicians for who they are: people with positions in government. It is significant to our everyday lives and the lives of those around us that we do proper research and understand the people we choose to vote for. We can have our fun watching electoral candidates insult each other or make funny comments, but we should not forget that these politicians have real power that can affect us all.
