One of my biggest complaints as a young conservative is the seeming lack of other young conservatives. Finding them is a delicate process — you're trying not to misjudge someone who might find it offensive to be called a conservative, and right-wingers are notoriously quiet about their political views in public situations. Be it for lack of positive media representation or general celebrity representation, young conservatives are lacking. If nothing else, when your friends are talking about why Bernie Sanders' economic plan is not entirely crazy, it's comforting to have someone who understands why you would seriously consider voting for Ben Carson or Ted Cruz without thinking you were insane. So this week, I'm spotlighting five young conservative commentators and the reasons you should take a listen.
1. Ben Shapiro
Kicking off this list is my personal favorite and role model, Ben Shapiro. The 32-year-old Orthodox-Jewish man can be a bit like a machine gun once he gets started — his discussion of current events and political happenings is so intermingled with a string of rapid-fire facts and statistics that unless you're entirely focused on his line of reasoning, it can be hard to keep up. His no nonsense approach is, however, extremely appealing for the young conservative looking to stay informed and on top of things besides that, he's more relatable than your Bill O'Reilly's and the majority of the mainstream media. Shapiro has also become something of a symbol of free speech on college campuses. He regularly visits college campuses to give speeches and answer questions, when the administration is not trying to censor him by banning him from campus or putting a halt to his events. Shapiro's podcasts generally run at around an hour, which is a good amount of time to spend listening up on the news and researching.
Where to watch or read: Catch "The Ben Shapiro Show" as a podcast on Apple, on Soundcloud or on YouTube. Shapiro also serves as a writer and editor-in-chief at The Daily Wire and Truth Revolt.
2. Steven Crowder
The Canadian-born Crowder is quite the turn around from Shapiro, though not for lack of research and sources. Crowder, 29, fills his show with comedy and parody, from his Journey to Bernie to his cultural appropriation month, you really don't know where he's going to turn next. One of the things he shares with Paul Watson Joseph — besides both being non-U.S. born conservatives — is the overwhelming emphasis he places on free speech and the failures of big government, staples of conversation for the average conservative talker. "Louder with Crowder" is great to listen to for general political commentary and interviews that tie in to current events. The show regularly features guests ranging from conservatives like Tomi Lahren to liberals with certain conservative positions or even just experts in their fields like physical training and exercise. Crowder's show generally runs for about two to two and a half hours to get in the interviews and commentary. So while it is more casual listening, it definitely doesn't hurt to take a seat and just listen.
Where to watch or read: Crowder livestreams his podcasts on YouTube as well as uploading skits and parodies and investigative pieces. You can also read his articles at lowderwithcrowder.com or listen to his podcasts on Apple or on Soundcloud.
3. Tomi Lahren
No list of young conservative commentators is complete these days without a mention for Tomi Lahren. At 23 years old, she's one of the most recognizable faces in right-wing media thanks to her viral segment "Final Thoughts With Tomi Lahren" at The Blaze. Lahren primarily focuses on summarizing current events and delivering her opinion on the issue, the public reaction and the media's reaction. Her videos, mostly published through her Facebook page, are quick and concise, often lasting under six minutes. Tomi has also been expanding her fan base and reach, speaking at events like Turning Point's Young Women's Leadership Summit in June and will be speaking again at Turning Point's Winter in West Palm Beach Activist Retreat this December. While her opinions are often controversial, it's great to have some honesty and clarity in the media despite the backlash.
Where to watch or read: Lahren's primary social media would be Facebook, where all of her "Final Thoughts" segments are available. The Blaze also publishes her segments on their YouTube page.
4. Paul Joseph Watson
The second non-American on this list, Paul Joseph Watson is a 27-year-old British-born Libertarian comedian. His videos are an almost in-between point from Crowder and Shapiro. Watson, like Crowder, often focuses on social issues and questions of free speech; his commentary on topics like feminism and Islam have generated some serious backlash. On the other hand, his attention to detail, the logical style he uses to explain his claims and sourcing (in the description box of his YouTube videos, he includes a transcript of the video with hyperlinked sources for his claims) make him very much like Shapiro. His videos takes a more traditional YouTuber style to his Libertarian style points of view as opposed to the radio show and news broadcast style taken by everyone before Watson on this list. Watson's videos generally range anywhere from five to 30 minutes, depending on whether he's responding to a more general topic like feminism to more specific topics like reactions to books or individual news stories he's covering.
Where to watch or read: All of Watson's videos are available on his YouTube channel. He also publishes content on Infowars.com and Prison Planet.
5. Lauren Southern
After going viral for her video taking apart why she didn't need feminism, Lauren Southern has yet to stop. in 2015, the 21-year-old Southern ran for office under the Libertarian Party of Canada, while attending university and maintaining her YouTube channel. Southern's videos primarily focus on feminism and her school life, but her interviews and features (she was a guest on Louder with Crowder) see her talking about a wider range of political issues.
Where to watch or read: The easiest and most direct place would be Southern's YouTube Channel. Interviews are scattered across the internet.
Bonus: Turning Point USA
Turning Point USA is an organization aimed at high school and college conservatives. The group, founded by then 18, now 22-year-old Charlie Kirk, focuses on spreading a message of conservatism and small government to campuses across the nation. Turning Point serves as a support system for young conservatives helping to set up chapters at their schools, bring speakers to campus and supplying students with activism supplies besides offering access to conferences and summits year round to organize the grassroots of young right-wingers.
