In the wake of the 2016 election, social media has been singled out for blame for the ways in which some platforms were so easily manipulated into tools against democracy.
For 23-year-old Richard Wolf, it’s a completely different story; social media is the driving force behind his campaign to become the Democratic nominee in Texas House District 63.
“At least for my district...online communities have really put together a lot of really strong volunteers...and have really mobilized the Democrats in my area,” Wolf told Cheddar.
Wolf has been wielding memes to discuss liberal policy proposals on social media, which he says is the most cost-efficient and unfiltered way to campaign. So far, he has only spent about $200 on online advertising.
“Basically, I just make whatever I want, do whatever I like, and I put that online,” Wolf said. “So far, I’ve been getting pretty positive responses.”
Early voting numbers for the Texas primary on Tuesday show that Democratic turnout has surpassed GOP voting, giving the party momentum and hope to flip the Lone Star State. The Democrats face an uphill battle there as the Republicans now hold 95 of the 150 seats in the state House. But Wolf sees positive signs.
“People are not happy with the Trump administration...and we can see the Republican party kind of losing energy.” said Wolf.
Only time will tell whether the rising Democrat tide will lift Wolf’s boat at the ballot box.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-this-texas-house-candidate-is-using-memes-to-move-the-state-leftward).
J&J Shelf Life, Pulse Nightclub Memorial, Consumer Prices Rise. Here is all the news you need to know for Friday, June 11, 2021.
President Joe Biden is calling on global leaders to join him in sharing coronavirus vaccines with struggling nations around the world.
Inmates at an Oklahoma prison began receiving special computer tablets this week.
American consumers absorbed another surge in prices in May — a 0.6% increase over the past month and 5% over the past year, the biggest 12-month inflation spike since 2008.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the sixth straight week as the U.S. economy reopens rapidly after being held back for months by the coronavirus pandemic.
Now that El Salvador is taking bitcoin nationwide, other Central and South American countries are coming forward with their own proposals in what's shaping up to be a regional race to become the next bitcoin hub.
The White House dropped Trump-era executive orders that attempted to ban the popular apps TikTok and WeChat and will conduct its own review.
Criminal gangs that used a secure-messaging app called ANOM unwittingly allowed the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to eavesdrop on their conversations.
Reporters traveling to the United Kingdom ahead of President Joe Biden’s first overseas trip were delayed seven hours after their chartered plane was overrun by cicadas.
A Senate investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection has found a broad intelligence breakdown across multiple agencies, along with widespread law enforcement and military failures.
