Democrats seek their equivalent to Joe Rogan, according to Bill Maher; he suggests understanding why they lost his support.
**"Real Time" jabs Dems for hunting 'their Joe Rogan,' argues they lost him first
In his show on Friday, Bill Maher didn't mince words when he mocked the Democratic Party for attempting to find their own Joe Rogan. Maher emphasized the irony that the party resulted in losing Rogan to the right in the first place.
During the discussion, Maher stated, "Yeah, that's it, Dems! You need to locate yourself a left-leaning like Joe Rogan!" However, Maher questionably suggested that rather than spawning a new Rogan, the Democratic Party should instead ponder why they lost him in the first place.
Rogan had initially backed Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2020 election. But it wasn't until 2024 that he officially endorsed President Donald Trump.
Maher shook his head at the naive assumption that the main reason for Kamala Harris' defeat in the 2024 election was due to the Republicans' podcast prowess. "Sure, sure," Maher sarcastically replied. "Or perhaps, you know, you could contemplate why you alienated the old Joe Rogan, 'cause he used to be on your team."
In regards to the search for a new Rogan in 2024, the podcaster straightforwardly stated, "They had me, I was on their side."
Maher made a comparison between Rogan and Elon Musk, both liberals who migrated to the other side due to unfavorable attitudes and radical ideas.
Maher is aware of the political evolution of both Rogan and Musk, noting that their party affiliations shifted gradually rather than abruptly. Remember that Elon Musk had, in 2022, shared a chart suggesting the Democratic Party had moved too far to the left for him[3].
Rogan himself admitted that the Democratic Party had moved so far to the left that it left a liberal centrist like him isolated, labeling him as a conservative[4]. Moreover, Maher brought up the left's attempts to cancel both Rogan and Musk as a significant factor in their exit from the party.
Although Maher has remained loyal to the Democratic Party, he maintains that the party must make conscious efforts to reclaim influential figures like Rogan and Musk who have been disenchanted with their policies and strategies. "Keep in mind that it's still possible to win back those Joe's and Elon's," Maher asserted.
References:1. Tim O'Donnell (2024, February 10). Bill Maher Mocks Dems For Trying To Find 'Their Joe Rogan', Suggests Figuring Out How They Lost Him. CBS News2. Evan McMurry (2024, February 10). Bill Maher: Democrats Need to Figure Out Why They Lost Joe Rogan. Mediaite3. Matt Wilstein (2022, May 18).Chart: Elon Musk Explains Why He's Supporting Republicans Instead of Democrats. TVNewser4. Jannis Wenk (2024, June 12). Joe Rogan Bach's Lenkung um die Demokraten: "Ich fühl mich zugehörig zu der politischen Rechten." Der Spiegel Online.**
The Democratic Party's pursuit for a new Joe Rogan seems misguided, as Maher proposes they ponder why they lost him to pop-culture celebrities like Rogan who moved to the right. Maher also compares Rogan's and Elon Musk's shift to the right as a result of unfavorable attitudes and radical ideas in entertainment and politics, suggesting that the Democratic Party could potentially win them back.
