Spencer Pratt and the Temptations of Populism
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Spencer Pratt and the Temptations of Populism
"To have any chance of winning, Pratt must tap into the populist energy that is propelling him. But like a drag racer with nitro, too much of this energy will make him crash and burn. The pro-Pratt ad that's been stuck in my head, " Spencer, Saca La Basura!," is a salsa-inspired earworm by a group called Latinos Por Pratt (which the Los Angeles Times reports seems to consist of one person, a Cuban American lawyer)."
Spencer Pratt, a 42-year-old former MTV reality figure, is running to unseat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass despite starting as a long shot with no government experience and Republican registration in a largely Democratic city. His campaign gained visibility after qualifying for a televised debate where he benefited from being the only candidate positioned as a change option while Bass and Nithya Raman traded criticisms. Pratt’s strategy centers on Los Angeles-specific problems including fire preparedness, crime, homeless encampments, and misspent funds. As the June 2 primary approaches, his success depends on channeling populist energy that supports him online, while avoiding excessive reliance on that momentum. His campaign also uses a salsa-inspired pro-Pratt song, “Spencer, Saca La Basura!”
Read at The Atlantic
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