---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Establishment is no longer old white…"
description: "\"The Establishment is no longer old white men in a smoke-filled room playing kingmaker. Not in an era of social media, wild-wild west campaign fundraisi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/jason-johnson-5687_media_the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white_234043.jpg"
---

#  The Establishment is no longer old white men in a…

![“The Establishment is no longer old white men in a smoke-filled room playing kingmaker. Not in an era of social media, wild-wild west campaign fundraising, and national organizers who can descend on a district like political flash-mobs after one tweet.” quote by Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/jason-johnson-5687_media_the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white_234043.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/jason-johnson-5687_media_the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white_234043.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/jason-johnson-5687_media_the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white_234043.jpg)

> “The Establishment is no longer old white men in a smoke-filled room playing kingmaker. Not in an era of social media, wild-wild west campaign fundraising, and national organizers who can descend on a district like political flash-mobs after one tweet.”

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The power to making making has shifted from secretive elite gatherings to rapid, online mobilization driven by social media and flash‑mob organizers.

**In simple terms:** Political influence now spreads instantly online.

Key Takeaway

Leverage digital platforms for swift political action.

Themes

politics media activism democracy

Mood

energetic optimistic critical

Type

observational analytical

When to use this quote

- campaign fundraising
- local organizing
- national party strategy

Key Concepts

digital mobilization network effects grassroots organizing

Questions to Reflect On

- How can grassroots movements sustain momentum online?
- What risks arise from rapid, tweet‑driven mobilization?

A Different Perspective

Traditional elite networks still hold some sway in closed circles.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Social media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-media/)

## Related quotes

> [The Republican establishment no longer stands for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-beruff/the-republican-establishment-no-longer-stands-for-us/)

[Carlos Beruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-beruff/)

> [I think we need national carry reciprocity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/i-think-we-need-national-carry-reciprocity/)

[Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/)

> [The coffers are full of money and equipment for the Ferguson Police and the Missouri National Guard to put down a potential uprising, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/the-coffers-are-full-of-money-and-equipment-for-the-ferguson-police/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [Immigration security is national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/immigration-security-is-national-security/)

[Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/)

> [ I don't think in national categories. For me it \[policy\] is about concepts and substance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/i-don-t-think-in-national-categories-for-me-it-policy-is-about/)

[Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/)

> [It's with them that we have constituted a liberation front and brought our logistic support to armies to help their countries come out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-ben-bella/it-s-with-them-that-we-have-constituted-a-liberation-front-and/)

[Ahmed Ben Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-ben-bella/)

> [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/)

[David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/)

> [While not widely reported, our victories in Iraq are plentiful. National elections, a democratic parliament and the drafting of a constitution are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gillmor/while-not-widely-reported-our-victories-in-iraq-are-plentiful/)

[Paul Gillmor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gillmor/)

> [Nick Saban's legacy is already cemented. He's won six national championships and seven if you include the one in LSU.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ingram-ii/nick-saban-s-legacy-is-already-cemented-he-s-won-six-national/)

[Mark Ingram II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ingram-ii/)

> [The best shows succeed because they tap into a national conversation,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-lewis/the-best-shows-succeed-because-they-tap-into-a-national-conversation/)

[Damian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-lewis/)

> [Not only is a healthy America a strong America - it's vital to our national defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/not-only-is-a-healthy-america-a-strong-america-it-s-vital-to-our/)

[John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/)

> [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/)

[Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/)

> [I really enjoy going to play for the national team and be with the guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedi-osman/i-really-enjoy-going-to-play-for-the-national-team-and-be-with-the/)

[Cedi Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedi-osman/)

> [The World Cup was the biggest thing ever for the national team, but the Champions League is the biggest thing for clubs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-villa/the-world-cup-was-the-biggest-thing-ever-for-the-national-team-but/)

[David Villa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-villa/)

