Fear and Trolling on the Campaign Trail
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Gage Skidmore
A presidential campaign starring Donald Trump once promised to be a comedy goldmine. Yet biting analysis seems in short supply as the race roars on with Trump at its forefront.
The problem, it turns out, is that it’s too difficult to lampoon a politician who treats campaigning like a comedy roast. Attempts to satirise him just sound believable. In fact one of the few effective parodies, ‘Your Drunk Neighbor: Donald Trump’, relied on genuine soundbites to highlight the absurdity of his bluster.
But while it feels like we’re a long way away from a Hunter S. Thompson of the snapchat generation, there’s still some political commentary out there more deserving of your time than parody Twitter accounts, YouTube clips and memes on Reddit.
Here are five figures you can rely on for intelligent coverage and scathing wit.
1. Matt Fuller
Trump: I'm gonna fix Social Security.
Moderator: OK, but, like, how are you gonna do that?
Trump: Let me tell you: It'll be tremendous.
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) February 14, 2016
Matt Fuller is a congressional reporter for Huffington Post known for dogged, knowledgeable stories that can connect with younger readers. Though his coverage focuses more on the ins-and-outs of Washington politics, he doesn’t hold back and lets his humour come to the fore on Twitter.
2. Molly Ball
Ah, Bernie rallies, where actors you've never heard of read Carl Sandburg poems to college students.
— Molly Ball (@mollyesque) February 8, 2016
Molly Ball is an award-winning staff writer for the Atlantic, covering topics such as Bernie Sanders’ feminist fans and the so-called “professional political class” panicked by Donald Trump’s rise. She’s also one of the wittiest voices in US politics.
3. Nate Silver
Ted Cruz has a huge math problem: https://t.co/7dhdgvj4I3 pic.twitter.com/4cxRFtdxKp
— FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) February 19, 2016
Nate Silver is the man who used data to disrupt the way people think about baseball. Now he’s doing the same with American politics, running one of the world’s best political blogs while also tweeting about sports, science and life in general.
4. David Corn
The Washington editor of Mother Jones, David Corn made a name for himself broken stories on presidents and writing best-selling books such as Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal and the Selling of the Iraq War.
5. Sean Davis
Sean Davis is the co-founder of The Federalist, an online magazine that covers politics, policy and culture, and a former congressional staffer who spearheaded a law that created USASpending.gov – a website that provides public access to information on how their tax dollars are spent.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
This erotic zine dismantles LGBTQ+ respectability politics
Zine Scene — Created by Megan Wallace and Jack Rowe, PULP is a new print publication that embraces the diverse and messy, yet pleasurable multitudes that sex and desire can take.
Written by: Isaac Muk
As Tbilisi’s famed nightclubs reawaken, a murky future awaits
Spaces Between the Beats — Since Georgia’s ruling party suspended plans for EU accession, protests have continued in the capital, with nightclubs shutting in solidarity. Victor Swezey reported on their New Year’s Eve reopening, finding a mix of anxiety, catharsis and defiance.
Written by: Victor Swezey
Los Angeles is burning: Rick Castro on fleeing his home once again
Braver New World — In 2020, the photographer fled the Bobcat Fire in San Bernardino to his East Hollywood home, sparking the inspiration for an unsettling photo series. Now, while preparing for its exhibition, he has had to leave once again, returning to the mountains.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Ghais Guevara: “Rap is a pinnacle of our culture”
What Made Me — In our new series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that have shaped who they are. First up, Philadelphian rap experimentalist Ghais Guevara.
Written by: Ghais Guevara
Gaza Biennale comes to London in ICA protest
Art and action — The global project, which presents the work of over 60 Palestinian artists, will be on view outside the art institution in protest of an exhibition funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai
Ragnar Axelsson’s thawing vision of Arctic life
At the Edge of the World — For over four decades, the Icelandic photographer has been journeying to the tip of the earth and documenting its communities. A new exhibition dives into his archive.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai