I think it does matter, and it's not a question of competition. In fact, it's specifically not about competition.
When pundits get folks outraged about Trump (or Biden) and then stay quiet when their side is in power, they're keeping the public in the US (and abroad, clearly) focused on tribalism rather than on the issues themselves.
I follow a very smart lawyer on Substack who was fantastic during the pandemic. He could clearly see the abuses of power from the federal government, the violation of freedom of speech, the disturbing collaborations between govt and corporations, etc. As soon as Trump won, he suddenly turned a blind eye to all of it. It's been incredible to see. Does it matter? Yes, it matters! He has a large, faithful following who trust his take on things and simply do not notice the encroaching surveillance, the first amendment issues, etc because they think that their side is in power.
The problem I would like to solve (cannot solve, so I don't know why I obsess about it) is basically distraction: Robert Reich and my lawyer follow and so many other pundits are distracting people with tribalism.
