Spencer Pratt's ad strategy shakes up L.A. mayoral race | The Right Squad (youtube.com)
This will probably be a topic in university courses on politicals ads and on US politics.
A lot of problems have built up in the city/state. No politicians have, but it's just been weaiting to be used in ads that show the issues in a resonant way. His ads have gone viral.
I've seen another of his ads which was pretty effective-seeming. The impression he makes on viewers is just as a common-sense person who's issues are serious issues.
He's receiving threats, calling him 'fascist.'
LA mayoral election in non-partisan, ie there is no affiliation next to candidates' names on the ballot. (Pratt has registered Republican before though.)
The ad in question shows Pratt 'living' in an Airstream trailer on his property. Opponents can critisize this ad, saying 'He doens't live there. He actually lives in a nice hotel, The Beverly Hills, but this creates a news story that causes Pratt to be interviewed and asked just that, to which his response gets to be (excatly his main mandate issue) that no, he doesn't live in the hotel, and he doesn't live in the airstream, he doens't live anywhere because of how non-functional the cities policies are that he can't even build a new home.
Pratt has a degree in political science, Karen Bass commented, but 'he does not have a background or knowledge in how our govenrment works.' Is that an advantage? If enough non-politicians are elected, does it become an advantage?
A politician, in a situtation where for decades all politicians have basically formed a class separate from the common citizens, have avoided even talking about real issues (in any way that isn't just a sort of veneer for their popularity purpose), could just do what journalists traditionally do, go and show the actual things that are issues and talk about how they will work on these.
Celebs might be the perfect type of candidate, because they have a following and recognition and their resume has been quite public, they often have experience being poor and being rich, and they've had a lot of free time and know other influential people (and generally a person is a decent representation of the people in his circle). Celeb candidates can be tested for fitness (basically things like intelligence, common sense, values) during the campaign process.