## More by Jason Johnson

> [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [The harsh truth is that Trump is a living co-morbidity, he's over 70, out of shape, eats terribly and doesn't believe in science. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/the-harsh-truth-is-that-trump-is-a-living-co-morbidity-he-s-over-70/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [The NFL is a league that despite new 'safety rules' is still so fundamentally violent to the Black body that even Calvin Candie would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/the-nfl-is-a-league-that-despite-new-safety-rules-is-still-so/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [I will admit upfront that I have an inherent bias about 'Fuge State.' It's the story of a Black academic on his way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/i-will-admit-upfront-that-i-have-an-inherent-bias-about-fuge-state-it/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [I quite famously don't know how to play spades, but even I know that you can't switch up the house rules from Joker Joker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/i-quite-famously-don-t-know-how-to-play-spades-but-even-i-know-that/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [What turned white women from the pejorative 53% to the blue wave of 2018? Brett Kavanaugh. Those hearings were so explosive, so horrific and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/what-turned-white-women-from-the-pejorative-53-to-the-blue-wave-of/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [History is a group project where, like in high school, one person usually does much of the work but someone else gets to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/history-is-a-group-project-where-like-in-high-school-one-person/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [In addition to politics, I usually write about super heroes, science fiction and afro-futurism, so a collection of blaxploitation movies from the mid-70s didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-addition-to-politics-i-usually-write-about-super-heroes-science/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [I don't know who Joe Biden is talking to, but I don't know one Black person in America who sees the Proud Boys tearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/i-don-t-know-who-joe-biden-is-talking-to-but-i-don-t-know-one-black/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [Election laws in America are so vague, so open to interpretation and so inconsistently enforced that Donald Trump, along with his allies in State…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/election-laws-in-america-are-so-vague-so-open-to-interpretation-and/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [You could easily rename 'Captain America: Civil War' as 'Captain America Defunds S.H.I.E.L.D' and nobody would've noticed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/you-could-easily-rename-captain-america-civil-war-as-captain-america/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [There's always something special about being down with something before it goes mainstream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/there-s-always-something-special-about-being-down-with-something/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [Everybody has to know rules and agree to the rules before the game starts, otherwise, you're not really playing, or worse, you are playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/everybody-has-to-know-rules-and-agree-to-the-rules-before-the-game/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [Full disclosure, I know as much about Black horror films as I do about blaxploitation films in general, which is little to nothing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/full-disclosure-i-know-as-much-about-black-horror-films-as-i-do-about/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

> [I do not like the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movies, for the same reason I don't like the 'Lego' movies, or 'Archer' on FX,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/i-do-not-like-the-guardians-of-the-galaxy-movies-for-the-same-reason/)

[Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

[Explore all 100 Jason Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/)

## More Media quotes

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

> [“She realized that the photograph had caused his reaction. It came to her almost as a revelation. Think of it: a photographer presses a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soheir-khashoggi/she-realized-that-the-photograph-had-caused-his-reaction-it-came-to/)

[Soheir Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soheir-khashoggi/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/)

[Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/)

> [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/)

[Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/)

> [I do have opinions. Fortunately, I neither Twitter nor Facebook. My daughter forbids me to go on social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-lipman/i-do-have-opinions-fortunately-i-neither-twitter-nor-facebook-my/)

[Maureen Lipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-lipman/)

> [This is what I say about the scorn of the media elite: I wear their scorn as a badge of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/this-is-what-i-say-about-the-scorn-of-the-media-elite-i-wear-their/)

[Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/)

> [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/)

[Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/)

> [The fog of illusion, the fog of confusion is hanging all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/the-fog-of-illusion-the-fog-of-confusion-is-hanging-all-over-the-world/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [If enough money is involved and enough people believe that two plus two equals five the media will report the story with a straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/if-enough-money-is-involved-and-enough-people-believe-that-two-plus/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [We witness anti-Semitic attacks in the heart of Europe. We hear anti-Semitic slanders in European media. We feel anti-Semitic hatred in the continent that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/we-witness-anti-semitic-attacks-in-the-heart-of-europe-we-hear-anti/)

[Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/)

> [I hate being on TV, hate dealing with media on TV. All that stuff, I don't like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyronn-lue/i-hate-being-on-tv-hate-dealing-with-media-on-tv-all-that-stuff-i-don/)

[Tyronn Lue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyronn-lue/)

> [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

[Browse all 8,440 Media quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The Establishment is no longer old white men in a smoke-filled room playing kingmaker. Not in an era of social media, wild-wild west campaign fundraising, and national organizers who can descend on a district like political flash-mobs after one tweet.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jason Johnson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white-men-in-a-smoke-filled-room/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Media"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white-men-in-a-smoke-filled-room/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/jason-johnson-5687_media_the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white_234043.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/jason-johnson-5687_media_the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white_234043.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/jason-johnson-5687_media_the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white_234043.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Establishment is no longer old white men in a smoke-filled room playing kingmaker. Not in an era of…” — Jason Johnson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jason Johnson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The Establishment is no longer old...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white-men-in-a-smoke-filled-room/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/the-establishment-is-no-longer-old-white-men-in-a-smoke-filled-room/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
