Announcing Presidential Candidacies on Twitter Is Lame

Both sides do it. Go outside, people!

On Tuesday morning, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley announced her candidacy for President of the United States. She did it the way everyone announces their candidicies anymore: She did it with a Twitter video.

This is entirely common anymore. Most candidates, almost all candidates, appreciate the ability to control their message entirely, to bypass journalists or their fellow citizens, to say exactly what they want to say exactly how they want to say it, on the platform that gives them that total control. A pre-packaged video avoids verbal slips, or tough questions, or anything skeptical at all. It’s wholly what you want it to be.

It’s not just young — or “young” — people like Haley who announce on Twitter or on their YouTube page. You know who else did it? The guy who is currently the President.

I remember everyone mocking that video: Biden’s so old, how embarrassing, why is he even doing this? Whoops.

I must say, though: There is something inherently small about announcing your candidacy for the highest office in the land by pushing that little button that says “Tweet.” I am ready to be your leader, with a grand vision for a new America, who can …. oh crap i’m out of characters. Running for President should be an epic adventure, not something you kick off the same way you shitpost. It’s a run for President! It’s a big deal! Act like it!

My model for this has always been Barack Obama’s announcement back in 2007. Obama announces his candidacy in February 2007, in Springfield, Illinois, the state capitol, on the steps of the building where Abraham Lincoln gave his “House Divided” speech. It was a speech with…