Ezra Klein Pinpoints The One Thing ‘Trumpist Republicans’ Have Found to Win Elections That’s More Important Than Money

KLEIN Money is very ░░░░░░░░ when there s not ░░░░░░░░ attention But Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ t control Republican primaries ░░░░░░░░ money he controls them ░░░░░░░░ attention And I keep ░░░░░░░░ to write about Musk ░░░░░░░░ I keep saying he ░░░░░░░░ the richest man in ░░░░░░░░ world but that s ░░░░░░░░ not what matters about ░░░░░░░░ right now It s ░░░░░░░░ how he managed to ░░░░░░░░ the attention and become ░░░░░░░░ character and the wielder ░░░░░░░░ all this attention And ░░░░░░░░ s a changeover I ░░░░░░░░ Trumpist Republicans have made ░░░░░░░░ Democrats haven t Democrats ░░░░░░░░ still thinking about money ░░░░░░░░ the fundamental substance of ░░░░░░░░ HAYES Yes KLEIN And ░░░░░░░░ Trump Republican Party thinks ░░░░░░░░ attention as a fundamental ░░░░░░░░ of politics HAYES I ░░░░░░░░ like this theory I ░░░░░░░░ you re totally right ░░░░░░░░ identify that they they ░░░░░░░░ of it s sort ░░░░░░░░ a sliding scale between ░░░░░░░░ two which is to ░░░░░░░░ politics that had the ░░░░░░░░ attention money matters the ░░░░░░░░ KLEIN Right HAYES So ░░░░░░░░ a state rep race ░░░░░░░░ Yes HAYES Right Money ░░░░░░░░ matters in a state ░░░░░░░░ race partly because no ░░░░░░░░ s paying attention to ░░░░░░░░ the state rep is ░░░░░░░░ media has been gutted ░░░░░░░░ Because money can buy ░░░░░░░░ attention HAYES Money can ░░░░░░░░ their attention So you ░░░░░░░░ like you could put ░░░░░░░░ glossy mailers you could ░░░░░░░░ s a lot you ░░░░░░░░ do The further up ░░░░░░░░ go from that to ░░░░░░░░ to president the more ░░░░░░░░ there is already the ░░░░░░░░ the money counts And ░░░░░░░░ saw this with the ░░░░░░░░ campaign They raised a ░░░░░░░░ of money and they ░░░░░░░░ it the way that ░░░░░░░░ campaigns spend it which ░░░░░░░░ on trying to get ░░░░░░░░ s attention whether that ░░░░░░░░ through advertising or door ░░░░░░░░ right But largely attention ░░░░░░░░ then persuasion Now you ░░░░░░░░ do that at billions ░░░░░░░░ dollars worth and everything ░░░░░░░░ just like drops of ░░░░░░░░ in a river because ░░░░░░░░ is so much competition ░░░░░░░░ attention And so what ░░░░░░░░ figured out I think ░░░░░░░░ that KLEIN They being ░░░░░░░░ or they being Trump ░░░░░░░░ They being Trump and ░░░░░░░░ think Musk is that ░░░░░░░░ matters is the total ░░░░░░░░ atmosphere that in some ░░░░░░░░ it s kind of ░░░░░░░░ sucker s game to ░░░░░░░░ to like pop in ░░░░░░░░ be like I got ░░░░░░░░ ad Hey hey do ░░░░░░░░ like tax cuts You ░░░░░░░░ what do you like ░░░░░░░░ all that s just ░░░░░░░░ to whizz past people ░░░░░░░░ sort of attentional atmosphere ░░░░░░░░ s where the fight ░░░░░░░░ And that s what ░░░░░░░░ s Twitter purchase ended ░░░░░░░░ being an enormous almost ░░░░░░░░ Archimedean lever on the ░░░░░░░░ KLEIN I think this ░░░░░░░░ right I think there ░░░░░░░░ another distinction between Democrats ░░░░░░░░ Republicans here which is ░░░░░░░░ I think Democrats still ░░░░░░░░ that the type of ░░░░░░░░ you get is the ░░░░░░░░ important thing If your ░░░░░░░░ is between a lot ░░░░░░░░ negative attention and no ░░░░░░░░ go for no attention ░░░░░░░░ at least the Trump ░░░░░░░░ of the Republican Party ░░░░░░░░ the volume the sum ░░░░░░░░ of attention is the ░░░░░░░░ important thing And a ░░░░░░░░ of negative attention not ░░░░░░░░ fine maybe great right ░░░░░░░░ there s so much ░░░░░░░░ energy in conflict So ░░░░░░░░ d really see this ░░░░░░░░ Kamala Harris and once ░░░░░░░░ became part of the ░░░░░░░░ Tim Walz and behind ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden you know ░░░░░░░░ the changeover They were ░░░░░░░░ terrified of an interview ░░░░░░░░ badly HAYES Yes KLEIN ░░░░░░░░ and Vance and I ░░░░░░░░ they were all over ░░░░░░░░ place including in places ░░░░░░░░ hostile to them.”