The contemporary political scene is a war of words, and conservatives have mastered the art of memes, one of the most effective ways influencers from the Republican party go to battle against liberal ideas and ideals as they communicate with voters.
In an interview with Politifix News, Grant Godwin, who launched a political meme website when he was a senior in high school that now has more than 2 million followers, said that memes are a quick, easy way to convey small snippets of information. They are most effective when the meme merges both information and humor.
Because they are so easy to share with others, memes have become an uber-successful medium, and right-wing groups and individuals alike have effectively captured the sound-bite style of the communication platform.
‘The left can’t meme’
In 2019, an article in Mother Jones magazine addressed the evolution of memes, including the significant role memes have played in recent elections.
Certain experts believe that memes – the contemporary version of political cartoons – might have helped Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election. Internet influencer and right-winger Chuck Johnson has said, “We memed the president into existence.”
Conference focuses on power of memes
The conservative group Turning Point USA hosted a 2019 conference that included an interactive session on memes hosted by Godwin (the_typical_liberal) and another Instagram celeb, Rogan O’Handley.
The success of Godwin’s meme site helped him evolve into a citizen journalist, which refers to information gathered and disseminated using blogs, web sites and social media, by those who are not professional journalists but choose to use their platforms to influence and inform.
“It was never intended to be a job,” Godwin said. “It’s always been about speaking the truth in a world full of lies, to save America from the radical agenda that is set on destroying it. God, family, and country … all three of those values go hand-in-hand.”
A plan already in action
Godwin plans to continue to use his social media platforms “to fight for America, saving America’s youth from the radical agenda that is trying to take us down from the inside.”
He also said he won’t stop working “to expose leftist lies.”
The conservative influencer also said he’s most proud of “being a major impact on first-time voters and informing America’s youth why America is so great instead of the consistent anti-American rhetoric they always hear.”
Godwin’s Facebook page is filled with donations to fundraisers, and while some are donations to political organizations, most are for sick children and injured pets. His page also includes a photo of him and his significant other celebrating at a party at Mar-a-Lago.
He also attended the 2019 Social Media Summit at the White House after receiving an invitation from Donald Trump.
For more information on Grant Godwin, check out his Instagram site, @the_typical-liberal, here.