Hello Merge Tag: Where Social Media and Politics Intersect

Josh Canter is vice president of digital advocacy at McGuire Woods Consulting, where he uses digital tools to influence legislation and shape public policy. His work spans multi-million dollar ad campaigns, interactive platforms, organic content, and full-scale omnichannel strategies — all focused on driving real-world impact. His work has been featured in the New York Times and Wired, and he's worked on campaigns and advocacy efforts around the world. Josh is also one of the more creative AI builders working in politics right now. He connected Claude directly to the Meta Ad Library API to generate deep, contextualized research reports on political ad spending — automatically. In this episode we get into exactly how he built it, what it can do, and where this kind of AI-powered campaign research is headed. TOPICS COVERED What is the Meta Ad Library? How Josh connected Claude to the Meta API Building a repeatable research skill in Claude Why you still need a human to gut-check AI output AI as oppo research tool for campaigns Other tools Josh is building (AEO checker, AI topic explorer, zip code tool) Facebook groups as a political black box Will AI level the playing field for smaller campaigns? Why Josh uses Claude over ChatGPT One actionable tip for campaigns not yet using AI seriously Find links, transcript and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

“You’re basically seeing your psyche projected back at you when you open any of these social apps these days.” Ryan Davis is a longtime progressive digital strategist. He got his start as an internet organizer on Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign, worked on Barack Obama’s groundbreaking 2008 campaign, and later founded Blue State Digital’s social media team. Since then, he’s worked with hundreds of nonprofits and campaigns around the world. Today, he’s the Founder and CEO of People First, one of the largest social impact influencer agencies in the US, and the author of The Month in Digital. In this episode, Ryan and I get nerdy about what influencer work actually looks like heading into 2026—especially for campaigns that don’t have a huge budget, a big staff, or celebrities on speed dial. We talk about why “influencers” shouldn’t be treated like a replacement for celebrity endorsements, why micro and nano creators can be more useful than the biggest names on your feed, and why the real point isn’t “going viral.” The point is scaling persuasion the same way you scale field: more trusted messengers, more conversations, more communities, more repetition. We also dig into platform fragmentation (your internet is not my internet), why Nextdoor is an underrated battleground for hyperlocal issue conversations, and why campaigns and orgs should be investing in owned content like email and blogs—not just to fundraise, but to tell stories and show up in the places people are now getting information (including AI-driven search). If you’re trying to run a modern comms program without losing your mind, this one’s for you. Some key takeaways from my conversation with Ryan How campaigns are using influencer relationships right nowHow the TikTok sale affected influencer work (it’s not what you think)We nerded out on Nextdoor (yes, it’s a thing)Big influencers vs micro/nano influencersInfluencers aren’t about “going viral.” They’re about scaling fieldWhy your internet is different than everyone else’s (and why that matters)Why it’s time to think beyond the viral launch videoHow to do influencer work with a small budgetThe new tool People First launched for small campaigns: ValEmail still matters—but your email can’t only be fundraisingBlogging, Substack, and the new reality of SEO/AEOSerialization that isn’t about the candidate One of my favorite ideas from the conversation: serialized content that’s about the campaign or the issues, but not dependent on the candidate being the main character. Ryan floated the idea of docu-style vertical series where a staffer or organizer becomes the through-line—letting campaigns produce consistent, platform-friendly storytelling without needing the candidate to carry every single episode. My favorite quote (and the mindset shift it demands): “You’re basically seeing your psyche projected back at you when you open any of these social apps these days,” he wasn’t just describing algorithmic personalization—he was describing a strategic trap campaigns fall into. If the people on your team are highly engaged political consumers, your internal sense of “what’s breaking through” is going to be skewed. You’re in the bubble by definition. The job isn’t to dominate the bubble. The job is to build enough credible, distributed messengers (and enough repeatable content) to reach the people who aren’t thinking about you at all. If you’re running digital for a campaign or nonprofit and you’re trying to build something sustainable—something that reaches beyond the choir—this conversation will give you a bunch of practical ways to think about creator strategy, platform fragmentation, and scaling persuasion. Find links, transcript, video and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

Lucy Ritzmann is a progressive digital strategist and a founding member of Courier’s national newsroom. She’s a former co‑author of FWIW, their must-read weekly email for us political digital nerds. I first met her collaborating on The FYP — a weekly Courier email covering political TikTok, specifically focused on how the two presidential campaigns were approaching one of the most important and complex platforms in politics. Lucy is currently in law school at Georgetown, but when she’s not buried in casebooks, she’s writing a great Substack newsletter called The Group Chat Correspondent. I invited her on the pod to talk about the current state of independent progressive media, what trends she’s following at the moment and a whole lot more. We covered: Why Substack is more than just a newsletter platform — and how it’s becoming a community infrastructure tool “It’s what Bluesky was supposed to be” — building in a space without trolls How Lucy is growing The Group Chat Correspondent — what’s working and what’s not What success actually looks like for an independent progressive media outletThe 2026 landscape for progressive independent media Who’s crushing it right now in progressive digital Why campaigns need to build relationships with creators and media early — not weeks before Election DayThe role Twitch could (and maybe should) be playing in campaigns Why politics and culture aren’t separate — but rather one interwoven tapestry The biggest stories of the day that people aren’t paying attention to What the future of traditional media looks like The state of Kamala HQ — and where we go from here Why every department on a campaign needs a digital deputy at the table Sadly something happened with my mic and my audio's not great. Fortunately, Lucy sounds amazing :) Find links, transcript, more episodes and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

