If I worked for Mastodon, I would create a turn key solution for parties that want to set up a Mastodon server for all their party candidates.

Ilhan Omar is still on X.
Bernie Sanders is still on X.
AOC is still on X.

Make it easy for them to switch. Then make sure they are aware of this option.

Update: The first part already exists on
https://joinmastodon.org/hosting
as pointed out by @osma. Thank you Osma.

Managed Mastodon

@randahl yesterday at FOSDEM there was a member of the European Parliament who was asked why so many politicians are still on X and her answer made total sense (sadly):

Politicians stay on X because journalists are still there, so they feel that if they leave they will become irrelevant / not be written about.

And journalists stay on X because politicians are there.

It’s a vicious cycle

@_elena @randahl

A cycle is only a cycle if you don't step out of it.

And I will also say this, if your political "success" depends on lazy journalists grabbing your lazy messages from X and slap dashing lazy articles with X screenshots of what you "said", then you are not the politician you think you are.

And for the others, what you fear is not what actually will happen. Stepping away from X will not make you irrelevant. On the contrary, it will put you in the spotlight.

@gvenema @_elena @randahl exactly. And please share the contact details of the (Dutch? Belgian?) politicians and journalists you have already approached about this.