May 18, 2022

"The defeat for now ends Mr. Cawthorn’s brief political career, which began with the promise of being the youngest person ever elected to Congress."

"Now, at age 27, he is left with an enormous social media following and potentially lucrative career opportunities outside electoral politics." 

Those are the last 2 sentences of the NYT piece "Election Deniers Thrive Even as Trumpism Drifts: 5 Primary Takeaways."

Obviously, "the promise of being the youngest person ever elected to Congress" means that it was promising to begin one's career as the youngest person ever elected to Congress. As written, it seems more likely to mean that he had a shot at becoming the youngest person ever elected to Congress.

We're prompted to wonder what will Madison Cawthorn do next. Is an enormous social media following really translatable into a lucrative career? I question how much of the following is real. It could be bots and it could be people who are only interested in him as a member of Congress, perhaps specifically as a Republican in hot water.

When I saw the news about Cawthorn, I did not think: Where will his meteoric career zoom next. I thought: Okay, now I don't have to think about Madison Cawthorn anymore.

36 comments:

West TX Intermediate Crude said...

Okay, now I don't have to think about Madison Cawthorn anymore.
Yes, this.
Also, No more, "I wonder if it's true what the media are saying about this young (conservative) politician, or if it's just more made up, out of context, bilge."

John said...

Funny, my first thought on reading this post was, who is Madison Cawthorn? Quickly followed by, I guess I don't have to worry about him now.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

What works for AOC doesn’t work for the other side.

iowan2 said...

The man has an outsized amount of PR.
Don't know much about him. When ever he hit the news cycle, I struggled to see the relevance.
Something like the Kardasians, or dozens of other 'influencers', who are famous for being famous. But not for accomplishments.

mezzrow said...

I have a childhood friend who was elected to the state leg in his mid 20s. For a variety of reasons, not all attributable to him, it wasn't the path to glory he had envisioned.

The world changed, and so did he. I wish I could say he learned a lot in the process, but I really can't, tbh. My exposure to the process taught me that "wrestling with pigs" lesson early enough.

one additional note: The person who occupied the place he had envisioned as his federal springboard (and who defeated him to get it) just accepted a plea deal before a retrial. Life's funny that way.

tim maguire said...

Cawthorn reminds me of the Ben Wyatt character on Parks and Rec--given too much power at too young an age, he made stupid decisions that wrecked his reputation and made him a pariah in his home town.

Ben Wyatt needed about 20 years of hard work to overcome a mistake he made at 18. Like Wyatt, if Cawthorn had thought smaller and entered congress 10 years later, he might have done better.

David Begley said...

Now he can go to those parties and not worry.

wendybar said...

What Lem said.

Mike Petrik said...

What 6:00 AM John said.

Original Mike said...

Blogger John said..."Funny, my first thought on reading this post was, who is Madison Cawthorn? Quickly followed by, I guess I don't have to worry about him now."

Same here. I've seen the name, but hadn't gotten around to figuring out who he is. Until this moment, I assumed he was a she.

Iman said...

Onward! On to the next target.

MikeR said...

Reminds me of Pete whateverhisnameis.

jim5301 said...

MAGA doesn't eat their own. Expect him to get a high-level position if Trump is elected in 2024.

Carol said...

Joe Scarborough has made a lot out of one term.

Rollo said...

What's next for Madison Cawthorn?

Growing up maybe? Getting a life and a clue?

RoseAnne said...

"During his senior year in college, Brown was recruited by a local Democratic leader to run for Ohio's state house.["

Sherrod Brown (current US Senator from Ohio) won in 1974 and has been in one elected office or another since. He made his share of mistakes but, because they were relatively local, he weathered them. Cawthorn was not ready for to be center stage.

Ironically, as a state government elected official, he was a very responsive and helpful individual. As Senator from Ohio, he takes his orders from the DNC and could care less what it does to his former district.

D.D. Driver said...

"jim5301 said...
MAGA doesn't eat their own. Expect him to get a high-level position if Trump is elected in 2024."

Secretary of Transportation, Madison Cawthorn.

Kevin said...

I thought: Okay, now I don't have to think about Madison Cawthorn anymore.

You will if the media decides you need to, and you won't if they decide you don't.

AMDG said...

One down, three to go. Let’s hope that MTG meets the same fate next Tuesday. I am not sure if Godard or Gaetz are facing serious primary challengers.

MadisonMan said...

Is an enormous social media following really translatable into a lucrative career?
Ask the Kardashians. Although to be fair, some of them do have actual jobs, apparently (the one who shills makeup, for example).

Christopher B said...

jim5301 said...
MAGA doesn't eat their own. Expect him to get a high-level position if Trump is elected in 2024.


Projection like an IMAX.

Joe Smith said...

He will become a generic R grifter, commenting on Fox News and writing a shitty book every few years; speaking at 'You're a great American' conventions and starting a PAC for wheelchair-bound Neocons.

You know, the usual...

Howard said...

I hope he turns his life around. Maybe decide to use all that desire and ambition for something good.

Fritz said...

You were worried Democrats might assassinate him?

Kovacs said...

"OK, now I don't have to think about Madison Cawthorn anymore."

That is, until he becomes head of the VA or national security advisor in the next Trump administration.

gilbar said...

We're prompted to wonder what will Madison Cawthorn do next.

i'd assume... Porn

Levi Starks said...

It seems like only a few short years since being an election denier was an honorable occupation.

Rusty said...

One less graft grabbing pol. Guess he'll have to get a real job.

Mich McCormick said...

I read a Politico story on him recently and from what I gather he’s struggling, understandably, with a lot of psychological and physical issues related to his horrible car accident. I gather ppl around him thought that running for office would give him a new purpose in life, but he clearly needs a lot of help still and that attention on him was probably the last thing he needed. I hope his family brings him back home and gets him the help he needs bc from his own remarks and those who interact w him per the Politco article he’s a very serious case for suicide. Very sad situation.

Michael K said...

This proves that constant attacks on a member of Congress can work. The Democrats targeted this guy like they targeted Marjorie Taylor Greene. I wonder if it will work on her?

Wikipedia first sentence: Marjorie Taylor Greene (born May 27, 1974), also known by her initials MTG, is an American politician, businesswoman, and far-right conspiracy theorist..

Two-eyed Jack said...

I always wonder at the state of affairs in an area that turns powerful office over to people below the age of 35. All human history advises against this roll of the dice. Young men are good at fighting wars, like Alexander the Great, and creating empires, like Octavian or Marcus Zuckerbergus, not keeping the affairs of state in order and representing constituents. Who wants a 32-year-old governor with a zipper problem or a barista/legislator with strong opinions?

Saint Croix said...

North Carolina's my state but I didn't follow this story. I thought the NR article covered it pretty well.

Douglas B. Levene said...

I didn't pay any attention to Mr. Cawthorn until he called Zelensky a "thug." That got my attention, a US congressman willing to repeat Kremlin propaganda verbatim. Good riddance.

catter said...

Televangelist or megachurch founder/leader.

catter said...

Televangelist or megachurch founder/leader.

Tim said...

I didn't pay any attention to Mr. Cawthorn until he called Zelensky a "thug.

He is a thug. Outlawed all oppositon parties in Ukraine. He should just retire to his $ 30 million mansion in Florida.