Among the multitude of postmortems for the November 2026 elections, the commentary that most drew my attention was Spencer Pratt’s lengthy, yet oh so worth it, post on X about how pervasive the brand identity mindset has become among the general populace when considering political matters.
We're in a new era of communication, and only one side seems to be living in it. The old guard consultant class is about to be relegated to the dustbin of history.
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) November 4, 2026
If you think that high prices lost the election for the right, you don't understand marketing. Humans have no… https://t.co/dFx1PqpJ86 pic.twitter.com/UAagEvR37G
Given that I’m the primary sports writer here, indulge me while I dip into a sports analogy, namely the correlation between brand identity when it comes to political brand identity and over-identification with a sports franchise.
As I mentioned here on November 3, 2026, to the delight of some and dismay (or total indifference) of others, I am an unapologetic Golden State Valkyries fan, thus was quite delighted when they won the 2026 WNBA championship. That said, had they lost the championship, I would have been upset for half an hour and then gotten on with life. How? Simple. I root for the Valkyries, just as I root for the San José Sharks, San Francisco Giants, San José Earthquakes, and Los Angeles Rams. I don’t identify with them.
People who over-identify with any given sports franchise share the common trait of either slurping on, or sloughing off onto, the franchise in question as somehow being evidentiary to their status in life. My team is a winner; therefore, I am a winner. My team is a loser; therefore, it’s acceptable for me to be a loser. And so on.
As it is in sports, so it is in politics, once again proving the late great Andrew Breitbart’s truism that politics is downstream from culture. Identity politics, like making sports team affiliation overly personal, can be, and often is, a very difficult monkey to shake off one’s back. Actually, reviving an old slang expression: "dragon on one’s back," because, in reality, it is an addiction. But it can be done.
The problem is that few who are enmeshed in the identity-politics mindset have the slightest inclination to extricate themselves from its grip, no matter how much solid evidence they are provided with regarding the error of their ways. As Pratt points out in his message, the thought (if you want to associate it with anything vaguely resembling thinking) runs like this: are my taxes going down? No. Are we offered the slightest hint of what programs and services our tax dollars are being spent on? Are prices on anything going down? No. Are the streets safer? No. Are the roads getting fixed and receiving proper upkeep? No. So what are we going to do about it? Nothing. It doesn't matter. Let’s reelect the Democrats who created this mess for the sole reason they are one of us, and vice versa.
It is entirely possible to have a favorite politician or politicians without slipping into the identity politics trap. We must reject both the mindset that every decision by a favorite politician must be supported to the max, and the foolish idea that should said politician come up with a platform, policy, or proposal that varies in the least from our preferred path they are to be immediately and completely discarded.
To the adherents of identity politics, say with a smile: judge your sacred cows not by what they say, the positions they propose, or the poses they strike, but by what they actually do. Does the politician who extols wealth equity own multiple multimillion-dollar houses? Does the politician who preaches equality for all with one side of their mouth spew hatred and bile with the other against another based on race, religion, or what have you? Reject whataboutism as an excuse. Politely insist on individual responsibility. The sputtering response will provide great entertainment.
It is time for both sides to learn that while measured idealism is not a worthless pursuit, identity politics is kryptonite to that which is worthwhile in idealism. Idealism tempered by reality can lead to positive results when acted upon. Identity politics, be it in an individual or a party, invariably leads to disillusionment and cynical withdrawal. That is, if you’re not ignorant of reality or a denier of same. If that is the case, you doubtless believe the November 2026 elections came out loaded with awesomeness.
Editor's Note: The Democrat Party has been infected by socialism, and it's spreading FAST. Democrats are claiming there's nothing to worry about, but we know the truth.
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