Jon Cooper and using social media to mobilize the American left

With more people getting their news online, this has given rise to political streamers, commentators, and social media influencers. Meaning, that if Democrats want to reach young voters they have to provide a message that excites them and meet them where they are most active.

A 26-year-old proud Philadelphian from the Manayunk neighborhood has carved a sizable name for himself in the online left media landscape.

Jon Cooper has used his presence on social media to create videos that deconstruct Republican talking points on current events from a leftist perspective and pressure the current administration to adopt a more populist tone.

Some of his content follows a model of him taking on the role of a concerned conservative voter on a given news event or public policy issue and then breaking their arguments down while trying to reason with the conservative character.

Other videos have Cooper covering developments on social matters or political news, and he responds to them by either creating “counterpoints” for what right-wing political commentators say online or condemning liberals for their poor efficacy.

Counterpoint Politics’ content does not seek to attack or promote hatred online but instead, the host wants to create easier channels of dialogue between opposing sides of the country’s most polarizing socioeconomic issues and policies.

Photo courtesy of @The_Coopdogg on X.

One of Cooper’s first memories of fostering good-faith conversations about politics was when he phone-banked for the Obama 2012 reelection campaign. During this time, he spoke with people across the country, many of whom were conservative-leaning, and he had to convince them to give the incumbent a second term.

This experience came when he was 15 but after this, he stayed close to the fields of media and politics. Cooper went on to attend Hofstra University, majoring in TV and Film production, and later worked in digital advertising.

He started filming content on TikTok after the COVID-19 lockdowns when he had more free time and gave himself a creative avenue to talk about social issues and politics. On top of wanting to inspire other leftists, Cooper hopes that this outlet can help him spark a run for public office in the future.

The Counterpoint Politics brand has seen relatively quick success online, with over 72 thousand followers on TikTok and 30 thousand followers on Instagram.

I have followed Cooper’s work since the 2022 Midterm season and to sit down with him to discuss a range of topics from his rise in popularity to his love of Philadelphia sports teams.

Q: How did your background help you in starting your account and what/who inspired you to start making content?

A: "I went to school for TV and Film production but current news will tell that there are some messed up things in the industry. Eventually, I knew that I was not someone who liked to be on set for 12-hour days. I wanted to keep this a passion of mine and not necessarily a profession. So I went into video production right after college but later went towards the marketing route and that’s where I am now.

Those skills that I learned along the way have a knack for coming back. Now I’m producing videos on multiple platforms and constantly using those editing skills and they have become helpful again.

I have always been interested in politics, communication, and storytelling. Originally I created this channel as an avenue to run for political office and this provides part of the plan of how to get there. I said “Let’s try to grow a following and see where it takes us” I started by uploading one TikTok a day and here I am now.”

Q: In relation to Philadelphia, can you talk about the lack of Philly-centered content?

A: “The Philly content isn’t necessarily on brand yet for me. When I can loop Philly into the national conversation I always will but I try to keep the videos geared towards a national appeal.

The mayor’s race this year, for example, was interesting but covering it was not aligning with my goals at the time. Those goals are to reach 100 thousand followers and promote The Left Wing podcast which I co-host with Dr. Erika from Cocktails & Capitalism, and Desmond Price from Independent Thought.

The podcast is small right now but I definitely intend for it to be the leftist version of the Daily Wire. The legacy media outlets are going to crumble once the boomers are not around anymore, no one watches network television besides them. The online media landscape is what is going to control the narrative in this country for the rest of our lives and we are trying to build a coalition now with a lot of other content creators.

In terms of the outcome of the mayoral race, I was disappointed but not devastated. We got a middle-ground candidate who is clearly not progressive. Seeing the progressive movement and how it has become a stronghold for the Democratic party, I see Philadelphia as the type of city that can become a progressive hub in this country. This is a fight we have to continue pushing.”

Q: By self-identifying as a leftist/ progressive, how has this helped or hurt your branding?

A: “It’s interesting being a leftist because you get attacked from all sides. You get attacks from conservatives obviously, but you also have to hold the Democrats accountable and criticize Biden. This brings attacks from centrist Democrats and liberals.

This can be even more difficult because I do not necessarily fit into a particular box. I have some viewpoints that are a little bit centrist and some that are really far left. I call myself a leftist because that is what best describes me.

I try to make my brand less about political activism and more about thinking and communication. My goal is to dissect arguments and give people the vocabulary to express their ideas in a way they hadn’t been able to before. To go toe-to-toe with someone in their own life and point out the nuances of issues. People need the tools to analyze arguments in a new way.

My videos may not directly change people’s minds but my followers can do that through conversations they have.

I used to agree with conservatives on opposing cancel culture, for example, when a comedian made a bad joke years ago. Moving forward to today, the landscape has changed because they are now the cancel culture pushers with their recent campaigns against BudLight and Target. I see far fewer people canceled by left as I do the right nowadays because they have done a 180 on their logic.”