“Will you commit to ending finsta?”

KATHRYN CHAVEZ: I never thought I would hear the word "Finsta" said in a Senate hearing, but here we are, and no one is surprised that Senator John Ossoff of Georgia looks great in baseball pants. Here are some of the best and worst political digital moments from the past two weeks. 

Best: Ella Emhoff for Balenciaga 

She may not be an elected official, and the post is not inherently political, but it is just too good! She looks so stunning with the sleek bun paired with statement glasses and a gorgeous oversized bag. Who can I call to go on a shopping spree with the vice president's daughter or be her fashion week plus one?

Best: Everything the Kentucky Democrats Post on Tik Tok

Kentucky State Senator Morgan McGarvey and his fellow Senate Dems understand Tik Tok and are way too good at it. Almost every week, there is a new post on their account that nails the current trend on the head and highlights their political predicaments. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be to be a Democrat in Kentucky, so good for them for finding a way to engage a larger audience and bring in some light.

Best and Worst: Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut Actually Shut Down Finsta

Either no one on Senator Blumenthal staff looked over his questions, or if they did, he needs to hire someone under 25. I want to know how Finsta came onto the Senators radar because he is 75, and I am sure he does not even run his own Instagram account. It was another reminder of how old our legislators are and how disconnected they can be to the world of those under 30. But, just a few days later, he did it, Finsta was gone... kind of. On October 4, Facebook and their other products, WhatsApp and Instagram, were down for a few hours. Since a Finsta is just an Instagram account, and the whole app was down, he was successful in his endeavors; even it was just for a short while.

Chaotic Neutral: 

I think the phrase "The Devil works hard, but Kris Jenner works harder" should officially be changed to "The Devil works hard, but Nancy Pelosi works harder." The Congressional baseball game was just another day in the office for the Speaker of the House, as she took phone calls while sitting in the first row. 

Senator Joni Ernst Needs to Get a Clue

I love it when elected officials find fun ways to make policy and government easily understandable, as you should not have to be a wonk to know what's going on. But, it is one thing to use a prop in a speech to help your constituents and another to use props to get yourself on TV. Holding up a giant Uno card to try and get people to watch your floor speech seems right out of Veep. But for a quirky Halloween costume, $20 can get you your own set of giant Uno cards so you can cosplay as the Senator who did not know how much soybeans and corn cost in Iowa during their re-election. 

Kathryn Chavez is a First Year Master of Public Policy student at the McCourt School. Originally from outside Dallas, Texas, she graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2021 with degrees in Business Management, Advertising and Fashion Media with a minor in Journalism.