“One media company is now carrying ICE’s public image almost entirely on its shoulders…" After analyzing 12 billion views across 90,019 videos posted in December and January, Drew Eldredge‑Martin of Ground Truth AI found that Fox News accounts for 70% of ALL views on YouTube tied to positive narratives about ICE — without Fox, the pro‑ICE narrative would nearly collapse. In this episode of Hello Merge Tag, Drew breaks down what his narrative analysis reveals about who’s shaping the conversation, what content is actually driving attention, and what it means for campaigns in 2026. We covered: 🔹 Why Fox News is driving both positive and negative ICE content 🔹 What types of videos are rising to the top of YouTube 🔹 The growing role of AI‑generated content in narrative shaping 🔹 Who the heck Benjamin is — and why he’s outperforming CNN on this topic 🔹 What sentiment data leading into Election Day tells us about the big 2025 campaigns 🔹 Why campaign teams need to pay even more attention to user‑generated content 🔹 And why you shouldn’t be sleeping on YouTube If you want to understand how digital narratives actually map to influence — and what that means for politics, brands, and public opinion — this episode is a must‑catch. 🎧 FULL EPISODE, along with transcript, links, video version and more available at HelloMergeTag.com.

Eric Wilson, a political technologist and executive director of the Center for Campaign Innovation, delves into the vital role of digital campaigning in elections. He reveals stark contrasts between Democratic and Republican strategies in Virginia, highlighting why Republicans struggle with digital tactics. Discussing issues like grassroots fundraising and effective email strategies, he argues that cohesive tools and better site management are essential. Wilson emphasizes that adopting best practices could significantly sway close elections, urging campaigns to think differently for future success.

Miles Bruner spent 12 years working in the Republican ecosystem, first as a grassroots organizer in Orange County, California, then as a digital fundraising strategist for one of the top GOP fundraising firms in the country. Recently, he went public with an article in The Bulwark detailing his decision to leave the Republican Party over its descent into authoritarianism and calling on his colleagues to do the same. The piece, “My Last Day as an Accomplice of the Republican Party,” is powerful. Miles isn’t the first Republican to quit his party publicly; Tim Miller has written a whole book about his own journey. But I was particularly interested in talking to Miles because he worked in digital, inside a party he found himself agreeing with less and less. To quote him briefly: “The clients I oversaw and the emails I wrote for them were all 100 percent pro-MAGA. Every piece of fundraising content had to somehow out-MAGA the previous. It was routine to publish content that pushed election fraud conspiracies, stoked anti-immigrant sentiment, and sowed distrust in our institutions.” As he spells out, he couldn’t afford to leave, but couldn’t bear to stay. Ultimately his values won the day and here we are. He joined me on the pod to talk about what he saw from the inside—and what he thinks is coming next. We covered: What's working on the rightWhat he thinks is coming nextThe secret behind all those bible verses you see Republicans sharing on socialWhether Google is actually preventing Republican emails from getting delivered? (Hint: it’s not!)Escaping the GOP cultAnd so much more! Find links, transcript and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

"When you have worry and you have anger, you have attention." Marine. Mechanic. Sports Radio Host. Raised in a trailer park. Fighter for the working class. That’s how Nathan Sage describes himself. He also calls himself a loudmouth. And a tattooed, hairy, fat guy who says it how it is. At first glance, he looks and sounds almost MAGA. But he’s running for Senate as a proud progressive, aiming to be a voice for Iowans who have been left behind by both parties. And he’s running one hell of a digital program. He joined me on the pod and we talked about the power of authenticity, what's working on digital for him these days, why the messenger matters and so much more. Find links, transcript and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

Gabbi Zutrau, a digital strategist renowned for her expertise in organic social media and automation, shares her secrets to dramatic growth. She helped political figure Zohran Mamdani gain 500,000 followers using a unique tactic that also racked up 5 million views on a new Instagram account in just six weeks. Gabbi discusses the pivotal role trial reels played in capturing attention, how campaigns can authentically engage audiences, and why investing early in digital strategies is essential for success. Her insights offer a fresh take on navigating social media in politics.

"Think more about the message you're trying to get across and then make the humor something that brings people in instead of pushing people away." I met Mark Kendall and Bill Worley at Netroots this year and was super excited to invite them on the pod. They’re doing something very unique in our space — using comedy, intentionally, to win hearts and change minds. Their firm, CoolCoolCool Productions, is an Atlanta-based production company and boutique agency that uses comedy to encourage civic engagement and foster community. Their videos have racked up tens of millions of views across social media. They’ve been featured on NPR and in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and named “Best Reason to Laugh” by Atlanta Magazine. I went to a session they ran at Netroots, and every example they shared hit harder than the last. Thoughtful, smart, hilarious work—designed to move people. Throughout our conversation, we talked about: their origin storythe importance of finding joy, even in dark placeswhy embracing specificity matters if you want to change hearts and mindshow their process worksthe advice they’d offer to campaigns looking to use humor effectivelyand more Find links, transcript and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

“What I would really like to see is more Democrats using their resources to help people right now to fill in the material gaps that Trump has created. I think it's the right thing to do and I also think it is the most persuasive thing to do if you want to flip either chamber in 2026 and make a serious cultural impact." Kat Abughazaleh is running for Congress in Illinois’ 9th District. I personally think she’s running one of the most innovative campaigns of the cycle, both from a digital and from a field perspective. Listeners might remember Kat joined us back in April to talk about what it means to run a Bluesky-first campaign. She joined us again to talk about how her campaign is navigating the internet, fascism and so much more. She talked about the social platform helping her campaign raise the most money (Bluesky!), how her campaign is serving as a mutual aid hub for her community, what it means to fight back against the Trump regime in these dark times and so much more. Find links to her site, an episode transcript and more at HelloMergeTag.com.