The GOP's Newest Political Star Actually Has an A+ Instagram Game

Impact

After a stunning defeat to little-known college professor Dave Brat, commentary of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has filled the airwaves over the past few days. But as the talking heads try to figure out how a far-right Tea Party insurgent spending just $122,000 beat one of the most powerful Republicans in the country, the battle for Cantor's leadership position is already over.

In just 48 hours, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) went from an "overlooked figure on a hobbled leadership team" to having a near-certain lock on the GOP's second-highest congressional leadership position. Because he's not a Tea Party member and is already being criticized as not conservative enough, McCarthy's tenure as majority leader is going to be a huge flashpoint.

You'll probably be hearing a lot about McCarthy, and particularly serious stuff about the economy and social issues, but the new guy's Instagram account is also seriously worth checking out. This is some A+ social media work by McCarthy and his team, described as using the "many filters of Instagram to create visually appealing photos of the sights and sounds of Washington."

So there you have it: The guy who's almost certainly locked in to be the House majority leader is really, really good at Instagram. Say what you want about his policies or his politics, but at least the guy has a sense of humor, right?