Elon Musk recently hosted the launch of Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign on Twitter Spaces, but instead of focusing on their potential political hypocrisy, let’s examine how TV still reigns supreme over the internet when it comes to politics. Musk and DeSantis are attempting to replicate the success Twitter had with Donald Trump, but the technical difficulties faced during their Twitter Spaces illustrate the limitations of the platform compared to the reach of television. Trump’s use of Twitter and TV worked synergistically, with Twitter providing a direct line to every political reporter in the nation, ensuring TV coverage and making Twitter incredibly powerful for his campaign. In comparison, DeSantis lacks Trump’s ability to craft memorable phrases and the Twitter Space consists primarily of whining about various issues. If David Sacks, the moderator of the Twitter Space and fellow Musk PayPal colleague, wants to be a kingmaker in his own right, he needs a winner and DeSantis may not be that person. Donor hesitation, Thiel sitting the next election out, and Sacks’ desire for Silicon Valley power broker status all highlight the challenges faced in the push for political success.
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