How do you build a winning campaign for the era of AI? In the aftermath of the 2024 race, Democrats have been struggling to adapt to the new logic of the attention economy. On this episode of “Galaxy Brain,” Rob Flaherty, deputy campaign manager for Kamala Harris’s campaign, joins Charlie Warzel to talk about what went wrong and how Democrats need to embrace a new theory of attention. They discuss AI’s collision course with electoral politics ahead of the midterms and how to identify candidates who can use the internet to their advantage.
This episode of Galaxy Brain was produced by Renee Klahr and engineered by Miguel Carrascal. Our theme is by Rob Smierciak. Claudine Ebeid is the executive producer of Atlantic audio, and Andrea Valdez is our managing editor.
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00:00 Intro
03:10 Interview with Rob Flaherty
05:36 Dems vs. GOP Media Strategy
08:59 Mamdani Algorithmic Rise
12:15 DNC 2024 Autopsy Takeaways
17:39 Joe Rogan and Online Influence
19:19 Rob's Ideal Campaign Strategy
23:47 Will AI Reshape Campaign Work?
26:19 Democrats, AI Populism, and 2028
30:36 Who is Leading on AI?
35:55 "Nobody Knows Anything" Podcast vs. Legacy Media
38:37 Closing Thoughts and Credits